Crude construction of this bike from rural France recovered by road repair men from a crevasse near Ales, Cevennes. The frame is like something a basic factory might knock out – cheap but strong. Any clues how old it is or even the manufacturer/ model v welcome.
by Watersmuddy
6 Comments
Looks like it was a moped, but the engine is missing ?
It’s an old Solex without its engine that was mounted on the front wheel.
I believe this is a very rare JP.M bike.
Velo-Solex 3800.
The engine sits on the fork. the engine’s a weird design, but they were surprisingly reliable. The carburetor passes a continuous flow of fuel past the main jet, rather than a float bowl. The arrangement of the engine puts the load between the cylinder and the flywheel, rather than flywheel-cylinder output shaft. This made the crankshaft a single piece that required no alignment. These things would sputter along at a brisk 18mph, though, due to air leaks, mine manage to surpass 20 on a flat.
Those are my 3 initials too.
It’s a Velosolex. If you can get a hand on it, sell it. Parts start to be sought after.