FN motorcycles
The Belgian company Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre (also Fabrique Nationale Herstal ), better known under the name Fabrique Nationale (FN) , based in Herstal near Liège , was founded in 1889. In addition to weapons, automobiles , motorcycles and bicycles were also manufactured in the past . This article deals with the motorcycles built by FN.
From 1901 FN motorcycles were built. The first motorcycle had a 133 cc engine with 1.25 HP (919 W) made by De Cosmo. The four-stroke engine had an inlet sniffer valve , the power transmission to the rear wheel took over a wide leather belt. In appearance it was more of an auxiliary motor bike.
Two years later, a model with a 188 cm³ engine appeared first, which was enlarged to 300 cm³ in 1904. This motorcycle also had pedals to pedal when starting and going uphill, the engine was now in front of the bottom bracket . The flywheel on the outside of the first machine was now in the engine housing.
In 1905, FN launched the first motorcycle with an inline four-cylinder engine . It had been developed under the direction of Paul Kelecom, had a displacement of 362 cc and still had poppet valves on the intake side. The power was transmitted to the rear wheel without a clutch via a jointless drive shaft (no cardan shaft ). In 1906 the engine was enlarged to 410 cm³, and from 1908 a clutch was also installed. An FN that started at the Tourist Trophy took third place.
In 1909 a 250 cm³ machine appeared, also with a shaft drive and, on request, with two gears. In 1911 around 2,600 motorcycles were produced and exported to 41 countries. The Tsar's army also drove FN. In 1913, FN installed a two-speed gearbox behind the drive shaft in the four-cylinder engine and a year later a separate two-speed gearbox.
The four-cylinder model was built until 1926, but from 1920 with a 750 cc engine. A completely new design appeared in 1923. The 350 cm³ engine was side-controlled and shared a housing with the gearbox. From 1926 the engine had the valves in the cylinder head . These motorcycles were sold under the names M60 and M70 sold, the latter still adding Sahara received after three Belgian officers a 8,800 km long crossing of Africa with the M67 had made.
At the same time, two 500 cc models were presented, one side-controlled and one OHV machine (M67). The motorcycles were improved again and again and in 1937 a motorcycle with a 992 cm³ two-cylinder boxer engine , the FN M12, was mainly built for military purposes . After the Second World War , a few new models were built in 1945, all based on the pre-war designs (including the FN M13 ) and until the mid-1960s mainly mopeds were produced.
FN from 1903
FN four-cylinder with cardan drive 1909
Four-cylinder engine 1909
FN 500 1913 with cardan drive
FN single cylinder
FN-M86
FN and motorcycling
From 1922 on, FN built motorcycles for racing , with which many victories and world records were achieved. As early as 1923, FN won the Belgian Grand Prix in the 350 cm³ class with driver Jean Huynen . In 1926 Belgian drivers Flintermann , Lovinfosse and Sbaiz set 17 world records in the 350 cm³ category in Monza within 24 hours. The record over 24 hours has been improved to an average speed of 105.25 km / h. In autumn 1926, three world records were set over shorter distances. In the 500 cm³ class, 127.7 km / h for the standing kilometer.
In 1930 FN hired the English designer Dougal Marchant to develop the racing machines. The newly developed vertical shaft motor with hairpin valve springs was fast, but not yet reliable. Nevertheless, on August 24, 1931 , the driver Wal Handley set a new world record over the flying mile (195.14 km / h) with the 500. With a 350cc machine he set the world record over five kilometers with an average of 179.6 km / h.
From 1932, FN took part in road racing again. Under the direction of the engineer Van Hout , a 500 cc compressor machine was built with an output of 54 hp (40 kW) and with which René Milhoux set a new record in 1934 over the flying kilometer of 224.019 km / h. At the Dutch TT in Assen , where the European title was awarded in 1934 , the FN driver Pol Demeuter won the European championship in the 500cc class. Some of these racing motorcycles were also sold to private drivers, and a street version came on the market, the M 86 Grand Prix , but with a simpler engine with a side camshaft. FN guaranteed a top speed of 160 km / h for this motorcycle.
In 1938, FN competed at the Swiss Grand Prix in Geneva with a new two-cylinder OHC compressor machine, but it turned out to be too heavy and not very stable. Since FN had meanwhile also taken over the assembly of Peugeot vehicles for Belgium and the production of weapons increased sharply, the further development of motorcycles was stopped.
literature
- Automobile and motorcycle chronicle issue 3/1976
