1960 Ratier 600 C6S Radio

Was the Ratier just a French copy of the BMW? The Ratier C 6S of the 1960s might have had a family relationship with the German flat-twin, but it was a genuine French production with nothing to envy about its German cousin - except its future.

BMW Cocktail
The Ratier originated as the Cemec, a cocktail of surplus spare parts of the BMW R 12 and R 71 widely used by the occupying German forces in France during World War Two. Cemec ran out of cash and was taken over by Ratier of Montrouge (a leading maker of airscrews and various other aeronautical componentry), who was seeking to diversify. In 1959, Ratier linked up with CSF and, since the stocks of BMW spares would not last forever, launched the C6S. Still obviously BMW-derived, the R75 was entirely made in France this time.

A Real Sports Bike
Durable, modern lighter and more easily handled than the BMW, the Ratier was a genuine sports bike. Quality control consisted of subjecting machines randomly taken from the production line to a rigorous test schedule; six hours on high-speed track, three hours on a race circuit, a check on maximum speed plus 30 minutes at walking speed. The C6S was chosen for the presidential escort of General de Gaulle. Ratier's future seemed assured, but the Gendarmerie switched to BMW. Ratier ceased tow-wheeler production at the end of 1962; just 1057 C6S Ratiers had been built.

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