A Brief History of the Marque
Factory address prior to WWI: Rue Louis-Blanc, Courbevoie. Showroom at 22 Avenue de la Grande Armée, Paris.
London offices: 16 Upper St. Martin's Lane, London. (1904)
Established in 1898 by Eugène Peugeot, the Griffon Bicycle Company built their first motorcycles in 1902 using one of their bicycle models as a basis to which they fitted a Zédel engine. Development was rapid, and the following year they presented 10 different models at the Paris Show. Racing success followed, and in 1904 one of their machines achieved the then astonishing speed of 110 km/h (65 mph). By this stage factory team riders and privateers on Griffon machines dominated competition.
In 1905 the factories in Courbevoie employed 300 people. Motorcycles produced in the following years included 2¾HP and 3 HP singles, and 3½ and 5 HP twin cylinder models. They also offered tricars.
In the years preceding the Great War Griffon fell into decline, and shortly after the Armistice merged with Peugeot [1]. In 1926 Peugeot Cycles and Peugeot Automobiles separated, and from 1927 the model ranges for the two marques were all but identical.
In the 1950s Peugeot formed the France Motor Cycle (FMC) company which combined the brands Aiglon, Automoto and Griffon.
Griffon Models
Peugeot built motorcycles under the Griffon marque until at least 1956, including the following models:
The GRIFFON Co., Courbevoie, show a very light touring motor-bicycle with a Clement motor fixed on the main tube. The petrol tank is carried on a pair of duplicate front forks. The coil is placed behind the diagonal, and the battery slung from the horizontal tube. The drive is by a small diameter hide belt, with jockey pulley adjustment. A back rim and front tyre brake is fitted. The weight of the machine complete is 65 lbs., and the price comes out at the very low figure of £30.
Further information:
1903 Griffon at Moto-Histo.com
Notes
1. It may be that Griffon merged with Peugeot prior to WWI, around 1911 or 1912.
2. Different sources give different production dates - an early Tragatsch says 1902-1928, JLB says 1901-1955, and Les Petochons du Lion lists a 1956 model Griffon.
Star Engineering Co motorcycles of Wolverhampton imported Griffon machines in 1902.
Sources: Tragatsch, JLB Creations, petochonsdulion.net
Tue Jul 19 2016
pnbrooks89 at btinternet.com
Griffon Dating
Griffon G80
Can you date a Griffon from the frame number?
England
You would need to contact a marque specialist for that. Try the classic clubs section at Bikelinks.
Tue Jul 02 2013
standsilva<at>gmail.com
bike griffon tire 65/35c
griffon 1920 year model
hi.
i need yours help . i need 2 tires for a bike griffon i think 1920 year.
tire 65/35c
if you know how we sell this tires please send me a contact for my email.
the tire is dunlop mark.
regards from portugal
porto,portugal
Fri Jan 28 2011
jl.bobicoli<at>free.fr
Date
Griffon all
Hi again,
For GRIFFON you wrote"Different sources give different dates - an early Tragatsch says 1902-1928, JLB says 1901-1955".
My source is "le grand dictionnaire de la moto française" from Dominique PASCAL. It's mentionned that GRIFFON go to PEUGEOT after WWI. But the Brand was still in use up to 1955.
Best regards
Jean-Luc BONICOLI
South of France
Wed Dec 02 2009
hog2ride at hotmail dot com
Any Information
Griffon TC555
I am about to restore the TC555 but have nothing to refer to, so any information and photographs would be great
essex england
..........
Hi i have a couple of bits of information on the Griffon, they are as follows its a cm3 125.
carburator is a AMAC jets 75/80 weight 95kgs year 1954. i believe they were taken over by peugot at some point.
Wed Sep 24 2008
office at mauko.at
Scheinwerfer
Griffon 555TA
Hallo ich suche dringend einen Scheinwerfer für mein Motorrad Griffon 555TA BJ: 1953 125m³
Austria
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2008
From: CESAR Kryulec <motosdeepoca at hotmail.com>
Tengo una moto Griffon totalmente original y funcionando es type G/554 y me gustaria saber el modelo y el valor de esta moto.
Le envio fotos de la moto.
Desde ya atentamente Cesar de Argentina
Translation: I have a totally original and working Griffon motorcycle is type G / 554 and I would like to know the model and the value of this motorcycle.
I send photos of the bike.
From now on attentively Cesar from Argentina
Thu May 03 2007
Motorsport-Elm at web.de
Griffon Moped
Wer weiss wann dieses Moped gebaut wurde, und wo ich Teile bekommen kann, sowie Techn. Daten ???
Fahrzeug läuft - fährt, aber die Motorlager haben reichlich Spiel !!!
Bremerhaven
Thu Dec 22 2005
tonylennon9 at eircom.net
griffon cyclemoteur
Would like to buy a Griffon Cyclomoteur.
Thu Nov 03 2005
j-vanderlinden at home.nl
Griffon moped
Hello,
I live in the Netherlands. i have bought a Griffon moped and am looking for documentation (owner/shop manual, selling brochures or copies) to get it licensed here in the Netherlands. Technically it almost equals the Peugeot Bima. Any
information on this nice little bike is very welcome, especially technical specifications.
From the information that I have gathered sofar I think the frame and engine and fuel tank and several other items are the same. The brakes are different. Bima's have drum brakes, Griffons have rim brakes (I hope that's the right name).
But I have also seen a picture of a Griffon with a drum brake at the rear wheel. I'm on the beginning of a search, so my knowlegdge
is still limited. Griffon was bought in 1927 or 28 by Peugeot. Maybe they kept the production separated, I don't know this.
Again, thank you very much and kindest regards,
Joost van der Linden
Sat Jul 23 2005 (updated Nov 2010 & March 2011)
igstanley at talktalk.net
Griffon motor cycle/moped
I wish to date a Griffon Type G551M which I have just acquired and obtain any background info. especially about the flywheel magneto (no sparks). Details: approx. 100cc 2 stroke, girder forks, bicycle type frame.
If you have a query about Griffon motorcycles please contact us
