The art of the motorcycle by Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Author:Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Motorcycles
Publisher: New York : Guggenheim Museum
Published: 1998-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

Majestic 350 • 349 cc • 1930 • France

Majestic advertisement Irorn Moto Revue. 1929 Collection of Bernard Salvat

Majestic 350

349 cc »1930' France

Bore x stroke: 75 x79mnr Power output: 11hp@ 4.000 rpm •

Top speed: 56 mph (90 km/h) • Collection of Alain Petitiean

In the optimistic spirit of France's machine age, everything had to be streamlined. The Majestic 350's bulletlike design was unlike any other, with mechanical details concealed under louvered sheet metal.

Under the direction of Georges Roy, the Majest.c's transformation was more than cosmetic. While mainstream machines steered like a bicycle—a fork holding the front wheel, pivoting high on the front of the frame-the Ma)est,c made use of hub-center steering, a persistent design alternative throughout the development of the motorcycle. Hub-steerers locate the steering pivot inside the front wheel. Thus, only the wheel and brake are steered, creating, in theory, the reduction of steered mass and increased stability But in fact, this design has yet to prove superior over conventional forks. Further, the design has proved unappealing to most traditionalists

As with many other French machines, a variety of proprietary power plants were used by Majestic-Tra.n Chaise, and the English JAP. The example included in The Art of the Motorcycle is powered by a single-cylinder overhead-valve Chaise, in unit with a three-speed transmission and chain final drive. The machine is steered by a horizontal rod. visible on the right, that extends from the front axle rearward and is linked to handlebars. A similar arrangement may be seen on contemporary automobiles, where a front axle exists between two prominent vertical members on either side of a wheel to provide suspension

movement

The impulse to de-mechanize, tame, or civilize machines with an outer skin seems to be a persistent one In the postwar period, Vincent built the Black Prince, which had curving black fiberglass panels, and notable recent examples include Ducati's Paso and Honda's Pacific Coast. In these self-contained designs, the rider's presence may seem like an unwelcome afterthought —KC

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