René Gillet Type L 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.

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.