Wheeling happily along with a song in my heart…lalala la…
Wish I was. I’ve been hankering after one of these neat little machines ever since the novelty of bike riding wore off all those years ago.
What on earth is it you may well ask?
Look at the picture! It’s a bike with a motor, simple as that. And a distinctive part of French motoring folklore just Like the Citroen 2CV
The Societe Solex was founded around 1905 by Maurice Goudard and Marcel Mennesson. It changed hands on a regular basis. It wasn’t until 1940 that the first proto type was produced. Solex production started for good in 1946 when France was crying out for mobility after the war. It peaked in the sixties and in the nineties the entire Solex factory was transported to Hungary, where, as far as I know it’s still in production. More than eight million have been sold worldwide to date. In 1939 the bike became available in Britain at the price of £ 45, including purchase tax.
The Solex is an extremely cheap, reliable form of transport, even more versatile than scooters and mopeds. It weighs all of 28 kilos and will turn in 214 miles per gallon. If it runs dry, you can just pedal. Power comes from a simple 49cc, single cylinder two-stroke engine. To start the engine you simply pull a lever, jump on, only pedalling if you need to.
The Solex is the perfect machine for today. Although it runs on petrol, the consumption is minute. If you want to move faster than on a bicycle it has a very broad appeal both for the young trendy and the old lady and it is available in the UK, rest of Europe and the US. For the enthusiast there is even a yearly 24 hour Le Mans Velo Solex Race.
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