1954 Nougier 250 Twin
1954 Nougier 250 Twin
The work of a real-life wizard
Whoever would believe that some of the finest racing motorcycles ever built in France were constructed by a man without the least mechanical training, who was always strapped for cash and whose equipment was totally out of date? Nevertheless, that was the truth about Jean Nougier, “the wizard of Saint-Andiol,” among whose finest creations is the 250 Nougier twin-cylinder of 1954.
Scratch-Built 500
In 1953, aided by a rider and metal-founder from Grenoble named Collignon and also by the Aubert & Duval metallurgical company, the Italian Dell’Orto carburetor company and an ignition specialist called Morel, Jean Nougier undertook the construction from scratch of a 350cc four, which was quickly supplanted by a 500 of the same design.
Nougier’s Third 250
A year later, with the benefit of the experience he had acquired from this project, Nougier set about – single-handedly and without any outside financial help building his third 250cc racer (the first two dated from 1936 and 1940). This time it was a twin, effectively half the 500cc four set on the crankcase of a 250 Terrot OSSD touring bike. Nougier shoehorned five speeds into the OSSD gearbox, made his own crankshaft and cylinder head with twin chain-driven overhead-camshafts, replaced magneto with coil ignition, built a frame, modified a Terrot front fork and achieved a speed of 106 mph at 12,000 rpm. The bike’s career was, sadly, a short one in which it only won two events the hill climbs at Limonest and Goldbach with “Mickey” Schaad as rider.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: 247cc (54×54mm) air-cooled parallel twin four-stroke; wet-sump with oil radiator; five-bearing crank
Power Rating: 32 hp @ 12,000 rpm
Valves: twin overhead-camshafts
Fuel System: carburetor
Transmission: Nougier 5-speed, oil-hath multi-plate clutch; chain final drive
Suspension: modified Terrot telescopic forks (front); swing arm (rear)
Brakes: 7.9 inch Collignon drum
Wheels: wire (front & rear)
Maximum Speed: 106 mph
This 250 twin was built In 1954 using a 1906 lathe, a 1912 milling machine and a 1924 planing machine!
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