Motosacoche translation: pocket bike somehow not quite fitting the product. Nice collection. Belgians win hands down, sorry Suisse, no offense intended. Loved the military hack and the period picture; wow, some tyre!
Gillet Herstal Years back I met a US Veteran who had an old "Gillet" that he had "liberated" in France during WW2. The bike appeared to be a military dispatch bike with small leather cases mounted. Had an old brass fire extinguisher mounted to the rear rack. He shipped it home after the war and it still had grease pencil writing on the fuel tank from the port. A real "time machine". He got it home and it sat for the next 50 years in his garage, until his passing...never to be ridden or disturbed. Looked a bit like this one, without the sidecar.
there was at least one Egli at Barber museum. Anyone have Cliff Notes on Egli? Also, great thread Jehu, did you do a thread on French bikes once? Thse and those are all awesome. There is a guy on Facebook called the Vintagent who posts (and seems to own) lot's of obscure euro bikes, incredible stuff. The US stuff all looks the same and somewhat ordinary in comparison. I believe he rode the Cannonball last year.