The D45 1945/1960
The queen of the popular. Who doesn't know the legendary D45! The 125 Motobécane with side valves was inseparable from the national road network for almost two decades.
1945 D45A
125 cm3 Sidevalve
The D45 appeared in 1945 under the name D45A, had a parallelogram fork and a rigid rear end. Six to seven months of delay were necessary to obtain one.
1947 D45B
125 cm3 Sidevalve
At the threshold of 1948. The crankshaft is modified, as well as the engine crankcase, increasing the oil capacity from 0.75L to 1.25L.
1949 D45S
125 cm3 Sidevalve
In 1949, a major modernization took place with the adoption of plunger rear suspension. The D45 becomes D45S (for suspension). The four centimeters of travel are certainly very small, but they still allow to correctly filter the jolts due to the paving of the streets and to improve the road holding.
In 1951, a telescopic fork was added to further improve handling. This would be effectively the last major development on this model, which retained its dual clutch control and three manual gears.
1956 D45S LUXE
125 cm3 Sidevalve
This "luxury" version has a tank, rims and a round chrome exhaust as well as deep mudguards. The popular lightweight will continue an exemplary career until early in 1961.
This page is adapted from an archive of a site by Patrick Barrabès. Further information under French Resources
