Big Fat Gsa-powered MotorBike.
Boccardo - Favario - Grange
Petite Histoire:
As the Lomax 424 was sold end of April 2007 on eBay to someone in France/Marseille,
I was quite happy with my collection of Belgian Gillet-Herstal motorcycles from the fifties, type Belgica & Légia.
( see www.auto-moto.link/belgica )But then I came accross this Citroën-powered motorbike on eBay in the summer of 2007 and I decided promptly to sell off all my oldtimer motorbikes except one,
the Gillet-Herstal BELGICA 200cc - 1954.
(only 78 kms on the clock when I bought it in 2004.
3.000 nowadays, in a private museum. But that's another story! )and to purchase this unique - never driven - specimen :
Since the first time I saw these bikes in real life ( ICCCR 1998 - Chevetogne - Belgium ) I was fascinated by them.
At that time Jeroen Cats was figuring out what they changed to the engine, to use that technology perhaps on the 4-cilinder 2CV and Lomax 424.
Especially the electronic ignition intrigued him, as I was more flattered by the design of the rocker-covers.Over the years my documentation on the subject BFG grew largely. All magazines and leaflets that appeared on eBay and elsewhere, were purchased, read and stored. I think I have the largest documentation, outside the BFG-club. Including the recommendable book of Thierry Cazanabe:
'BFG; MF, S.A. Boccardo : Enquète sur une décennie d'échec'
"Vous avez dit motos françaises?""BFG, Mf, Boccardo : enquète sur une décennie d'échecs"
analyse le pourquoi du comment de l'échec de la réindustrialisation de la motocyclette en France durant les années 80.
Particularité de ces motos: elles utilisent des moteurs de voitures.
Trahisons, ddrapages mmdiatiques, luttes d'influence, batailles politiques, tout est exposs, disssquu, et apporte unn clairage nouveau sur un mal bien frannais qui consistee àscier la branche sur laquelle on est assis..So I was now the proud owner of a unique bike in Belgium.
As I visited D'Ieteren Archives in Brussels, they came up with a sales brochure and pricelist from the eighties, but they also assured me that no BFG or MBK was ever sold and/or registered in Belgium through their channels.
As BFG was hand over to MBK in 1984, connected to Yamaha, d'Ieteren was at that time the official importer for the MBK-BFG 1300.
Rumour goes that d'Ieteren Sport attempted to sell the BFG-MBK 1300 to the Belgian gouvernment.
Froem hearsay I know that the 'gendarmerie' in Belgium did a 1 month test-drive, without result.The story goes also that around 25 BFG's were exported to Japan, but the importer went bust by the time they arrived.
In the january 1987 edition of 'bike', there is the article 'Not tonight Josephine' about 1 of them that returned to Britain.This bike came back through 'Bike Direct Ltd. from Bristol'. They were clearing out and listed it on eBay.
The only thing they could tell me is that this bike has been standing in a Citroën showroom in Japan for 25 odd years, without moving.With the help of 'garage Linssen' in Kontich, the bike was restored in driveable condition.
New belts, rubbers, tyres, oil, etc.
The BFG-club was the right address for some missing parts and february 23th 2008, the first trip to the moto-jumble from my club,
the 'Early-Riders in Antwerp'. (100 km)
followed by a bikers-fair in Antwerp, where I got my first speeding ticket!Another trip was the ACRO-rally - Bonheiden, end of March 2008. (1.000km)
Citroën-highlights of the year 2008 were the CitroënJumble Namur (B)
followed by the Dutch CitroMobile in Utrecht.
On both meetings lots of intrest for this unique motorcycle.May 25th 2008 was the BIG national meeting from the BFOV/FBVA in Brussels, Atomium Square: (teller at 2.400 km)
May 2009 : + 5.000 kms !
Meetings attended: VankRally / Kontich, Rockabilly-day 2009 / Wippelgem, Early Riders / Schilde, Indian Day , ...2010 : Traction-meeting ARRAS
After almost 4 years of loyal service, I had some financial difficulties and sold the BFG to an enthousiast, who promised me to keep it till eternity.
He also told me that he was the test-driver at the time for a 1 month trial, via d'Ieteren. Looking at his 'moustache', you can guess his profession at the time.
I met him at Moto Retro Leuven.
April 2012: 10.401 kms
Last drive, to Galmaarden.
UPDATE 2021: Looking for a driveable MBK to hit the road in 2022...
BFG 1300 - 1982 - N° 147
anno 1982 B. registered : 01 / 01 / 1983 registration chassis-nr.: 0147 engine-nr.: 0982600183 (G13 / 646) type 1301 kms on the clock / mileage
- 03 / 08 / 2007 : 3 km and counting...
- 27 / 04 / 2008 : 1.000 kms -> www.CitroenJumble.be
- 01 / 05 / 2009 : +5.000 kms!
- 10 / 10 / 2011 : 9.987 kms
- 15 / 04 / 2012 : sold at 10.401 km...
engine 1299 cc aircooled flatfour boxer
48KW / 65 PS/HPCITROËN G13 / 646
(from Citroën GSA 1979 - 1986)oil 20W50 PennZoil oilfilter MANN C06 - 67 402 58 492 -> MANN-HUMMEL W712/15
PURFLUX LS450A
FRAM PH4765
TECHNOCAR R76bougies EYQUEM 800 LS / CHAMPION N6Y / BOSCH W5D / KVAS 800 LS
(info Odyssee N° 0 - 02/1983)gearbox 5 speed gearbox - made in Grenoble alloy wheels 2.15 x 18 - WM3 - FPS - Italy
(part of Hayes-Lemmerz)also seen on Moto Guzzi Le Mans & others tyres front:
MICHELIN 90/90 H18 A48
tube type
max.load 430 LBS AT 42 P.S.I. COLD ( CRU000641 )rear:
MICHELIN 120/90 H18 M48
tube type
DOT FUGN 739T 142brakes BREMBO
(also mounted on several Moto Guzzi's)front: double discs
rear: single disc
6 brakepads: 55mm x 54mm x 9mm
- BREMBO MNTXM64GG - 07 2256 30 - 889 6 G
- PREMIER DMX-GG - P 01 - KBA31039 - LK3906
- ...
battery BFG 12N183A 12V - 20 Ah (min. 14 Ah)
- BOSCH type BBM20
OLD ref. 0 180 0 5200 C- TASHIMA
Y50-N18L-A- EXIDE
E50-N18L-A2alternator 12/14 Volts 40 MPS DUCELLIER type 5140068 suspension front:
TELESCO (Spain)rear: de Carbon (France)
6611 A12 82car parts
- rearview-mirrors
- rear axle / cardan
- headlight
- engine
- dashboard
- Fiat Panda
- Citro�n M�hari 4x4
- Renault 16
- Citro�n GSA
- Renault 5 TS / Alpine
floater in gasoline-tank JAEGER - made in France
(same style as 2CV)27571 01 - 12V - C2 production 400 x BFG - 1982 -> 1983
150 x MBK - 1984 -> 1988
10 x l'Atelier Précision - 1988 -> 1996Total: 560 ex.
Kontich / Antwerp (B) Erwin ( reKupnet ) Obourdin erwin@reKup.net
Photos taken 2012 :
TOURING MOTORBIKES 1982 / 1983 BFG 1300 1299cc 300 kg 5.000 AMF / Harley Davidson FLTC Tour Glide Classic 1340cc 355 kg - BMW R100 RT 980cc 217 kg 3600 HONDA GL 1100 DLX 1085cc 285 kg 4100 KAWASAKI Z 1300 1286cc 296 kg 6000 LAVERDA 1200 TS 1116cc 245 kg 4600 MOTO GUZZI 1000 SP Cockpit Integrale 949cc 210 kg 3900 SUZUKI GSX 1100 E (KATANA) 1067cc 258 kg 3500 YAMAHA XS 1100 Sport 1101cc 258 kg 3500
BFG Linx
motocyclette.World BeNeLux + moto-parts finder with +666 contacts through only 1 form Moto Club BFG FR the one and only club-site Cats-Citroën.com NL Jeroen Cats' view on the BFG-matter Citroënet UK Julian Marsh' story Anonyme FR percheron de type B F G fidèle monture depuis octobre 1982 Lane Motor Museum USA a BFG at the Lane Motor Museum / Tenessee www.smitbros.nl NL Smitbros - Texel, they acquired BFG N° 25 in june 2009. last update: 11/03/2021 15:39:35 by BlacK@TacK.