Unique ONES Scooters are a new, affordable mode of transportation that gained popularity shortly after the end of the 2nd World War. Almost all of mainland Europe and even the world feel the vibes of the trends of the two-wheeled vehicles called scooters. |
| 1964 Bitri 150 scooter fitted with 150cc Fittel and Sachs's Rotax engine, and before 1956 this model uses a 150cc JLO engine. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/3d5gJPx) |
Then what about in the Netherlands? Yes, a country known for its vibrant of beautiful tulips has also felt the scooter trends from the 1950s to the 1960s. This situation has also attracted the interest of entrepreneurs in this windmill country to produce scooters.
As quoted of Cybermotorcycle, the first scooter manufacturer existence in the Netherlands is related to a company called ''
Bedveerenfabriek Fa.'' owned by W.W. and H.B. van der Gang in Aalzum (near Dokkum) which was founded in 1905. Until the late fifties, their main business was in the sale of the Javanese kapook (cottonwood), Danish goose feathers, Frisian forest rye straw, patented mattresses and spring beds.
After the war, one of the sons of the owner of the company named Wim van der Gang had an interest in the automotive world and wanted to develop the motorized vehicles. In the process, he and his friend who was also a TU Delft student named Eelco de Vries then decided to design and develop a vehicle after had been through several discussions. As the result, they managed to build a small car powered by two Triumph 350cc engines.
 |
| 1953 Gedo Victoria moped prototype is an ancestor of Bitri scooter and fitted with a 49cc Victoria engine. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/3ph3de4) |
Because there was no market for that small car, they then looked at the scooter or two-wheeled vehicle segment which was booming at that time. Therefore they were trying to find other partners who had sufficient experience in the two-wheeled vehicle segment. Coincidentally, Eelco de Vries knows two brothers Peter and Age Geertsma who inherited the Gedo-branded bicycle wholesale company named F. Geertsma B.V. from their father. Those company opened its shop and wholesale business in 1937, and later tried to make the bikes with auxiliary engines in 1949 or earlier. |
| The first crew of Nederlandse Scooterfabriek N.V. posed along with the first Bitri 120cc scooter prototype in front of its Dokkum-based manufacturer in 1954. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2ZbcdqG) |
In short, these gentlemen collaboration succeeded in making a moped prototype powered by a 49cc Victoria engine, named the Gedo Victoria in 1953. Unfortunately, the moped with the 16-inches size wheels can't be acquired roadworthy certificate. Not only that, its production cost was high too, thus making the Geertsma brothers resigned from the project.
 |
| Line of the Bitri scooters on display in front of its manufacturer in Dokkum. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2ZbcdqG) |
Then in 1954, Wim van der Gang and Eelco de Vries founded a company called "
Nederlandse Scooterfabriek N.V." which carries the Bitri brand. And those mentioned brand
consists of 2 syllables is an abbreviation of Bi which means two and Tri for Triumph (referring to the small car had built by them both before).
 |
| The 1955 Bitri 150 scooter uses a JLO engine and still has the the cooling holes in the hood. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2MYYqRz) |
Initially the scooter production was carried out of an empty space of the spring bed factory owned by Wim van der Gang's father. By the plans to do as much work as possible inhouse, and their first production scooter was made of aluminum plates by using a 120cc engine of JLO plus the two-speed manual gearbox. The choice of aluminum is due to an easier in process, lighter and rust proof, in the 1955, the 120cc models replaced with 150cc version.
 |
| The Bitri's Promotional Team posed along with the 1955 Bitri scooters used 150cc JLO engines. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2ZbcdqG) |
Furthermore, the Dutch manufacturer produced the next 150cc engined scooters with the JLO engine blocks, it was also stated that the models were designed by Eelco de Vries and inspired by the Lambretta LD scooters of the 1952. Due to there're many complaints about the excessive steering characteristics and the poor quality of the JLO engine, this resulted in the 150 cc Rotax (Fichtel and Sachs) engine being fitted to the scooter from September 1956 under the aluminum hood, and the steering was slightly modified.
 |
| Line of the
Bitri scooters while in assembling process at its factory in Dokkum in the 1955. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2ZbcdqG) |
The Bitri 200 cc engined scooter was rolled out the manufacturer of the 1957, and has 10 cm longer than the 150 cc version, but infact the biggest difference was in the cooling slots in the "hood" gone. From 1958, the 150 cc model were also carried out with the extended frame of 200 cc and from that moment was the range, next to the 200 LD, the 150 KL (standard with kickstarter), the 150 ES (more luxurious model with electric starter) and 150 EKS . The latter was equipped with both a kickstarter and electric starter, but was again taken out of production in 1960.
The Dookum-based manufacturer continued production until the scooter glory was over for them in the 1964.😭 On those difficult days, Wim van der Gang and his brother, Jacob led the Dutch company should be diversified its productions by produced the candy and cigarette vending machines so that they could be survived passing through the times.
It is not known how many scooters they had ever produced, but certainly is in these days the Bitri scooters are scarce which makes the price automatically to be exorbitant.😲 The company is now owned by the son of the Bitri scooter inventor and focused in the premium watches under the brand of the Van Der Gang family name.
That's it, and if the article above is still considered inadequate or inaccurate, or if you have additional information related to these Dutch company-built Bitri scooters, please don't hesitate to let us know via the comments column below this article.
Kept spur your adrenaline on the power of the two-wheeled monster and stay alive with true safety riding. May God will forgive Your sins and so does the cops......*** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | BITRI | CYBERMOTORCYCLE.COM | AMKLASSIEK.NL ] Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.
Kindly Bookmark and Share it:
Related posts:
Classic
,
MotorCycles
,
Scooter
