Photo ou archives : F-M. Dumas
1104
BENOÃŽT-GONIN
350 Anzani with "Ladies' Attachment" – 1921
Touring for the family
The eternal question that has bothered motorcyclists is simply: "How can you take the family along?" The pioneers quickly developed tricycles and quadricycles with the passenger seat between the two front wheels; equally popular at the turn of the century were elegant trailers pulled behind tricycles which had two rear wheels. According to the weather, such trailers were fitted with leather splashguards or a parasol to protect the occupants. Motor tandems were also sometimes seen. Then, around 1903, a sort of one-wheeled wicker armchair attached alongside motorcycles appeared in Great Britain, and the sidecar was born.
Anachronisms
Sidecars quickly took over and by 1912 the trailer — or, as it was more poetically known, the "ladies' attachment" — was obsolete. So the rider of this 1921 Benoît-Gonin outfit was not exactly in the height of fashion. Despite its up-to-date sidevalve Anzani engine and English-made Sturmey Archer three-speed hand-change transmission, the Benoît-Gonin abounds with anachronisms like belt final drive and Brampton swinging front fork, along with some other oddities.
Cradle of the French Industry
Benoît-Gonin was a tiny marque founded at Lyon, the cradle of the French motorcycle industry. In spite of its size, though, it contributed significantly to the history of cycling.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: 350cc Anzani single-cylinder four-stroke engine
Power Rating: 3 hp
Valves: side
Fuel System: carburettor
Transmission: 3-speed Sturmey Archer hand change. Primary drive by enclosed chain; final drive by leather belt
Suspension: Brampton swinging fork (front); rigid (rear)
Brakes: rim brake (front); belt pulley brake (rear)
Wheels: wire clinche
Maximum Speed: 31 mph
Obsolete even when it was new, this Benoît-Gonin outfit nevertheless exudes antique charm.