French Motorcycles

Dalifol Motorcycles


172, quai de Jemmapes, Paris

In 1876, Dalifol built a very innovative, steam-powered tram in collaboration with Amédée Bollée père (1844-1917). The company owner died in 1888 and his 21-year-old son took over the management and experimented with automobiles and motorcycles. In 1894 the company built a steam motorcycle with the word Volta prominent on the the engine.

There is a suggestion that the machine was based on a license from Heinrich and Wolfgang Hildebrand, one of which was sold to Paris in 1893, but as the word "Volta" is prominent on a contemporary illustration of the machine, it seems much more likely that the powerplant originated in Italy.

Bourdache has an informative article on this motorcycle.

Bourdache p25, p434; de.wikipedia.org.


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