Description
Magnat Debon ca. 1916 3 ¼ HP 398 cc OHV frame # 10116 engine # 2459
In the year 1900 Joseph Magnat and Louis Debon founded a firm in Grenoble that started to produce bicycles.
In 1902 the first motorcycle was produced, equipped with a De Dion Bouton engine.
Soon they started to use their own engines and in the years before the first world war the firm prospered: the machines had many novel features such a telescopic front suspension and some models had overhead valves.
Both founders died at the end of the war and in the early twenties the company got into financial problems.
In 1922 the firm was taken over by the Terrot company.
In 1913 the company abandoned the side valve models for a number of years and concentrated on two OHV machines.
The 3 ¼ HP model had bore x stroke of 75 x 90 mm and a displacement of 398 cc, its more powerful brother measured 80 x99 mm and displaced 498 cc.
This 498 cc single was replaced in 1914 by a V-twin. Our 3 ¼ HP is equipped with a reliable Bosch magneto and the company’s own aluminium carburettor.
This charming French barn find bike is unrestored and would make a very interesting restoration project.