Premeta (Erandio 1950-1955)

In the Spanish Basque Country, the municipality of Erandio is located between Bilbao and the mouth of the Nervion estuary, in a heavily industrialised zone which also contains the extensive commercial port activity of the area.

Within this industrial background was a small Engineering Company, founded in 1942, Taller Mecánicos de Precisión SL, who were specialists in the manufacture of various machine tools.  

In addition to their machining business, they also had a passion for motorcycles and, from circa 1950 to 1955, they embark on manufacturing their own – the Premeta.   Talleres Mecánicos de Precisión (the first letters, backwards, form the name: Pre-me-ta) – but the production of them was as a side-line to their main activities.

This motorcycle was photographed at the Museo de la Motocicleta Española, 28802 Alcalá de Henares (Madrid).

Detailed information about the production is scare (and often slightly contradictory) but with their engineering skills, enthusiasm and, despite limited financial backing, they still produce an attractive motorcycle.  These bikes were offered with either a 175cc (56 mm x 71 mm) or 225cc (63 mm x 71 mm), air cooled, 4 stroke, engine incorporating a four-speed transmission.   The engine is very similar to the Motobecane unit of the time and the influence is obvious.

It is believed that approximately 25 complete bikes were built in total, with enough surplus parts to create a further handful.  I have seen a photograph that shows 6 Premeta motorcycles lined up outside a building in Erandio.

This black and white photograph shows 6 Premeta motorcycles in Erandio. The photograph is reproduced with the permission of Jorge González, a keen historian who runs the Historias de Erandio Blog.

Once the motorcycle production was abandoned, the company manufactured machinery for the plastics industry but, when the son of the firm’s owner died, the company was bought out by Talleres Iruroco, who in turn closed during 1979.

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