NOUGIER

250 Twin -1954

The work of a real-life wizard

Whoever would believe that some of the finest racing motorcycles ever built in France were constructed by a man alone, who was always strapped for cash and whose equipment was totally out of date? Nevertheless, that was the truth about Jean Nougier, "the wizard of Saint-Andiol," among whose finest creations is the 250 Nougier twin-cylinder of 1954.

Scratch-Built 500

In 1953, aided by a rider and metal-founder from Grenoble named Collignon and also by the Aubert & Duval metallurgical company, the Italian Dell'Orto carburetor company and an ignition manufacturer Morel, Jean Nougier undertook the construction from scratch of a 350cc four, which was quickly supplanted by a 500 of the same design.

Nougier's Third 250

A year later, with the benefit of the experience he had acquired from this project, Nougier set about - single-handedly and without any outside financial help - building his third 250cc racer (the first two dated from 1936 and 1940). This lime it was a twin, effectively half the 500cc four set on the crankcase of a 250 Terrot OSSD touring bike. Nougier shoehorned five speeds into the OSSD gearbox, made his own crankshaft and cylincler head with chain-driven twin overhead-camshafts, replaced magneto with coil ignition, built a frame, modified a Terrot front fork and achieved a speed of 106 mph

at 12,000 rpm. The bike's career was, sadly, a short one in which it only won two events

- the hillclimbs at Limonest and Goldbach - with "Mickey" Schaad as rider.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 247cc (54x54mm) air-cooled parallel twin four-stroke; wet-sump with oil radiator; five-bearing crank

Power Rating: 32 hp@ 12,000 rpm

Valves: twin overhead-camshafts

Fuel System: carburetor

Transmission: Nougier 5-speed, oil-bath multiplate clutch; chain final drive

Suspension: modified Tenot telescopic forks (front); swing arm (rear)

Brakes: 7.9 inch Collignon magnesium drums

Wheels: wire (front & rear)

Maximum Speed: 106 mph

This 250 twin was built in 1954 using a 1906 lathe, a 1912 milling machine and a 1924

planing machine!

Much more info on all the Nougiers racing bikes, in the book Â«Nougier, 1932-1972 – Le rêve français» by François-Marie Dumas (Text in french only)

Click here to download the purchase order  / contact info@moto-collection.org