Agrandir

For French designer Georges Roy, a motorcycle could be a work of art, and not a simple and utilitarian transport vehicle. And that artistic concept - more than mechanical - led him to manufacture the Majestic (the Majesty) of motorcycles, an art-deco work with a marked futuristic obsession. He presented it as a prototype at the Motorcycle Show in Paris in 1928.
As Georges Roy was not an engineer, but an artist, he was not interested in the engine for which he left a rather large space in order to place one. The one of the prototype had to be a Cleveland SV of 1 000 cc (4 cylinders), but in the open space then others were mounted, like the JAP OHV of 500 cc (4 cylinders).
In the Arte de la motocicleta (The art of motorcycle) and in the Enciclopedia ilustrada (Illustrated encyclopedia) they do not attach much importance to the engine either. Fierros clásicos says: "the machine is a bright art-deco sculpture, with an uninterrupted line from the curved peak on the front wheel to the tail." It is exhibited in the Parisian Museum of the Motorcycle.
The fairing consists of two symmetrical plates that are joined by means of rivets and also with other reinforcement panels under the engine. The structure is one piece, like a monocoque car, extremely rigid. The whole cover is stamped steel, of a very thin caliber, so it does not weigh much, only one hundred and sixty kilograms. Both side panels have blinds, as in race cars.
The motor cover is removable, to allow access to parts and pieces. There is a lot of space in the engine compartment. The fuel tank is located under the front wall. The steering works by means of rods. It does not have any kind of shock absorbers.
Although the Majestic was not designed to compete with other motorcycles, it hoarded a new niche in the two-wheeler market. It was manufactured for only four years (1919-1923), enough to leave it inscribed in the history of the motorcycle. It was something unique, unrepeatable at a time when motorcycles were very practical, without fairing or attachments. It probably was then La Gran Routier: powerful and comfortable, but with style and, above all, with art.