Beginning in 1978, Alain Chevallier built Yamaha TZ-based racers ridden by his talented brother Olivier, who died on the track in 1980. After almost throwing in the towel, Alain recovered and changed to Honda. Using engines supplied by HRC, the three-cylinder 500cc GP machines were a force to be reckoned with.
"In the 500 cm3 category, the torch of Grand Prix motorcycles will be taken up by two men who have left their mark on motorcycle technology in France, with discretion, but always with great ingenuity. Alain Chevallier, first of all, a very high level technician, who will design 250 and 350 cm3 based on Yamaha twin cylinders. His motorcycles were driven by his own brother, Olivier. Not that no one else wanted to drive this machine, but quite simply because Olivier was an excellent pilot.
Then he moved to the higher category, in 500 cm3, whose frame he designed around the 3-cylinder engine of the NSR Honda." ~ moto-histo.com
In 1984, De Radiguès took the 500 Chevallier to ninth place in the world championship.
Alain Chevallier collaborated with Voxan in the year 2000.
He died on October 3rd 2016, aged 68.
Sources: François-Marie Dumas; Moto-Histo.com; alchetron.com.
