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12/06/2007, 7:52 Jura Joined on 28/11/2005 Posts 714 Funny looking motorbike Yesterday I saw an elderly man in the village riding along on what looked to be one of those motor scooters, but he was also pedalling! It had a motor. What was this machine called?. Never seen one before so Im curious...    Report

12/06/2007, 8:01 Bob T Joined on 05/10/2006 Dordogne Posts 909 Re: Funny looking motorbike There were many 50cc bikes that had pedals. In Germany they were restricted to 25 kmh and could be ridden by a 15 year old. In the UK mopeds has to have pedals at one time too. Bob T 24 http://bikesindordogne.blogspot.com/    Report

12/06/2007, 8:29 Mme poivre Joined on 08/05/2007 Oxfordshire/Vendee Posts 172 Re: Funny looking motorbike hi back in the days when i was 16 i had a puch three speed with the gears ont he handle bar that had pedals, you needed them to help you get up big hills J    Report

12/06/2007, 8:51 f1steveuk Joined on 29/03/2007 Belves, Dordogne Posts 235 Re: Funny looking motorbike Sounds like a Velo-bicycle little engine either on the handle bars or on the rack behind the saddle, usually driving the wheel via a rubber friction wheel. My first "bike" was a NSU Quickly (I believe that is called a oxymoron, a bit like "goverment intelligence"). Three gears on a twist grip  by the clutch lever. It hand pedals, but like most mopeds, you couldn't use these when the engine had started (nor really when it it hadn't!) "Some scoundrel has taken the cork for my lunch" W.C Fields    Report

12/06/2007, 10:16 Clair Joined on 23/08/2004 ------- Forum Moderator ------- Lot Posts 6,264 Re: Funny looking motorbike Could it have been a Vélosolex? The old ones are still around... Clair, a Real Virtual French Person La vérité est si obscurcie en ce temps et le mensonge si établi, qu'à moins d'aimer la vérité, on ne saurait la reconnaître. (Blaise Pascal)    Report

12/06/2007, 21:20 socket Joined on 04/01/2007 Posts 95 Re: Funny looking motorbike Wen wrote " Yesterday I saw an elderly man in the village riding along on what looked to be one of those motor scooters , but he was also pedalling " ----------may I ask ,  did he have a large double glazed window tied to his handlebars ?-------- He did , well in that case you should have said  " hello " 'cos that would have been Bugbear !!              Report

13/06/2007, 15:23 Dog Joined on 24/08/2004 Lost in France Posts 399 Re: Funny looking motorbike Probably a Mobylette - or a Velosolex if the engine was above the front wheel. If you are old enough to remember the Raleigh Wisp it was a rebadged Mobylette. They are great bikes and use little fuel - they are very reliable as they have no gearbox and variable oiless transmission. I got 50,000 miles out of one in my youth. To start the engine you pedal either on the stand or as you move and on the move to increase accelaration. If the engine runs out of fuel you can disconnect the engine and use pedal power alone - not quick as only one lowish gear. I got some pics of some old Mobylettes in Perigueux today. You may find it helps if you visualize prana as a mist of tiny golden specks permeating the atmosphere.    Report

14/06/2007, 15:58 Pierre ZFP Joined on 12/11/2004 PdC(62)/Luxembourg Posts 1,649 Re: Funny looking motorbike It didn't look like this did it? Fool me once, shame on you Fool me twice, shame on me Fool me 3 times and you can see a statistical tendency    Report

14/06/2007, 16:21 jc Joined on 22/05/2007 Posts 218 Re: Funny looking motorbike Velosolex(or copies) are still available new.I had a Raleigh moped-not called a Wisp-but it was a re-badged Mobylette.    Report

14/06/2007, 18:55 Charlotte3 Joined on 23/08/2004 northwest Mayenne Posts 295 Re: Funny looking motorbike That's definitely not a Solex, Pierre! Mind you, I wouldn't mind seeing the owner, bet he's a genuine character....it's not you is it? Solexes (?sp) are now being produced again although in very small numbers, saw a lovely daffodil yellow number in Vitre not so long ago. Still think I'll buy a scooter tho! Aly "Care for the sick, feed the hungry and clothe the naked,"    Report

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