Rue de Namur, Chàtelet, Hainaut, Belgium - 1925 to 1939
The brothers Félix and Maurice Escol built their first motorcycle in 1925 after years of planning, and the result was quite outstanding. Powered by a 1000cc Anzani v-twin driving through a gearbox of their own manufacture, the Super-Moto had suspension front and rear. In 1932 they built new models using JAP 500cc and 600cc singles, along with 342cc Villiers 4-speed machines. Rudge Python engines were likely used in competition models. In 1937 there were also 196cc and 249cc Villiers 3-speed machines with monocoque frames and deeply valanced mudguards.
Tragatsch mentions that they developed their own two-stroke engine, but it seems more likely that the prominent Escol logo on the engine casing fitted to Villiers engines led to some confusion.
A 680cc V-twin appeared in 1939 but development was curtailed when war came later in the year, and all activity ceased. In total some 270 machines were built.
A rather different version of the company history is given by vvcc.be, which focuses on the Escol cars built between 1926 and 1929.
Sources: François-Marie Dumas; Tragatsch p128; ottw.es; et al.
