Vélosolex

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Vélosolex S3800

The Vélosolex is a moped that was developed by the French carburetor manufacturer Solex by Marcel Mennesson, one of the two founders, and produced from 1946 to 1988. It is still produced under license in various countries around the world.

General

The vehicle has a large fan base and has been produced around six million times. The reason for this success is its simplicity and robustness, the low fuel consumption of around 1.4 liters of regular gasoline / two-stroke oil mixture per 100 km, the low weight of 28 kg and the purchase price: The last series copies in Germany cost 798 DM as mopeds German manufacturers already cost over 1500 DM. In 1974 the previously independent brand Velosolex came to Motobécane . After Motobécane was taken over by Yamaha in 1983 and sales fell, production in France was stopped on November 9, 1988. In Hungary , the production of new vehicles began in 1992 on the old production facilities, which ended in 2002.

Velosolex three-wheeler in Mons (Belgium).

At the beginning of 2005, with financial support from the French state and the European Union, the company Mopex resumed production in France: Under the name Black'n Roll , the type S 4800 D is assembled from Chinese parts with a catalytic converter and other modifications and also delivered to Germany . Qualitatively, these vehicles cannot be compared with the former originals.

The naming rights for Velosolex lie with the Paris-based Cible Group, which in turn launched a new interpretation in 2005: the electrically powered eSolex .

In the course of the many years of production, offshoots were also developed and built, for example the foldable PliSolex or a model with an angular gear , which is often incorrectly referred to as a cardan drive (model Flash & 6000), in which the Solex motor was no longer mounted above the front wheel. The original principle with a folding motor above the front wheel has outlasted all successors to this day.

The VeloSoleX was also manufactured under license, for example in Geneva by Hispano-Suiza after the Second World War until the mid-1950s. The version, also known as VHS, differs through an engine number marked with HS and a lettering on the middle frame.

technology

Schematic representation of the Vélosolex drive with the components two-stroke engine, friction roller (green) and front wheel

In the classic model, the front wheel is driven by a friction roller. The two-stroke engine of the most widespread model 3800 is hinged to the fork, has a displacement of 49 cm³ and mixed lubrication (previously 1:25, today thanks to modern oils 1:50). Unrestricted, the maximum speed of the 3800 model is approx. 30 to a maximum of 35  km / h .

When the road was wet or the front tire was worn, there were often problems with the friction roller slipping through, which significantly reduced the power transmitted. Another design-related property of the Vélosolex is the fuel supply by a diaphragm pump controlled by the negative pressure in the crankcase, which transports the gasoline mixture from the lower tank to the carburetor at cylinder height.

Like the licensed models built in the Netherlands, the French Solex models had a small rectangular headlight with a 7-watt bulb that was built into the middle engine cover and therefore took part in the vertical movement of the engine. From the mid-1960s, a slightly larger, round headlight with greater power (15 watts) was rigidly mounted above the engine in the German versions.

The automatic centrifugal clutch eliminates the need to engage and disengage. The engine is started with the friction roller lowered by stepping on the pedals or pushing the vehicle. The decompression lever on the handlebars has to be pressed briefly to overcome the starting resistance. The engine is also switched off using the decompression lever.

Models

The first prototype of the Vélosolex was made in December 1940. The first series models from 1946 differed little from a conventional bicycle except for the auxiliary engine. 26 "rims were mounted. The 45 cm³ engine with nose pistons developed 0.4 HP at 2000 rpm. The mopeds had had a center stand since 1951. In June 1952, only 24" rims were mounted. Since the appearance of the 330 model in October 1953, the engine had 49 cc and 0.5 hp. With the model change in 1955 to the model 660, the gooseneck frame was replaced by a tubular frame. In 1957 the model 1010 appeared, which was the first to have a reverse flush . The size of the wheels was again reduced with the model 1400 from 1958 to 19 ". The Vélosolex 1700 from 1959 had a centrifugal clutch and a motor cooling by means of a fan wheel for the first time . Since 1961 the Vélosolex developed as model 2200 0.7 HP. With the model 3300, the tubular frame was replaced by a frame with a square cross-section in 1964. From this model onwards, a rear drum brake was also installed. The Vélosolex 3800, released in 1966, was also sold for a short time in 1969/70 with red and blue paintwork as a LUXE model, with stainless steel mudguards, chrome-plated exhaust , Whitewall tires and gray engine add-on parts and air filters (in France also in white). The Micron model, which was produced in around 4,000 copies, had 12.5 "wheels and did not have pedals. The model 5000 from 1971 was manufactured parallel to the model 3800 with 16 "instead of 19" rims. It was available in the colors orange, yellow, light blue, (also in white in France). The model 3800, with the exception of 1969/70, was only available in classic black, only towards the end of production there were again models in black or red with plastic brake fittings. The 1973 model Plisolex corresponded to the 5000 model, but was collapsible (number of pieces approx. 4000). The 4800 model was presented in 2005.

Picture gallery

  • Solex 1010 from 1957

  • Solex 2200 from 1962

  • Vélosolex 3800 French version

  • Motor cross section of the Vélosolex S 3800

  • Solex 3800 and 4800

Others

Because of the motor mounting above the front wheel, the Vélosolex was also given fun nicknames like nose warmer moped . Another nickname was Maria-Hilf-Motor , as the vehicle was used as a service vehicle by some monasteries for a long time. The reason was the position of the motor, which, in contrast to classic mopeds, prevented the robe from getting dirty. In the same context, the nickname Christian persecutors, which is more common in Switzerland, is used .

To this day, fun races are run with Velosolex machines, which are not only about speed, but also about socializing and demonstrating the art of handicrafts. Velosolex is said to have been equipped with more than 15 hp for racing purposes. Most of the time, the racing machines are reduced to the bare frame and driven by drivers in weird costumes. These joke races have a long tradition in the Netherlands , especially since the Velosolex mopeds were manufactured there under license for a long time (Heem Solex).

In Colijnsplaat ( Netherlands , Zeeland , Noord-Beveland ) there is a Velosolex museum. Another Velosolex museum is in Waldenburg BL ( Switzerland ).

See also

literature

  • Sylvie Méneret, Franck Méneret: Le guide du VéloSolex. ETAI, Boulogne-Billancourt 2006, ISBN 2-7268-8693-0 .
  • Franck Méneret, Jean Goyard: Le VéloSolex de mon père. ETAI, Boulogne-Billancourt 2002, ISBN 2-7268-8569-1 .

Web links

Commons : Vélosolex  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Vélosolex  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://homepage.hispeed.ch/Spridget/solex/3800motobecane/3800motobecane.htm  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / homepage.hispeed.ch  
  2. ↑ http://www.oldiemofa.de/html/velosolex_1964.html
  3. ↑ http://www.objectifreussir.ch/fr/cadre_logo/Archives/Journeaux_PDF/146.pdf Report on Vélosolex (page 6 ff.)
  4. ↑ Solexmuseum geopend , accessed on September 19, 2017 (Dutch).
  5. ↑ Velosolex Museum , accessed on September 19, 2017.