A Brief History of the Marque
Manufactured: 1914-1958 [1]
Etablissements Eugène Billion
24 & 24bis rue du Commandant Faurax
LYON
This venerable French company built their first motorcycles in 1914, closely modelled on the Deronziere, from whom Billion had bought the patents. Subsequently the company produced many different machines with Aubier-Dunne, JAP and Zurcher engines, mostly 250 and 350 singles and a 500cc sidevalve V-Twin. Postwar they built smaller two-stroke machines.
Ultima engines were employed by Automoto, Cazenave, Hirondelle, Liberia, Simard, Solyto, New Map and others.
Engine types:
F12 125cc two-stroke 52x57.5mm, 122cc, 3 speed.
F20 200cc two-stroke 66x57.5mm, 196.7cc, 3 speed.
Dès 1920, E. Billion produit une moto entièrement construite dans ses ateliers du 24-26, rue du Commandant Faurax. Le moteur, la boîte ainsi que la partie cycle sont fabriqués. Il est rare de voir un constructeur procéder de cette manière. A cette époque, les constructeurs "assemblaient" pour la plupart leurs motos en achetant un moteur chez Anzani, une boîte de vitesses chez Staub ou Burman, le réservoir provenant de chez un spécialiste ne fabriquant que des réservoirs. Même demande pour les roues, le guidon, les garde-boue, etc. Rapidement, les motos Ultima deviendront très populaires dépassant le cadre restreint, réservés aux petits constructeurs provinciaux (1). E. Billion construira même ses propres side-cars pour aller avec ses propres motos.
Bien que la compétition soit peu la vocation d'Ultima, certaines de ces machines s'illustreront dans des épreuves de tourisme aux mains de Dovel et de Zind (rappelons que Zind sera le pilote qui remportera le premier Bol d'Or organisé par Eugène Mauve en 1922 sur le circuit de Vaujours).
As early as 1920, E. Billion built complete motorcycles in his workshops at 24-26, rue du Commandant Faurax. The engine, transmission and the chassis are made in-house. It is rare to see a manufacturer proceed in this manner for at that time, the builders "assembled" machines for most part buying an engine from Anzani, a gearbox from Staub or Burman, and a tank from a specialist manufacturing only tanks, with the same holding true for wheels, handlebars, mudguards, etc. Quite quickly, the Ultima marque became popular beyond the limited network available to small provincial manufacturers. E. Billion even built his own side-cars to go with the motorcycles.
Although competition is not the ultimate goal of Ultima, some of these machines will be illustrated in tourism events at the hands of Dovel and Zind, who later won the first Bol d'Or organized by Eugène Mauve in 1922 on the Vaujours circuit.
Translated from La Revue Motocycliste, 1925
Notes
1. Sources vary on dates, some indicating that the first models were produced in 1912.
Sources: JLB Creations, ultimalyon.jpcor.fr, moto-collection.org, cyclememory.org.
Fri Jan 03 2014
ka.usher<at>hotmail.com
1933 Moto Ultima HB3
Ultima HB3
J'ai un 1933 Moto Ultima 350 HB3 mais peux trouver trs peu ce
sujet. Vous avez des renseignements qui pourraient tre utiles. Je
sais qu'il a t construit Lyon mais je ne peux trouver aucune
information de contact pour n'importe qui. Merci et j'ai hte de
vous entendre.
I have a 1933 Moto Ultima 350 HB3 but can find out very little about it. Have you any information that might be of help. I know
that it was built in Lyon but can find no contact information for anyone. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.
UK
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005
subject: Is my bike an ultima
Email: redrock1369 at msndot com
message: I need to know if the bike that i own is an ultima
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