Odd bike with reverse bottle dynamo



M

Mark T

Guest
Bottle dynamos - all they do is suck power and make a funny noise. Today I
saw a reverse bottle dynamo; one that ADDS power. The working mechanism
sits stealthily over the front wheel - might be good for the peeps worried
about their TT times ;)

<www.flickr.com/photos/86862441@N00>
 
Mark T wrote:
> Bottle dynamos - all they do is suck power and make a funny noise. Today I
> saw a reverse bottle dynamo; one that ADDS power. The working mechanism
> sits stealthily over the front wheel - might be good for the peeps worried
> about their TT times ;)


The French used roller-drive petrol engines over the front wheel for
years; maybe they still do. The obvious disadvantage was that you were
sitting in the fumes.
 
On 21 Jan, 20:29, Mark T
<pleasegivegenerously@warmail*turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com.invalid>
wrote:
> Bottle dynamos - all they do is suck power and make a funny noise. Today I
> saw a reverse bottle dynamo; one that ADDS power. The working mechanism
> sits stealthily over the front wheel - might be good for the peeps worried
> about their TT times ;)
>
> <www.flickr.com/photos/86862441@N00>


I asked about this kind of thing recently and it was suggested that
this is not legal in UK. Where did you see it?
Terry J
 
"TerryJ" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:eda70eef-beae-4d33-8318-c502c1c60e72@m34g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> On 21 Jan, 20:29, Mark T
> <pleasegivegenerously@warmail*turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com.invalid>
> wrote:
>> Bottle dynamos - all they do is suck power and make a funny noise. Today
>> I
>> saw a reverse bottle dynamo; one that ADDS power. The working mechanism
>> sits stealthily over the front wheel - might be good for the peeps
>> worried
>> about their TT times ;)
>>
>> <www.flickr.com/photos/86862441@N00>

>
> I asked about this kind of thing recently and it was suggested that
> this is not legal in UK. Where did you see it?
> Terry J


One of my colleagues has one and he rode it to work once. I'm not sure if
he did it legally though.....
 
> I asked about this kind of thing recently and it was suggested that
> this is not legal in UK. Where did you see it?
> Terry J


Manchester, on the same road wot has those car-impaling bollards (speaking
of which, guess what I saw impaled on a bollard last week <evil laugh>).
If I ever see it trundling around again I'll ask the rider about it.
 
In article <[email protected]>, Mark T
pleasegivegenerously@warmail*turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com.invalid
says...
> Bottle dynamos - all they do is suck power and make a funny noise. Today I
> saw a reverse bottle dynamo; one that ADDS power. The working mechanism
> sits stealthily over the front wheel - might be good for the peeps worried
> about their TT times ;)
>
> <www.flickr.com/photos/86862441@N00>
>

Not odd at all, just a French moped. Apparently you can still buy them:
http://www.bullnet.co.uk/shops/test/velosole.htm
 
Rob Morley wrote:
> It's perfectly legal to use in the UK if you register, tax and insure
> it, have a valid license and wear a helmet


and it complies with Construction and Use regulations for whatever class
of motor vehicle is appropriate. I've not checked, but I would be
unsurprised if it didn't (I see no lights, indicators, etc, and would
suspect that they're required)


-dan
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Rob Morley wrote:
> > It's perfectly legal to use in the UK if you register, tax and insure
> > it, have a valid license and wear a helmet

>
> and it complies with Construction and Use regulations for whatever class
> of motor vehicle is appropriate.


They check that when you register it.

> I've not checked, but I would be
> unsurprised if it didn't (I see no lights, indicators, etc, and would
> suspect that they're required)
>

Lights aren't required if the vehicle isn't used at night, indicators
I'm not sure about - it used to be you could use a bulb horn and hand
signals on a trials bike.
 
"Rob Morley" <[email protected]> a écrit:

> Lights aren't required if the vehicle isn't used at night,
> indicators I'm not sure about - it used to be you could
> use a bulb horn and hand signals on a trials bike.


It used to be the case that indicators, if fitted, had to be functional, but
weren't compulsory. I remember my brother removing the broken indicators
from his 125cc motorbike prior to an MOT test.

Googling finds:

http://www.motuk.co.uk/mcmanual_150.htm

If direction indicators are fitted they must meet the requirements of this
inspection, but need not be fitted to a machine which:

- cannot exceed 30mph / 50kph, or
- was first used before 1 August 1986, or
- 'off road' machines which are designed to carry only the rider.
- 'off road' machines with side car designed to carry the rider and one
passenger in the side car.

James Thomson
 
"Zog The Undeniable" <[email protected]> a écrit:

> The French used roller-drive petrol engines over the
> front wheel for years; maybe they still do.


Indeed.

In the opening shots of "Three Days of the Condor" (from about 1:50 in) you
can see Robert Redford riding a Solex through the streets of Manhattan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na9RuoJY-jI

James Thomson
 
In news:[email protected],
Rob Morley <[email protected]> tweaked the Babbage-Engine to tell us:

> It's perfectly legal to use in the UK if you register, tax and insure
> it, have a valid license and wear a helmet. I suppose you could also
> use it as a bicycle if you made the engine inoperable.


When I was a Penniless Student Oaf, one of my co-oaves had one of these.
Being half-French, and having brought it with him from Paris, he was unaware
of these requirements, and was deeply miffed when the Old Bill nicked him
from being unregistered, untaxed, uninsured, unhelmeted and riding on the
pavement...

--
Dave Larrington
<http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk>
There ought to be a /La/ against it.
 
Mark T wrote:
> Bottle dynamos - all they do is suck power and make a funny noise. Today I
> saw a reverse bottle dynamo; one that ADDS power. The working mechanism
> sits stealthily over the front wheel - might be good for the peeps worried
> about their TT times ;)
>
> <www.flickr.com/photos/86862441@N00>


Looks rather like a Velo Solex, French manufactured. I remember them
being popular in Dublin in the late 1950s and early 60s.

The V.S. had pedal power too. The clutch was a sort of lever + ratchet
arrangement allowing the drive wheel to drop onto the front tyre.

I was a child and didn't know much about engine sizes at the time, but
I'd guess the engine was about 30 c.c. Probably not as much as 50 c.c.

I one I saw operating hadn't the power, as we say here, to pull the skin
off a rice pudding. Had to be supplemented with pedal power on even
modest gradients.

The drive wheel looked to me to be like a small (2.5" diameter) grinding
wheel.

Best regards,

Jon C.

P.S. After that, the NSU Quickly was popular, and a Puch something. Then
came the Honda 50 and that was that. j.c.
 
In article <T%[email protected]>, Jonathan Campbell
[email protected] says...

> Looks rather like a Velo Solex, French manufactured. I remember them
> being popular in Dublin in the late 1950s and early 60s.
>
> The V.S. had pedal power too. The clutch was a sort of lever + ratchet
> arrangement allowing the drive wheel to drop onto the front tyre.
>
> I was a child and didn't know much about engine sizes at the time, but
> I'd guess the engine was about 30 c.c. Probably not as much as 50 c.c.


They are 50cc.
>
> I one I saw operating hadn't the power, as we say here, to pull the skin
> off a rice pudding. Had to be supplemented with pedal power on even
> modest gradients.


The current model quotes 580W, which is about three quarters of a horse.
>
> The drive wheel looked to me to be like a small (2.5" diameter) grinding
> wheel.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Jon C.
>
> P.S. After that, the NSU Quickly was popular, and a Puch something.


Puch Maxi. You forgot the Raleigh Wisp. :)

> Then came the Honda 50 and that was that.
>

Oh the fun I had on one of those (actually the 70cc variant) - stick it
in gear, rev it, wonder why you're going nowhere, remember to lift your
foot off the gear lever, pop a wheely ... :)
 
Jonathan Campbell wrote:
> Mark T wrote:
>> Bottle dynamos - all they do is suck power and make a funny noise.
>> Today I saw a reverse bottle dynamo; one that ADDS power. The working
>> mechanism sits stealthily over the front wheel - might be good for the
>> peeps worried about their TT times ;)
>>
>> <www.flickr.com/photos/86862441@N00>

>
> Looks rather like a Velo Solex, French manufactured.


It 's a Hongdu - a Chinese copy of the Velosolex.


> I remember them
> being popular in Dublin in the late 1950s and early 60s.
>
> The V.S. had pedal power too. The clutch was a sort of lever + ratchet
> arrangement allowing the drive wheel to drop onto the front tyre.


Early VSX's had no clutch at all, later ones had a centrifugal clutch.
There's a lever to raise & lower the engine but if you use it as a
clutch you'll end up with a hole it the tyre.

>
> I was a child and didn't know much about engine sizes at the time, but
> I'd guess the engine was about 30 c.c.


45cc in the 50s ... later increased to 49cc.

> Probably not as much as 50 c.c.
>
> I one I saw operating hadn't the power, as we say here, to pull the skin
> off a rice pudding. Had to be supplemented with pedal power on even
> modest gradients.


Probably in need of a decoke - they were designed to be very slow - but
should be able to climb hills
>
> The drive wheel looked to me to be like a small (2.5" diameter) grinding
> wheel.
>


That's about it - carborundum-coated

> Best regards,
>
> Jon C.
>
> P.S. After that, the NSU Quickly was popular, and a Puch something.


Maxi

--
Andrew
 
In article <[email protected]>, Naqerj
[email protected]lid says...
> Jonathan Campbell wrote:


> > I'd guess the engine was about 30 c.c.

>
> 45cc in the 50s ... later increased to 49cc.
>

Apparently the 49cc engine was introduced in 1953
 
Rob Morley wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, Naqerj
> [email protected]lid says...
>> Jonathan Campbell wrote:

>
>>> I'd guess the engine was about 30 c.c.

>> 45cc in the 50s ... later increased to 49cc.
>>

> Apparently the 49cc engine was introduced in 1953


In France... but not in the UK - VSX had given up on the UK market by then.

--
Andrew
 
In article <[email protected]>, Naqerj
[email protected]lid says...
> Rob Morley wrote:
> > In article <[email protected]>, Naqerj
> > [email protected]lid says...
> >> Jonathan Campbell wrote:

> >
> >>> I'd guess the engine was about 30 c.c.
> >> 45cc in the 50s ... later increased to 49cc.
> >>

> > Apparently the 49cc engine was introduced in 1953

>
> In France... but not in the UK - VSX had given up on the UK market by then.
>

I didn't know they ever had a UK market.
 
Rob Morley wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, Naqerj
> [email protected]lid says...
>> Rob Morley wrote:
>>> In article <[email protected]>, Naqerj
>>> [email protected]lid says...
>>>> Jonathan Campbell wrote:
>>>>> I'd guess the engine was about 30 c.c.
>>>> 45cc in the 50s ... later increased to 49cc.
>>>>
>>> Apparently the 49cc engine was introduced in 1953

>> In France... but not in the UK - VSX had given up on the UK market by then.
>>

> I didn't know they ever had a UK market.


http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pattle/nacc/arc0244.htm reveals all.

--
Andrew