France: Valmont 100 Years Of Motorcycles Expo |
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File under France Exhibitions
Author: Mike Werner
Location: Normandy, France
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Way out in the sticks of Normandy, France is the very small town of Valmont  . Every year the local motorcycle club organizes an exposition of motorcycles, usually vintage and classic ones. This year the theme was the Italian motorcycle.
It's one of the easiest visits for me, since I live some 7 kilometers from the expo site, a converted gym. Covering two sports halls, the expo usually draws quite a local crowd, though people come from as far as the UK to see the old motorcycles.
Most motorcycles are in a good nick, though some could really be qualified as barn-finds.
When you arrive at Valmont, the impressive castle dominates the countryside (Click here to see more about the castle and Valmont  ). Even at the parking, you can see the castle (you can see in the background in this photo). Note: All photos can be clicked on for a bigger version.
Inside the gym halls, motorcycles where lined up in several rows. Remember we're in shitkicker country, and things are simple, but functional.
The first "motorcycle" we saw was a Laverda 50cc moped
Many of the "old" Italian manufacturers were present. Here's an Aermacchi 350cc Ala-D'Oro S Replica from 1964. 35 hp at 8500 rpm with a top speed of 180 kph and a weight of 120 kilos. The Aermacchi can be seen regularly on circuits:
... or how about this immaculate 90 kilo weighting Aermacchi 402cc by Tony Foale dating back to 1972:
Ducati's predecessor, the 50cc Cucciolo from 1945 was in the way it was found.... lots of TLCTender Loving Care required.
Other barn finds:
As you can expect, there were a lot of Ducati motorcycles present, most in running state:
Here's a Ducati 350cc Mach-3 from 1970:
Here's a Gilera 500 Saturno Bialbero from 1988. 5 gears, 50 bhp and a top speed of 180 kph. The motorcycle is going to be raced for the first time on April the 21st, ridden by a 17 year old female racer.
A couple of impressive Moto Guzzi bikes were present. This is a nifty Moto-Guzzi 50cc Cross from 1974:
Another Guzzi, the Moto-Guzzi 250cc Airone from 1952:
Morini motorcycles were also well represented. This is a Moto-Morini 175 Settebello from 1960, with a 4-stroke 173cc engine, providing 15 hp at 8000 rpm, and a top speed of 145 kph. The bike weighs 98 kilos dry.
.. and Moto-Morini 400 Dart from 1988. A 72° V2 4-stroke engine with 390 cc displacement, delivering 36 hp at 8500 rpm and a dry weight of 150 kilos.
The Romeo 50 FP/M4 Monster dating back to 1974. 50 cc and 12 hp delivering a top speed of 120 kph. The engine is a Mineralli P6 Radial.
All-in-all, it was a passionate afternoon:
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