I recently purchased a 1939 Peugeot P53 motorcycle. It is a 100cc two stroke with a three speed hand change on the tank. The guy I bought if from said his dad got it from his uncle who was an antique dealer in the Netherlands. The bike had not run in probably 40+ years, but I got it running and riding now.
I saw a similar bike restored as a wartime model, does anyone on the forum have any information on the use of the 100cc Peugeots by the military? Were any built strictly for wartime use? I am trying to decide if it is appropriate to restore it as a wartime bike, since it has been repainted and does not appear to be an original finish bike. Attached is a photo of the bike.
Small French 2-strokes were certainly not used by the British War Department. The pre-June 1940 French Army used Peugeots but these seem to have been mainly 350cc SV Model P107 with later 350cc OHV P115 and P135 models.
The Germans helped themselves to anything with wheels but there wouldn't have been a tactical use for them...Perhaps a depot or dockyard runabout.