LA MONDIALE

300cc Tourisme -1928

Ancestor of the scooter

Few motorcycles of 1928 could boast even one of the features - five speeds, two-leading- shoe front brake, monocoque construction - which distinguished the La Mondiale, a sort of prehistoric scooter with excellent built-in weather protection.

Sensational Debut

Better known for its machine tools (particularly its turning lathes), the La Mondiale factory was located at Vilvoorde, to the north of Brussels. It began motorcycle production late in 1923. Just one model was offered, which caused a sensation at the Brussels Show. Its frame was pressed from steel sheet. The five-speed friction drive was controlled by a lever that also acted as clutch control, moving a friction wheel across the face of the flywheel magneto to give the different ratios. The final drive chain was enclosed in an oil-tight casing.

Built-in Hot Foot

The engine - built by La Mondiale - was a two-stroke unit mounted upside-down, with its ignition contacts accessible through a removable panel on the left side of the frame. The central stand was raised and lowered by another lever, an armchair-type seat was mounted on the 2.6 gallon (US) fuel tank and the foot-boards doubled as silencers (and even as foot-warmers, to the possible prejudice of the rider's boots!). Around 1927 a second version appeared, differing only in the replacement of the armchair by a conventional saddle and a right-hand twistgrip control for the friction drive.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 300cc (76x68mm) air-cooled singlecylinder; all roller-bearing

Power Rating: 3 hp

Valves: two-stroke

Fuel System: carburetor

Transmission: Flywheel magneto doubles as friction plate for 5-speed friction drive; enclosed chain final drive

Suspension: girder forks (front); rigid (rear)

Brakes: twin internal-expanding band brakes, each operated by a separate pedal (rear)

Wheels: wire (front & rear)

Maximum Speed: 50 mph

The engine of this remarkably original La Mondiale was overhauled in 1990 by 89-year old Gustave Jacobs, who worked at the La Mondiale factory in the late 1920s.