Type: Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Yamaha Motor Company Ltd.
Address: BP 639, ZI de Rouvroy, Rouvroy, F-02100, France
Telephone: (33 03) 23 51 44 44
Fax: (33 03) 23 51 45 45
Web: http://www.mbk.fr
Employees: 850
Sales: $354.5 million (2006)
Incorporated: 1923 as Motebécane; 1984 as MBK Industrie
NAIC: 336991 Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Parts Manufacturing; 423110 Automobile and Other Motor Vehicle Merchant Wholesalers
SIC: 3751 Motorcycles, Bicycles & Parts; 5012 Automobiles & Other Motor Vehicles
MBK Industrie S.A. is a leading French brand of motor scooters and small motorbikes. The company, most famously known as Motobécane, has been part of the Yamaha Motor Company since the mid-1980s. MBK maintains production facilities in Saint Quentin, in a factory complex of some 370,000 square meters, with a production space of more than 131,000 square meters. MBK produces its own scooter and motorbike models as well as rebranded versions of Yamaha's own motor vehicles. The company's core scooter line is its "Booster" line of high-performance 50 cubic centimeter (cc) scooters, originally launched in 1990. The company also produces a range of 125cc scooters and motorbikes, including the Cityliner, launched for the 2008 model year. That model is MBK's first entry into the large-wheel scooter category, marketed especially to the urban professional consumer segment. Other popular MBK models include Ovetto, Nitro, the X-Power dirt bikes, and Stunt and Waap models. MBK employs 850 people and posted revenues of approximately EUR 275 million ($350 million) in 2006. The company has no relation to U.S.-based bicycle brand Motobécane.
French Motorcycle Legend Begins
The development of France's motor vehicle and motorcycle industry began in earnest in the aftermath of World War I. The high cost of automobiles at the time meant that they remained unaffordable for the vast majority of the French population, a situation that would continue to exist through the 1950s. Motorcycles and other small vehicles therefore represented a means for providing inexpensive reliable transportation to the country's increasingly urban and industrialized population. Into the 1920s, the country saw a surge in the number of new companies seeking to capitalize on this market.
Among these was a company established by Charles Benoit and Abel Bardin. The pair had worked together at a Pantin-based company, SICAM (Société Industrielle de Construction d'Automobiles et de Moteurs). That company had developed a small two-stroke motor that could be attached to bicycles to provide auxiliary motors. Benoit and Bardin had the idea that the two-stroke engine could be adapted for use in a "voiturette" (little car). This type of vehicle, which like an automobile was generally fully enclosed, represented a midpoint between the motorcycle and a full-size car.
Benoit and Bardin left the SICAM to found their own company in 1922. The partners designed their first vehicle, the Pélican, which was later described as a "cyclecar." Yet on its first test run, the prototype of the Pélican caught fire. Benoit and Bardin were forced to abandon that project.
Instead, the pair set to work designing a motorcycle. In 1923, the partners completed their first prototype, a motorcycle featuring a single-cylinder, two-stroke 175cc engine. This time, test runs were much more successful, and in 1924 Benoit and Bardin, joined by several others, founded a new company, Société des Ateliers de la Motobécane. The word "Motobécane" was a play on two French words: "Moto," an informal term for motorcycle, and "bécane," popularly used to refer to bicycles. The 175cc motorcycle was then dubbed the MB1. The MB1 featured the company's first patent, for a piston design that helped the engine achieve greater power over similarly classed engines.
Expanding the Range
Motobécane launched full production of the MB1 starting in 1924 at a small, 400-square-meter factory in Pantin. The MB1 quickly became a bestseller in the entry-level range of the motorcycle market. By the end of the decade, Motobécane had become one of the best-known names in the French motorcycle market.
In order to meet the strong demand for the MB1, Motobécane launched an expansion of its production facilities, which grew to more than 6,000 square meters by 1926. The company continued to improve on the MB1 design through the end of the decade, adding a number of new features, such as a luggage rack and a muffler, as well as improvement to its engine and other systems.
The MB1 was to remain a fixture in Motobécane's catalog through the 1930s. In the meantime, the company had continued to expand its range. The company developed a 308cc motorcycle--dubbed the 308--in 1926. Like the MB1, the 308 featured a single-cylinder, two-stroke engine. However, the uncertainty of the success of the new model led Motobécane to introduce it under a different name, Motoconfort, so as not to damage the rapidly growing reputation of the Motobécane name.
In the event, the Motoconfort 308 provided the company with its second success, while also helping the company expand its network of exclusive sales agents. Motobécane was to continue to produce similar motorcycles under both the Motobécane and Motoconfort brand for many years.
Smaller Motors in the Postwar Period
While its early success had been built on two-stroke engine designs, Motobécane began developing its first four-stroke engines in the late 1920s. The company's first efforts produced a 500cc engine in 1929. That model failed to provide success for the company, in large part because its design generated little more power than the company's two-stroke engines.
Motobécane tried again in 1930, launching the B7, a 750cc four-stroke motorcycle. This model delivered greater power, but nonetheless achieved only poor sales. The company continued, however, to develop its line of four-strokes, adopting a single-cylinder design for the launch of a new 250cc model in 1933. By the end of the decade, the four-stroke featured prominently among the group's models. Still, two-stroke engines remained an important part of its production, particularly in its small-cylinder models. These included the Poney, introduced in 1938, initially with a 63cc engine. In 1945, that engine was replaced with a smaller 50cc design.
World War II put an end to the group's growth for the duration. Immediately following the war, the company initially sought to continue its push into larger motorcycle categories. The company began designing a new two-cylinder, four-stroke engine. By 1947, the company was able to display a prototype of the new model, called the V4C. However the company decided to abandon continued development of that model; in the aftermath of the war, there was little demand for larger motorcycles.
On the other hand, the company's smaller bikes enjoyed stronger sales. These included the 125cc D45, introduced in 1945, a single-cylinder engine adapted from a motorized bicycle design from the prewar period. The D45 enjoyed considerable success, and remained a popular fixture in the company's catalog into the early 1960s. Other popular Motobécane models launched in the late 1940s included the 175cc Z46C, launched in 1946, which remained in production until 1964.
Launching the Mobylette Legend
With all the success of its smaller motorcycles, Motobécane had not fully abandoned its efforts to develop larger models. The company made a new attempt at developing a two-cylinder engine into the mid-1950s, resulting in the introduction of the L4C in 1954. This model had the unusual distinction of sporting a two-cylinder in-line engine in a V formation. In the end, the L4C sold poorly for the company.
By then, Motobécane found itself far too occupied elsewhere to be troubled by the commercial flop of the L4C. In 1949, the company introduced a new motorcycle--or rather, a hybrid between a bicycle and a motorcycle--that was to become its biggest success. The Mobylette, as the new model was called, responded perfectly to the needs of the postwar French population. With very few automobiles in circulation, the country's workers typically traveled to and from their homes on bicycle.
Under the leadership of Charles Benoit, Motobécane had been exploring the possibility of updating the concept of the auxiliary motor, as produced by SICAM earlier in the century. In 1942, for example, the company had developed the AV2 motor, which was intended as an add-on for a bicycle.
Inspiration for the Mobylette came in 1946, with the introduction of the similarly designed Velosolex at the Paris Salon that year. The success of that model convinced Benoit to guide Motobécane into developing its own motorcycle-bicycle hybrid. For this, the company reinforced a bicycle frame. The company then adapted one of its Poney motors, which was mounted to the frame. The result was dubbed the Mobylette AV3, and was launched in 1949 under both the Motobécane and Motoconfort names.
The Mobylette featured a number of important innovations that ensured its success against the Velosolex and other competing models. The design featured a low-slung frame appropriate for both male and female riders. The company had also designed the fuel reserve and engine in a way that eliminated the risk of spattering clothing. Motobécane had also equipped the hybrid with a number of features, including a wide, comfortable seat, raised handlebars and a headlamp, that set it apart from competitors. At the same time, despite the motor's small size and limited performance--the top speed was only 30 kilometers an hour--the Mobylette was capable of climbing all but the steepest hills.
Changes in the Core Market
The success of the Mobylette was immediate, transforming Motobécane from a relatively small company focused primarily on the French market, to a highly international company. Production of the Mobylette, which grew steadily through the 1950s and into the 1960s, quickly eclipsed the company's motorcycle operations. By 1964, the company had produced its last motorcycle.
In the meantime, sales of the Mobylette remained quite strong, as the company continued to expand its range and improve on its design, adding new models, colors and features. Altogether, the company sold more than 14 million Mobylettes, earning it the position as the leading producer in its class. The model's popularity was such that Mobylette became more or less a generic term for this type of motored cycle.
Yet by the late 1960s, the market for the Mobylette had begun to decline. Steady economic prosperity permitted larger numbers of French and others to replace their Mobylettes with automobiles and larger motorcycles. The introduction of new economy-class automobiles, such as Citroën's 2CV and Renault's 4L, played an important part of this development as well. At the same time, the rise of the scooter, made popular especially in Italy in the postwar period, posed another threat to Motobécane's core market.
Introducing a Motorcycle Line
In response, Motobécane launched a new attempt to reenter the full-size motorcycle market, introducing a new 125cc model in 1969. Yet a number of the model's features were somewhat dated in the rapidly developing motorcycle industry. At the same time, the rapid growth of imports from the major Japanese motorcycle makers, including Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, and Suzuki made it all the more difficult for Motobécane to find a place in the market. This was especially true given the relatively low prices, high reliability, and especially high performance of the Japanese motorcycle designs.
Motobécane nonetheless tried again, introducing a well received 350cc three-cylinder model in 1973. However, the many advanced features included in this model also raised its base price. As a result, the company found it difficult to compete against its lower-priced Japanese competition.
Another factor in the changing world of motorcycling led to the group's downfall at the end of the 1970s. Racing had become an important, if not obligatory, means of promoting motorcycle brands at the end of the decade. This became all the more true with the rising popularity of televised racing. Motobécane developed its own racing team in the late 1970s and competed in several Grand Prix races, in the 125cc category, into the early 1980s. The company managed to score a number of victories, albeit with motorcycles that bore little resemblance to its production models.
Motobécane also continued to explore new engine and component designs. The company launched a collaboration with Germany's Bosch in order to develop a fuel-injection system for two-stroke engines. That project failed to produce results, however. By the early 1980s, Motobécane had run out of steam. After a failed attempt to merge with Italy's Motoguzzi, the company was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1981.
Reborn as MBK
Motobécane had been sold to a group of buyers led by Xavier Maugendre in 1983. Maugendre had long been a prominent figure in France's automotive and motorcycle markets. He started his career with Citroën before introducing Kawasaki motorcycles and becoming the brand's exclusive importer to France in the 1960s. When Kawasaki moved to take control of its own distribution, Maugendre turned to Motobécane.
Renamed as MBK, the company began seeking new investors in order to rebuild its operations. By 1984, the company had succeeded in securing new financing. Its new shareholders included Yamaha Motor Company, which acquired, directly or indirectly, 40 percent of its French counterpart. By 1986, Yamaha had gained majority control of MBK, and by 1988 had succeeded in raising its stake to nearly 100 percent.
Under Yamaha's ownership, MBK was soon able to return to profitability. This was achieved in part through the transfer of parts of Yamaha's scooter production to MBK's factory. While some of the company's production was sold under the Yamaha name, it also marketed many of its models under its own MBK brand. These included the highly popular "Booster" scooter line launched in 1990.
MBK continued to produce the Mobylette through much of the 1990s, finally abandoning the line in 1997. The company also continued to produce bicycles on a small scale, although the Motobécane brand was later sold to a U.S. company, which began to market Chinese- and Korean-built bicycles under the Motobécane name.
MBK's production also included outboard motors for Yamaha's line of sports boats. Early in the first decade of the 21st century, MBK also began producing motorcycles again, including a 600cc motorcycle for Yamaha starting in 2003. Scooters, however, remained MBK's core operation into the second half of the decade. By then, the market had begun to evolve somewhat, as the scooter's economic and environmental advantages won over a growing number of urban commuters. MBK sought to position itself within this new market, launching its first large-wheel scooter, the Cityliner, for the 2008 model year. MBK inherited the Motobécane tradition while establishing itself as a leading French scooter brand in the new century.
Principal Competitors
Honda Motor Company Ltd.; Bayerische Motoren Werke AG; Suzuki Motor Corp.; Harley-Davidson Motor Co.; Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.; Guangzhou Five Rams Bicycle Import and Export Company Ltd.; Irbit Motorcycle Plant Ltd.; Hero Cycles Ltd.; Aprilia S.p.A.; MV Agusta Motorcycles S.p.A.; Bridgestone Cycle Co. Ltd.; Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
Further Reading
"Cheap and Cheerful Scooters," Evening Times, May 1, 1998, p. 74.
Lucot, Yves-Marie, "MBK Se Lance dans les 'Gros Cubes,'" Les Echos, September 12, 2003.
— M. L. Cohen
