Moto Rêve

Moto-Rêve team from 1914

Moto-Rêve SA share from 1907 for over 100 francs

Moto Rêve is a former Swiss motorcycle manufacturer that existed from 1904 to 1925 and also had offices in the United Kingdom , Australia , France and Italy .

history

Moto Rêve (German: dream motorcycle or motorcycle dream ) was founded by engineer David and the designers Kustner and Retor. Moto Rêve was once one of the most progressive motorcycle manufacturers in Europe. The first model was presented in 1906 and was powered by a small V2 engine.

A Moto Rêve with a V2 engine from 1906

Moto Rêve opened two English branches between 1912 and 1917. For the company, manufacturing in the UK was a way of using Bowden cables . The use of this patent- protected innovation outside of England caused legal problems. The Moto Rêves made in the UK were different from the Swiss ones, in particular the frames were different. Later factories were also set up in Australia, France and Italy. The Moto-Rêve motorcycles made in England were sold under the names Alp and MR .

Moto Rêve was for his twin-cylinder - V-engines with 298 cc, 403 cc and 497 cc known, but also for smaller single-cylinder engines . After the First World War , the brand began to decline. Finally, in 1925, a new engine with overhead valves and 346 cc displacement was presented. In England machines were again offered under the name MR .

The exact company name was Moto-Rêve SA ( Geneva ), later also Moto Rêve Ltd (Acton Vale, Middlesex ) and Moto Rêve Ltd ( Alperton , Wembley ).

In motorcycle racing , the brand u. a. successful in Italy. Melchiorre Cremaschi won the Italian motorcycle road championship in 1912 in the class up to 250 cm³ and Carlo Maffeis in 1913 in the 500 cm³ class on Moto Rêve .

Norton Energette

In 1907, a motorcycle with Moto-Rêve built-in engine was presented at the Stanley Show in London at the Norton Motorcycles stand under the name Energette . Norton had used this name since 1902 for the brand's first motorized bicycles, which were, however, equipped with single-cylinder engines from Clément & Cie .

swell

• Erwin Tragatsch : All Motorcycles 1894–1981: A Type History. 2500 brands from 30 countries . Stuttgart 1997. ISBN 3-87943-410-7
• Erwin Tragatsch: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Motorcycles . Secaucus 1985. ISBN 0890098689
• Encyclopedia of the motorcycle . Brands - models - technology. Bechtermünz Verlag, Augsburg 1999, ISBN 3-86047-142-2 , p. 348 (Italian: Enciclopedia della moto . Novara .).
• Moto 73
• Yesterdays Antique Motorcycles (Dutch)

Web links

Commons : Moto Rêve  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Moto Rève (CH) . V-belt driver . Retrieved August 1, 2014.
• List of well-known Moto-Rêve motorcycles . La Moto-Rêve Genève . Retrieved August 1, 2014.

References and footnotes

1. ↑ ^{a b} Moto Rève (CH) . V-belt driver . Retrieved August 1, 2014.
2. ↑ Verkehrshaus Luzern : Swiss Cars and Motorcycles 1877–1984 , special exhibition, Verkehrshaus Luzern (1984), catalog p. 36
3. ↑ There were several other motorcycle brands called MR, e.g. B. in Paris (France), in Milan (Italy) and in Poland.