Alouette info from MotoHistory archives

[Paul Danik]

Greetings,

   While doing a little research this story was spotted in the archives of Ed Youngblood's MotoHistory website, possibly some of you will find it interesting as the Alouette has been discussed here in the past. Thanks to Ed Youngblood for writing these interesting articles... This link should take you to the original write up on Ed's website that has a couple of photos of the Alouette. You will need to scroll down a bit to find the Alouette story.  While you scroll be sure to check out the picture of the POG display at Oley, one of the nicest guys in the POG is also pictured

http://www.motohistory.net/news2004/news_april04.html


Paul

    About the Alouette
    (4/16/2004)

    One should not be surprised by anything in the George Barber collection (a Vostock, a Marusho, a Silk, a Bohmerland?) yet I was quite surprised during my recent visit to Barber's grand new museum to see an Alouette on display Alouette(Motohistory 3/29/2004). The Alouette (meaning "lark"), manufactured in Canada, is one of the more obscure products of the North American off-road boom of the 1970s. Stripped of its bodywork, the Alouette appeared to be a fairly frank copy of the CMF Penton, complete with 125cc Sachs engine, as pictured below. As for that bodywork, it was -- in my opinion -- the motorcycle's least endearing feature. Rather than let form follow function as it does with the CMF Penton, the designers of the Alouette made a play for style with an oddly sculpted fiberglass tank and seat pan. This awkward bodywork was not at all enhanced by a color I can only describe as garage floor gray, highlighted with stick-on graphics consisting of black panels on the tank and a red stripe running along the bottom of the seat. My apologies to any Alouette lovers out there, but this motorcycle just didn't come across as woods-ready or track-worthy. It looked downright "industrial," which may be why so few are seen today.

    Prior to my visit to the Barber Museum, I had only seen the near-complete remains of one other Alouette, and I know many vintage enduro experts who have never seen one at all. However, there is a new on-line group devoted to restoring and learning more about the Alouette, and in the interest of motohistory, I say "power to them."




The Alouette: Bad Motohistory
(4/22/2004)

I recently published a story about the short-lived Canadian-built off-road Alouette motorcycle (Motohistory 4/16/2004), stating that it was manufactured by Bombardier. Wrong! The Alouette was not produced by Bombardier, and Motohistory reader Brian Taylor submitted a photo of a frame plate to prove it. The Alouette was produce by Alouette, of course! For bringing this error to our attention, Taylor will receive a Motohistory hat.

[BrianTaylor]

Footnote to this  If anyone wants entry into the Alouette Yahoo groups page  I am the moderator  and will get you in .... Also i know a lot of members of POG have bought Alouettes to scavenge parts off them ..... I am always being contacted for parts so if you have anything Alouette you want to sell I can try and hook you up .... thks Brian

Brian Taylor