Velosolex.... I'm so tempted

[bobg]

Anybody out there ever taken the plunge??

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv-CC9gtaMk&feature=related

 

[gary r]

very rare,especially in the UK.could be ridden in France by 14yr olds ( i think) no licence needed

 

[battered]

Want one. I watched them racing in France, they have 6hr endurance races. They tune them and the biggest issue is cooling, so you can get water cooled cyclinders. Now that's cool.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Just where are the pedals?

 

[bobg]

so its just the 3 of us then...
Its spiritual, the pedals are in your head.
Bet you need tax and insurance and mot and a helmet in the UK...

 

[TheDoctor]

I quite fancy one of these. Mad as a box of frogs (a FWD moped???) but they do look like fun.

 

[Tinuts]

There's always this if your pockets are big enough!

 

[Twenty Inch]

We had one when I was a kid. Great fun, pretty quick on the flat, mad clutch - you pull the engine back until the drive belt tightens.

My folks gave it away to the kid down the road, who wrecked it in seconds. Thanks Dad.

 

[Brains]

We rented some in France for a holiday back in the early 1980's. Brilliant machines, with a helpful rear wind you could do over 25 mph on them, and if you switched off the lights and got yourself as aerodynamic as possible you could get another 5mph.

However they are only really suitable for open French type roads with long lines of Plane trees. I would not dare take one on a London commute.

I heard that they have restarted production of them.

 

[XmisterIS]

Great little machine! Mind you, "Velosolex" reminds me of this particular excerpt from Burgess' A Clockwork Orange:

"The Korova milkbar sold milk-plus, milk plus vellocet or synthemesc or drencrom. Moloko Vellocet is what we were drinking. This would sharpen you up and make you ready for a bit of the old ultra-violence."

 

[battered]

I'm just ittying out myself, meet my droogs and all that cal.

 

[yello]

watched them racing in France, they have 6hr endurance races.

There's a 24 hour race as well! Every year at a place around 30km from me. It's just been on and attracted 100+ entries in 4 or 5 categories.

If anyone does want one, seriously, then pm me. I know of one for sale at the moment and can probably track others down. Figure on around €300, depending on type, age, condition, etc etc etc. Have a look at www.leboncoin.fr for an idea.

 

[bobg]

Thanks Yello, thats very good of you I'll pm you when I've checked on licencing requirements over here and done a bit of research aboutyear/models and availability of spares etc. I recall a trip to to France in the early 60's and seeing nuns in full billowing habit riding these very slowly in the rain with umbrellas up. God knows how. The surreal image has never left me.