On the TV program MythBusters, featured on the Discovery Channel, program hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Heineman attempted to build a motorcycle from a 2CV. In episode 227 called “Transformers” (season 5), they found a 1967 Citroën 2CV and drove it to a landfill in Kirby Canyon, California where they stripped it down to its various bits but leaving the engine and gearbox intact.
Working from a legendary story about a Frenchman by the name of Emile Leray who was stranded in the middle of the Moroccan desert who’s 2CV left him stranded, he decided his only means of escape was to convert it into a two-wheeler resembling a motorcycle. Read more about his adventure here: https://gizmodo.com/5912640/real+life-tony-stark-turns-his-broken-down-car-in
Having obtained details of Leray’s original design, Heineman and Savage put the transformation to the test trying to determine if the story was a myth.
The entire MythBusters episode can be viewed in these YouTube segments:
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ziLmDx8B50&list=PLztXJYUIln6KIznyJJjV1UrUG8f1pjQwQ
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN9_20wS5jc&list=PLztXJYUIln6KIznyJJjV1UrUG8f1pjQwQ&index=2
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoqX2FmVIm4&list=PLztXJYUIln6KIznyJJjV1UrUG8f1pjQwQ&index=3
Part 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWTM7O5ZG48&list=PLztXJYUIln6KIznyJJjV1UrUG8f1pjQwQ&index=4
Part 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpzoI5_Dws0&list=PLztXJYUIln6KIznyJJjV1UrUG8f1pjQwQ&index=5
Part 6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GstQbreWZ9g&list=PLztXJYUIln6KIznyJJjV1UrUG8f1pjQwQ&index=6
Part 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVb62sBddFU&list=PLztXJYUIln6KIznyJJjV1UrUG8f1pjQwQ&index=7
Part 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w02_rzrAIS0&list=PLztXJYUIln6KIznyJJjV1UrUG8f1pjQwQ&index=8
Part 9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZTx0VQy4W0&list=PLztXJYUIln6KIznyJJjV1UrUG8f1pjQwQ&index=9
Part 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USMBmMhu1zg&list=PLztXJYUIln6KIznyJJjV1UrUG8f1pjQwQ&index=10
And the aftershow about their 2CV transformation goes on to explain why they made the 2CV motorcycle in the manner they did: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=79&v=sXL1KOdj5V8
Although their conclusion on MythBusters was that it was a myth, others have tried the same with more successful results. Witness this fellow from Slovenia that built this motorcycle called “Elefant” from a 2CV and travelled over 6,000 miles on it.
And Franco Grosso in Italy, who owns a Citroën dealership, has a passion for 2CVs’ along with his daughter Elisa. He also built a motorcycle from a 2CV.
So, it can be done and driven a good distance! Here is a video showing it and some of Frank’s other creations:
CNN posted a short video profile of Emile Leray where he discusses and shows his 2CV based motorcycle: https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2017/07/20/gbs-desert-escape-motorbike.great-big-story
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