Ultima Motorcycles

Ultima Motorcycles

A Brief History of the Marque

Manufactured: 1914-1958 [1]
Etablissements Eugène Billion
24 & 24bis rue du Commandant Faurax
LYON

This venerable French company built their first motorcycles in 1914, closely modelled on the Deronziere, from whom Billion had bought the patents. Subsequently the company produced many different machines with Aubier-Dunne, JAP and Zurcher engines, mostly 250 and 350 singles and a 500cc sidevalve V-Twin. Postwar they built smaller two-stroke machines.

Ultima engines were employed by Automoto, Cazenave, Hirondelle, Liberia, Simard, Solyto, New Map and others.

Engine types:
F12 125cc two-stroke 52x57.5mm, 122cc, 3 speed.
F20 200cc two-stroke 66x57.5mm, 196.7cc, 3 speed.

Article paru en 1925 dans La Revue Motocycliste
Ultima est une petite marque lyonnaise. Cette région donnera è la France un très grand nombre de marques de motos de bonne facture. Dès 1912, E. Billion, qui a semble-t'il racheté la vieille marque Deronzière construit ce modèle mais il devra attendre le début des années vingt pour devenir un constructeur de motos è part entière.

Dès 1920, E. Billion produit une moto entièrement construite dans ses ateliers du 24-26, rue du Commandant Faurax. Le moteur, la boîte ainsi que la partie cycle sont fabriqués. Il est rare de voir un constructeur procéder de cette manière. A cette époque, les constructeurs "assemblaient" pour la plupart leurs motos en achetant un moteur chez Anzani, une boîte de vitesses chez Staub ou Burman, le réservoir provenant de chez un spécialiste ne fabriquant que des réservoirs. Même demande pour les roues, le guidon, les garde-boue, etc. Rapidement, les motos Ultima deviendront très populaires dépassant le cadre restreint, réservés aux petits constructeurs provinciaux (1). E. Billion construira même ses propres side-cars pour aller avec ses propres motos.

Bien que la compétition soit peu la vocation d'Ultima, certaines de ces machines s'illustreront dans des épreuves de tourisme aux mains de Dovel et de Zind (rappelons que Zind sera le pilote qui remportera le premier Bol d'Or organisé par Eugène Mauve en 1922 sur le circuit de Vaujours).


Ultima is a small brand in Lyon, a part of France which produces a great many brands of quality motorcycles. As early as 1912, E. Billion, who seems to have bought the old Deronzière brand, built this model, but he would have to wait until the early 1920s to become a motorcycle manufacturer in his own right.

As early as 1920, E. Billion built complete motorcycles in his workshops at 24-26, rue du Commandant Faurax. The engine, transmission and the chassis are made in-house. It is rare to see a manufacturer proceed in this manner for at that time, the builders "assembled" machines for most part buying an engine from Anzani, a gearbox from Staub or Burman, and a tank from a specialist manufacturing only tanks, with the same holding true for wheels, handlebars, mudguards, etc. Quite quickly, the Ultima marque became popular beyond the limited network available to small provincial manufacturers. E. Billion even built his own side-cars to go with the motorcycles.

Although competition is not the ultimate goal of Ultima, some of these machines will be illustrated in tourism events at the hands of Dovel and Zind, who later won the first Bol d'Or organized by Eugène Mauve in 1922 on the Vaujours circuit.

Translated from La Revue Motocycliste, 1925

1923 Models

  • 1923 330cc Type A 65x100mm, Magneto France, hand starting crank.

1928 Types

  • 1928 330cc Type A
  • 1928 330cc Type B
  • 1928 330cc Type B1
  • 1928 330cc Type B2
  • 1928 500cc Type C1
  • 1928 500cc Type C2-Luxe
  • 1928 Sidecar

1930-1944 Models

  • 1931-1936 B2X
  • 1931-1936 Type C2
  • 1931-1936 Type D1
  • 1931-1940 Type D2
  • 1931-1940 Type D3
  • 1931-1936 Type HB1/HB1U
  • 1931-1936 Type HB3/HB3U
  • 1932-1936 BMA 100cc 47x57mm
  • 1934-1937 Type B6X
  • 1934-1937 Type B4X SV 500cc 84x90mm
  • 1934-1937 Type B5X OHV 350cc 70x90mm
  • 1934-1940 D4
  • 1936 175S
  • 1936 C3
  • 1937 BMA 175cc 71x56mm 2T
  • 1937-1938 D1
  • 1937 HB1
  • 1937 HB2X
  • 1938 U3
  • 1938-1939 YB2X
  • 1938-1940 YB4X SV 500cc 84x90mm
  • 1938-1940 Type YB5X
  • 1938-1940 YB6X
  • 1939 V1
  • 1939-1940 Type V2
  • 1939 UB2S
  • 1939 Z1S
  • 1940 Z14
  • 1940 D1
  • 1940 Type 9B2X SV 350cc 70x90mm
  • 1940 UB2L

1944 on

  • 1944-1949 Type U
  • 1944-1949 BMA
  • 1944-1949 V4.2
  • 1944-1949 V5
  • 1944-1949 Type Z 2T 175cc 56x71mm
  • 1950-1952 V7 125cc 2T 52x57mm
  • 1951-1952 MK1
  • 1952 V6
  • 1953-1959 Type F200
  • 1954-1959 V8 Grand Luxe 1
  • 1954 MK2
  • 1953-1955 F125
  • 1955-1959 F125 Luxe
  • 1956-1959 F125 Sport
  • 1956-1959 Type F125 Standard
  • 1955-1959 MK2 Grand Luxe

Notes
1. Sources vary on dates, some indicating that the first models were produced in 1912.

Sources: JLB Creations, ultimalyon.jpcor.fr, moto-collection.org, cyclememory.org.


Fri Jan 03 2014
ka.usher<at>hotmail.com
1933 Moto Ultima HB3
Ultima HB3
J'ai un 1933 Moto Ultima 350 HB3 mais peux trouver trs peu ce sujet. Vous avez des renseignements qui pourraient tre utiles. Je sais qu'il a t construit Lyon mais je ne peux trouver aucune information de contact pour n'importe qui. Merci et j'ai hte de vous entendre.

I have a 1933 Moto Ultima 350 HB3 but can find out very little about it. Have you any information that might be of help. I know that it was built in Lyon but can find no contact information for anyone. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.
UK


Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005
subject: Is my bike an ultima
Email: redrock1369 at msndot com
message: I need to know if the bike that i own is an ultima


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