What is it?

[Twinsport]

I saw this bike at a motorcycle show on Fathers-day. What is it. You can hit Uwe up for a suitable prize for the first correct answer. ;)


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[Uwe W.]

You can hit Uwe up for a suitable prize for the first correct answer.

Pffffft!

I'll give myself the prize 'cause that looks like an early '80s Benelli 254. I think Benelli came out with the first four-cylinder 250 motorcycles (I'm sure a vintage expert will correct me if I got this wrong), so although the engine on that thing is dead sexy, the rest of the bike is on the fugly side.

[Twinsport]

Right you are Sir

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[Uwe W.]

Right you are Sir

It is far better looking from the side (ignoring the gold pin striping of course). Did you hear it running? I can't recall ever hearing one in action, but I'll bet it's an interesting sound experience.

[Smiley]

Pffffft!

I'll give myself the prize 'cause that looks like an early '80s Benelli 254. I think Benelli came out with the first four-cylinder 250 motorcycles (I'm sure a vintage expert will correct me if I got this wrong), so although the engine on that thing is dead sexy, the rest of the bike is on the fugly side.

I'm no expert but there were 4 cylinder 250 race bikes in the 60's. Perhaps Benelli had the first consumer street one? The first 4 cylinder bike of any capacity was the Henderson I think?

I agree with the side view being most appealing, and I like the gold striping but not the white stripe (on the bike, I like the band. I'll shut up now!)

[Black Lightning]

I'm no expert but there were 4 cylinder 250 race bikes in the 60's. Perhaps Benelli had the first consumer street one? The first 4 cylinder bike of any capacity was the Henderson I think?

Actually it was made by FN, the Belgian arms company.

this is a 1905 model, no, I don't have one, (sigh)
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Then of course there is the other extreme;
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This puppy had a 500 cc V8. I understand they had a specially trained jeweler assemble it. (just kidding about the jeweler).

[Smiley]

Actually it was made by FN, the Belgian arms company.

this is a 1905 model, no, I don't have one, (sigh)
.

Thanks BL, guess I should have done some research before assuming. Love the bicycle-with- engine look. Gotta love the plunger for oil feed. Bet they never looked that good from the factory and were never clean again with total loss oil systems.

[Uwe W.]

Actually it was made by FN, the Belgian arms company.

I used FN's products when I was in the military. Here's my brother-in-law's father on an FN in 1946 (I think it was an early '30s model).

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[Black Lightning]

Love the bicycle-with- engine look. Gotta love the plunger for oil feed. Bet they never looked that good from the factory and were never clean again with total loss oil systems.

I thought the shaft drive was a nice touch too. I'm thinking there is nothing really new out there. Other than the electronics of course.

[Black Lightning]

I used FN's products when I was in the military. Here's my brother-in-law's father on an FN in 1946 (I think it was an early '30s model).

It seems a lot of manufacturers went down in the 1930s. I suppose the depression had something to do with it but I wonder if the second world war did in some of the European companies. I know some of the manufacturers in what became East Germany disappeared behind the Iron Curtain but I wonder of some of the ones in western Europe just never recovered.