Description
Herdtlé-Bruneau ca. 1906 1 ¼ HP ca. 135 cc OHV engine # 489
Compared with the rather crude engines that powered many of the first generation of motorcycles, the engines built by Herdtlé-Bruneau were made with the precision of Swiss watches.
They used the most advanced methods of the day and were renowned for their high standard of finish.
The engines were produced at the Rue de la Chine in Paris from 1903 until 1912.
This excellent little engine was sold ready to bolt on to a bicycle frame, and was available with either air or water cooling.
It was quite advanced, using a mechanically-operated overhead-inlet valve rather than the atmospheric inlet valves used by most other makes.
Notable is that the exhaust valve was overhead too, so despite the small capacity the engine was surprisingly powerful.
This example has coil-and-trembler ignition but magneto ignition became available as an extra in 1905.
Very special about this H-B is that’s it has been sold as a complete Herdtlé-Bruneau motorcycle and not as an auxiliary engine to be fitted to any bicycle.
This delightful piece of technology is a fresh restoration that hasn’t run yet.