René Gillet Type L1 1000cc

During the WWII, the French Army also used a René Gillet motorcycle equipped with 1000 cc double-cylinder flathead V-engine and a sidecar. This machine had a rear wheel chain drive. The frame was made of welded tubes. The front fork had a short leading link, which was a typical feature of the René Gillet motorcycles. This design was unique because the engineers managed to combine a rigid fork with movable levers, holding the wheel. At this, one of the levers was a bicycle fork transmitting the movements of a wheel to the spring, which was located under the handlebar.

The motorcycle presented in our museum according to the classification of René Gillet belongs to the ‘L1’ model, which differs from the earlier models in the shape of the rear suspension (can be compared with the example 1932 René Gillet Type H ). A new version of the rear suspension was introduced in 1934.

The motorcycle is equipped with a sidecar Bernardet Grand Tourisme, years of production: 1937-1939. Information provided by ASSOCIATION DES CYCLES ET VÉHICULES BERNARDET

Most of these machines were captured by Germans during WWII, then repainted, the markings were changed, and further these bikes were extensively used by the Wehrmacht soldiers. Besides, the German engineers scrupulously examined the machines they have got in order to adopt French design for their own machines.