Museu de la Moto

As he mentioned in his last museum article, Dave Manning has realised that private collections play a significant role in ensuring that classic motorcycles survive through time, not only as collections that may or may not be open to the public, but also by instigating, supplying and bolstering more public installations.

Such is the case with the Museu de la Moto on the outskirts of Bassella, Catalonia, less than 90 miles (or a couple of hours in a car) to the north-west of Barcelona. The core of the collection was instigated by Mario Soler, who had amassed a large collection of recovered and restored classic bikes over his years. Mario sadly died in 1991, aged 84, and his family created the Mario Soler Foundation as a non-profit entity focused on promoting the sustainability of motorcycling and to display its varied cultural and sociological use.

In the centre of the museum, open to viewing from above as well as on the lower level, is a re-creation of the original workshop where Mario restored the majority of the motorcycles that shape the present collection. Everything was carefully transported, piece by piece, from its former location in Bassella, keeping all of the elements and original details which constitute one of the most remarkable areas in the museum, and give a fascinating look at how Mario approached his restorations more than two decades ago.

Much like the Caldes de Boi museum, situated deeper into the mountainous Pyrenean area of Catalonia (featured in OBM438), the Museu de la Moto has a leaning towards motorcycles built in Spain, although there are also a significant number of bikes produced elsewhere. During my visit the downstairs section of the museum was devoted to 75 years of Montesa although this display was only running until the end of 2021 and will be replaced by other machines in the coming months.

While there is a very clear focus on the bikes built by Montesa, thanks to that temporary display of its wares, the other Spanish brands in evidence include those such as Patria, Sanglas, Olimpic and others, as well as an interesting selection of bikes that were used during the Spanish Civil War, with vehicles representing both sides of the conflict. For someone who knows little about Spanish history (such as I), this brought a fascinating aspect to a motorcycle museum that would already have been of great interest, with the complex situation arising from the conflict between Republican and

Nationalist divisions.

But, aside from the history that made Spain the fascinating nation that it is today, as previously mentioned a large part of the museum is given over to models produced by Pere Permanyer, the man behind the Montesa brand. Born in 1911, into a coal-importing company started by his grandfather, Permanyer had an immediate interest in engineering, playing with Meccano (a brand that started in 1898!), before studying in industrial and commercial engineering. He then travelled throughout Europe to study the latest engineering innovations while inventing various innovations under the PPP brand (his own initials), including washing machines!

During the Spanish Civil War, Pere was in charge of an army workshop in Saragossa, where he became interested in the two-stroke DKW engines that were fitted to small vans, and, with one of his colleagues, Antoni Soler Urgell, he realised that these small powerplants could be used to motorise society – with motorcycles!

Urgell’s brother-in-law was Francesc Xavier Bultó – a racer who just so happened to make engine components – and the two combined their talents to build the first Montesa models in 1944. The first year saw 22 examples of a rigid 95cc two-stroke machine, with a 125cc roadster shortly following that was developed to compete in the enduros and trail-type rallies that were popular in Spain at that time. The 1950s saw the brand become successful in road racing with its 125cc models, although the disastrous state of the Spanish economy was to prove a problem with racing exploits and Permanyer had to cut back on factory racing commitments. In addition, Bultó left the company in 1958 to start his own company, Bultaco. But a new 175cc engine of a unit construction was to prove to be the company’s saviour, with the Impala model being the basis of the very successful trials and motocross machines that have been the backbone of Montesa to this day.

Further economic issues in Spain at the start of the 1980s meant that Montesa needed financial support from abroad, with Honda investing to give itself a foothold in Europe. While Pere Permanyer had remained as the head of Montesa into the 1970s and had continued to regularly visit the factory after his retirement, he didn’t survive to see the official inauguration of the Honda-Montesa plant in 1985. Following the Honda involvement, Montesa has been an incredibly successful brand in the world of trials riding, with the Cota model bringing many world championship titles to the Spanish brand. But what surprised me most, given that I only previously knew of the trials heritage, was the number of road racing and sprint machines that were on display, many of which showed some fascinating engineering innovations and solutions.

While it’s closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the museum is part of the Moturisme initiative, pointing motorcyclists in the region towards hotels, restaurants, bars and other venues that cater specifically for those on two wheels, with secure parking, dry room facilities etc., thus making touring in the Lleida region of Catalonia far easier for motorcyclists. And, of course, as the Museu de la Moto is so easily accessible from Barcelona, it would make for an excellent addition to a Catalonian city break!

Go to www.moturisme.aralleida. com and www.museumoto.com for more information.

Rather appropriately, during our visit a number of Montesa road bikes arrived at the museum. And now I want a road-going Monty to add to my own little collection…

Part of the fascination with the museum’s exhibits is the images that accompany the bikes.

This ’69 Cappra was built for short track racing in the United States and is actually the same as one ridden by a certain Kenny Roberts at the start of his race career!

Used by the Italian army which supported General Franco during the Spanish Civil War, this 1939 500cc sidevalve Gilera was specifically a military model, with the civilian version only becoming available in the late 1940s.

While the Impala was known mostly for the off-road models with trail (Texas, seen here), trial (Cota), motocross (Cappra) and all-terrain (Enduro), they were also used in road racing, such as the Montjuic 24 Hours race.

The 1945 Montesa A45 Fèmina is fitted with a cover around the 98cc engine, to prevent oil stains on clothing, and was said to be “ideal for women and chaplains”.

This unrestored Patria is a model from the Badalona company started by Antonio Serra in 1922, and, while the first model was fitted with a 1000cc Henderson engine, later models such as this were powered by smaller engines.

Starting in 1901, the French brand Automoto initially used its own engines, such as this 250cc single from 1925, although latterly it used AMC and Villiers units until it was bought out by Peugeot in 1931.

Barcelona-based Josep Sugrañés imported Lutetia engines from France and built no more than 25 complete bikes, this probably being the only surviving example.

The Belgian manufacturer Gillet-Herstal isn’t especially well known here in the UK, and this particular 600cc twin port single model partly explains why, as there were just a mere 50 examples made in 1933, all for the Spanish police force.

This 500cc FN was first owned by Fernando Arana, a racer from Barcelona who was successful from the 1930s through to the 50s before starting his shop, Moto Arana, which became a Honda dealer as soon as the Japanese manufacturer was established in Spain.

Something of a surprise was seeing so many Pitman’s Motor Cycling Library books in a display case in a Catalonian museum. How many OBM readers have copies of those books?

Completely at odds with the rest of the Montesa range was this concept vehicle, the Fura, built in 1958 using a monocoque steel body with the engine and swinging arm both pivoting around a through axle. It never saw production.

These Hobby (front) and Berlin (rear) scooters were built in West and East Germany in 1955 and 1962 respectively, proving that it wasn’t just Italy that was building transport for the masses. Although one country did prove slightly more successful…

Rebuilt 40 years after it was first created, this 1957 Brio ‘Agua’ had a water-cooled 125cc cylinder, using thermosiphoning rather than a water pump, made 16.3bhp and is one of only three built.