velo solex collection

8/6/2019 Velo Solex Collection

1/23

'!\ I .;..:...."" c-

'P.o. 'Box 540080; :North Sa{t,ake, 11'1'84054Tel: 8015936783; e-malt: [email protected]; web: www,velocruz.com

Effective Aprl11, 2002 - may change Mthout notice

Page 1
mailto:[email protected];http://www%2Cvelocruz.com/http://www%2Cvelocruz.com/mailto:[email protected];


2/23


3/23

Page 3


4/23

r-~~~~~~=+~L-~~~~-------------------+----~~ v-~~~~~~~~~~~----------~--~~~

P~e4


5/23

Page 5


6/23

,~". . ;o~~{ . . * , , ~ i i .IP arts ''' ';'- ,

Page 6


7/23

r ..' IMPEX

HUNCAIIA

N SP Ncat Ref Denomination14 8 S PM 90 837 1 A ir f il te r cover140 S PM 908 20 2 A ir f ilte r b as e12 6 SPM 907 58 3 A jr f ilt er12 7 S PM 90 759 4 A jr f il te r f ix ing ring214 SPM 91525 5 WasherM621 5 SPM 90841 6 Scr ew M6x4517 4 S PM 91 263 8 Decompressing le ve r21 6 S PM 9 042 1 9 cover f ix Ing screw M6x45134 SPM 90786 10 Space ho lde r16 9 S PM 9 098 0 11 A ir filte r h ou se s us pe ns io n b rid le20 8 S PM 9 310 6 12 Spar ki ng p lug15 0 S PM 9 084 8 13 Igni tion cable fixing nut M 4223 SPM 90859 14 nut fo r v alv e24 7 S PM 90 792 15 nut fo r s pr in g27 2 S PM 90 858 16 valve14 1 S PM 90 821 17 Cy li nde r head109 SPM 90437 18 Cy li nde r head gasket11 6 S PM 90 496 19 Cylinder89 SPM 90016 20 Cy linde r base-gaske t217 SPM 90000 21 Cylin de r fix in g n ut M621 8 S PM 91 361 22 G ro wer M 611 7 S PM 90 497 23 P iston c rank -rod with c rank- pi n bush139 SPM 90817 24 P is ton r ing 39,5x1,715 1 S PM 9 084 9 25 Crank- pin bush91 SPM 90024 26 Spa ce hold er r in g to c ra nk -s ha ft156 SPM 90867 27 C ra nk -p in n ut M10x 117 7 S PM 9 134 2 28 C ra nk c as e with crank-shaft10 6 SPM 90413 29 C ru nk ca se c ov er w ith d ro p-b olt107 SPM 90414 30 Ga sk et to c ru nk ca se219 SPM 90019 31 W asher M 622 0 SPM 90015 32 bolt for cy linde r22 1 S PM 9 041 5 33 Scr ew M6x20 fo r c ylin de r222 SPM 90679 34 S cre w M6x1 5 fo r cy lin de r22 3 S PM 9 042 1 35 S cre w M6x4 594 SPM 90073 36 B ea rin g 6 20 3 RS118 6 S PM 9 305 9 14-16 De compr es sin g v alv e s et5,6,9,188 SPM 93061 10,21, Eng in e fix in g s et22,31-3593 SPM 90055 NR F ii xi ng r ing to p is ton -p in97 SPM 90185 NR Piston-pin122 SPM 90568 NR Standa rd engine171 S PM 9 101 3 NR Gas ke t s et184 SPM 91456 NR Upped wa sher22 4 SPM 9 12 97 40 p is ton (simp ly )22 5 S PM 9 320 0 41 - p isto n fix in g a rm , w ith rin g189 SPM 93062 NR Piston comple t18 7 S PM 9 306 0 NR ~yf~nder gasket set LABEl. F t : l . W197 SPM 93105 NR

6 !I 1

_ 1 _


8/23

IMPEXHUNCARIA

18

N SP N cat Ref Denomination149 SPM 90845 1 Flywheel183 SPM 91400 2 Stator95 SPM 90074 3 Bearing 6202 2RS/QE6 .130 SPM 90772 4 Spark roll123 SPM 90571 5 Lighting roll 1 out227 SPM 93117 5 Lighting roll 2 out136 SPM 90802 6 Condenser 0,2 ~F146 SPM 90833 7 Stator insulating facing145 SPM 90832 8 Stator contact bolt173 SPM 91215 9 Hexahedral head bolt M6x45128 SPM 90763 10 Hexahedral head bolt M4x20176 SPM$1303 11 Hexahedral head bolt M4x8131 SPM 90775 12 Contact breaker192 SPM 93068 13-16 rotor fixing228 SPM 90971 13 nut f, '. U ' i229 SPM 90970 14 caouthouc gasket for rotor230 SPM 90969 15 wadding plaquette231 SPM 90972 16 nut for plaquette172 SPM 91014 17 Contact breaker anvil hammer (2pes)164 SPM 90934 18 Ignition cable232 SPM 90843 19 end of cable of sparking plug233 SPM 91299 20 BomeHT61 SPC 91390 21 Threaded pin234 SPM 90780 22 plaquette binding cable235 SPM 93118 NR Spark roll (Spanish)236 SPM 93116 NR Stator (full)212 SPM 93113 NR Service set

.. ,- ,


9/23


10/23


11/23

IMPEXHUNCAR I A

N SP N cat Ref Denomination15 9 SPM 90918 . 1 Fuel tank set181 SPM 91376 2 T ank cup w ith g aske t12 0 SPM 90 557 3 T ank cu p g asket rin g166 SPM 90976 4 Fue l s uc tio n p ip e178 SPM 91345 5 Tank fu el filte r12 9 SPM 9 07 70 6 F lywhee l cove r14 3 SPM 9 08 27 8 Eng ine mudgua rd6 SPC 90145 10 C r as h- tu be , c lo ud in g o ve rp ro tec ti ve f ramework195 SPM 93074 11 Owe rflow p ipe .158 SPM 90917 NR Tan k s up po rt fix in g se t207 SPM 93105 NR Engin e la be l

-9-


12/23

IMPEXHUNCARIA

2

19

N SP N cat Ref Denomination67 S PC 9 30 58 1 F ront b re ake12 SPC 90423 2 F la ng e b ra ke k ey mountin g20 SPC 90508 3 F la ng e b re ak e c ov er266 SPC 90513 4 B re ak A rm R ig ht267 S PC 9 05 14 5 Break Arm Left268 SPC 90512 6 B rid ge fo r b re ak s17 SPC 90481 7 Flange breake contract spring65 SPC 92169 8 F la ng e b re ak e n ut5 S PC 9 00 76 9 Hex ah ed ra l n ut M 64 SPC 90070 11 Brake lin ing54 SPC 91296 12 Breake shoe19 SPC 90502 13 B re ak e s ho e h old er269 S PC 9 32 02 14 Screw for front break

- 11 -


13/23

, , IMPEX -HUNCARIA

- --------;1-

N SP N cat Ref Denomination8 SPC 90191 1 Handlebars9 SPC 90192 2 Stem bow bolt10 SPC 90206 3 Bow bolt with nut98 SPM 90193 4 Right (gas) hilt276 SPM 90194 5 Fixation of right arm199 SPM 93085 7 Rubber hilt right100 SPM 90197 8 Cursor to front breake cable99 SPM 90196 9 Cursor to gas cable (gas cursor)198 SPM 93084 10 Breake lever right277 SPC 93203 11 Plaquette for protection of hands205 SPM 93102 12 Cable fixing roller200 SPM 93086 14 Breake lever pin + nut101 SPM 90199 19 Left hilt201 SPM 93087 21 Rubber hilt left202 SPM 93088 22 Breake lever left203 SPM 93089 23 Decompressing lever (on handlebars)204 SPM 93090 24 Decompressing I~ver fixing ring79 SPC 93091 25 Mirror11 SPC 90214 NR Assembled handlebars74 SPC 93075 NR Ringing278 SPM 93120 NR Switch for rear lamp279 SPC 93121 NR Button for electric hom75 SPC 93122 NR electric hom - -- -

- 13 -


14/23

..:' ," . IMPEXHUNCARIA

~~~~~;.~------~~~r----6~~~--9

N SP N cat Ref Denomination2 SPC 90058 1 Front wheel hub withbolts57 SPC 91358 2 Front spoke with nut1 SPC 90052 3 Front wheel dustprotective81 SPC 93094 5 Wheel nut82 SPC 93095 6 Protective band85 SPC 93103 7 Rim27 SPC 90799 8 Inner tube25 SPC 90751 9 Tyre 19"55 SPC 91298 NR Front wheel without tyreand inner tube-


15/23

)

My 35years with a So/exBy Tommie G. Matth ew s - Mardi 24.2002

I orig inally be cam e ac quainted w ith Sole x w hile I w as living on the is lan d ofU po lu in W e ste rn Samoa. The yearw as 1967. M y w ife and I (along w ith our young childre n) w ere se nt the re to teach in the C hurc h C olle ge of W este rnSam oa. It w as there on the is land that I firs t rode a Solex. I p urchased 1 an d it became ou r t ra ns p or ta ti on f or t henext 3 years .W e loved it. In fac t, w e m ad e c ertain that w e bro ught it to A merica w hen w e re turned in late 1969. I w ouldcorre spond w ith the fac tory in Paris and orde r a few parts from tim e to tim e. I also inqu ired about becom ing adis tributor but learne d that one already e xis te d he re in the s tates . It w as in M ic hig an . T he re fo re , I c on ta cte d th emand ordered 6 . I kept 2 and so ld 4 to friends. I s tiD have tbose sam e 2 - and tbey still run!W e have raised 8 children . Each has learned to ride the Solexes and each has loved that expe rience . The bike s havehad their share of "tipping over", long and hard riding, e tc . - but they have kept running. A bout 4 years ago Idec ide d to contac t the d is tributo r in M ichigan to order a few parts, but learned to m y dism ay that the com pany w asn o lo ng er in b us in es s.The refore I tried to contac t the fac to ry in Paris and learned that it had m oved to som ew here in H ungary. So Icontac ted the H ungarian B usine ss A ffairs O ffic e and aske d if they w ould provide m e w ith the address of the Sole xFac tory in that country. They answ ered m y le tte r and gave m e the address ofiM PEX HUNGAR IA KIT inB udape st. W ith de light, I be gan to c orre spon d w ith M r. G eorge S afar (the m anaging dire ctor) an d e xc hang ed le tte rsand faxe s ove r a 2 year pe riod. Then, jus t 2 years , m y w ife (and 3 of our children) m ade a flight to Budapest tom eet M r. Safar and his fam ily, to vis it the fac tory, and to bec om e the offic ial and exclusive U .S . distributors . (Y ouw ill see on our w ebsite , www.so lexus . com. the pic tures of our m eeting in B udapest - and also the le tte r from M r.S afar giv ing us the e xc lu sive dis tributors hip of all 50 s tate s). W e are hig hly re sp ec te d for ob taining thed is tributors hip from IM PE X, and have a w onde rfu l re lations hip w ith th e fac tory and w ith the fine ge ntle man.G e or ge S af ar .W e have been expanding carefully and slow ly. I have inc luded m y fam ily m em bers in the m anagem ent of ou rc om pany. W e have been succe ssful in obtaining the class ification of the Solex as a "pow er-ass is ted bicyc le " w iththe U S D epartm ent of T ransportation - and thus it does not requ ire the title and registration that a m otorc yclere qu ire s. (H ow eve r, w e do s ugge st that e ve ry ow ne r c he ck w ith his lhe r state re quire me nts )W e chose the nam e of"V eloCruz" - because "ve lo" m eans "bicyc le ", and "cruz" m eans ''in the "b re eze ". T hus ,"V eloC ruz" m eans ''bicyc le in the bree ze ". It is exciting to see the enthusiasm of our c ustom ers . T hey are thrilledto have a safe and quie t m otorized bicycle - and it is so ve ry sim ple to m aintain and repair. The 200 m iles perg allo n is als o v ery e ntic in g!Our w are hous e in c onv enie ntly loc ate d in N orth S alt L ake . F ro m the re w e dis tribute ou r b ik es an d parts. Theyw eigh only 62 lbs and are easy to plac e on bicyc le racks or in traile rs or in pic k-up trucks . The cost to ship a Sole xto various s tate s is quite reasonab le . Intere sting e nough, the c ost to ship 2 to the sam e address is about the sam e asthe price to ship only 1.Y ou w ill love the "Solex Experience". It is like having a brand new 1970 V W Bug. It c arries a m agnetism andcharism a about it They are great fo r going on errands to the s tore or the post office , or going for a fam ily ride . TheS ole x c an be operated exc lus ive ly as a bicyc le - and thus you ge t your exerc ise if you so desire - bu t th en, you c analw ays use the m otor to ge t you hom e if you becom e too-o tired. (H um or)I share m y story w ith you. I h ope it has been helpful. We would love to hear back from you and wouldbe happy to supply you with a Solex. W e have FR EE Solex brochure s and 6te rature . (A lso, w e have aone -in -a-m illion ''So le x Song" that has be en w ritten and sung by m em bers of ou r fam ily.) R e fe r to ou r w e bsite :www.solexus.comforotherinterestinginfonnation.alive video of us rid ing a Solex, and ~e Solex Song.
http://www.solexus.com./http://www.solexus.comforotherinterestinginfonnation.alive/http://www.solexus.comforotherinterestinginfonnation.alive/http://www.solexus.com./


16/23

I

BACK AFTER 20 YEARSTHE SOLEX RETURNS TO THE UNITED STATES

The Solex motor bicycle, not sold in the United States sincethe late 1970s, is available once again to American consumers. Tothose familiar with the iconic French bicycle, its return will come aswelcome news, while those yet unfamiliar with the Solex are sureto become fans of this economical, reliable and fun form of trans-portation.TH E H ISTOR Y BE H IN D A LEGE ND

The Solex motor bicycle was created as the result of twoFrench engineers endeavoring to build a better bicycle. MauriceGoudard and Marcel Mennesson-graduates of the State Schoolof Engineering in France-formed a company named Solex in1905 to produce small engine parts. Their interest in building"bicycles with emergency engines/ began to grow, and in 1916Mennesson received a patent for an auxiliary engine to be placedin the center of the rear wheel of a bicycle. By 1940 Mennessonhad unveiled his prototype 49cc engine, this time located abovethe front tire .

After World War II t he first Solex cyclomoteurs were sold to areceptive public. Production of the Solex continued for 40 years,with constant product improvement and the introduction of deriv-ative products such as the Micron motorscooter, the three-wheeledcyclomoteur and the Veloto, a mini-car. Over those 40 years manycompanies owned and produced the Solex motor bicycle withvarying degrees of success. Among these were Renault,Motobecane, Yamaha and Cyklon. But in 1996, a French importcompany headed by Hungarian entrepreneur Georges Safarbought 60% of the company and moved all administrative andproduction operations to Hungary, with a headquarters inBudapest and a factory in Berettyou~alu. Once the factory was upand producing bicycles, Safar began setting up successful distrib-utorships all over Europe, Australia and South Africa. But while themotor-assisted bicycle had been a consistent seller in Europe andSouth Africa, Safar took his time to find the right company to re-introduce the Solex to the untapped U.S. market.TH E R ETU RN

After receiving several offers from intere,ted parties, Safarsettled on a family-owned business in Utah to re-Iaunch Solexsales in the United States. He selected Velocruz of Fruit Heights asits exclusive U.S. distributor; the contract was signed by represen-tatives from both parties at the Solex manufacturing plant inHungary on 24 March 1998. - W . are happy and proud toannounce the appointment of Velocruz, said Safar. "We have hadgreat success with the Solex bicycle in Europe, and we expect thesame in the United States.-

-Anyone who sees the Solex becomes an instant fan, _ says

Velocruz President and CEO Tommie G. Matthews. -And those fanswill become our customers. Tommie became a fan of the Solex in1967, when he and his family were living in Western Samoa. Inthe absence of a car, the pedal-assisted bicycle provided the fam-ily with reliable transportation. 1would ride with one child on thefront, and two behind me, he says, and we would ride all theway around the island. Upon retuming to the United States,Tommie continued to enjoy the Solex, and it became a fixture ateach family get-together. Over the years, Tommie's interest in theFrench bicycle with the Memergency engine led him to correspondwith the different companies that produced it. Finally when Safarmentioned the company's interest in setting up a U.S. distributor-ship, Tommie knew he was the man for the job.

After personally touring the Solex manufacturing facility,Tommie, and the rest of the Velocruz family, are positive that sup-ply will be able to keep up with demand. With that confidence, hehas begun setting up a dealer network that will stretch from coastto coast, allowing the company to reach markets-such as recre-ational vehicle, vacation and resort-that cry out for a productl ike this motorized bicycle.

TH E R IGH T P RODU C T A T TH E R IGH T TIM E

The timing of the Solex's return to the United States could notbe better. Its look and feel is on the cutting edge of today's retroculture. Like the Volkswagen Beetle and other products that havebeen revived from a bygone era, the Solex is poised to become ahousehold name in the United States. Besides the obvious mar-ketability, the following selling points have helped to make theSolex one of the best selling motor bicycles in the world:

o Incredible gas mileage. The Solex travels 200 miles on onegallon of fuel.o No-hassle ownership. The Solex is classified in the UnitedStates as a bicycle. In many states, an owner need not havea license or title to own and operate one.o It is lightweight, weighing just 62 pounds.o Its low impact on the environment, operating at 65 deci-bels.o Its Classic French styling. Though it is now manufacturedin Hungary, there is still something unmistakably Frenchabout the Solex. Impex owns the complete original plans,and conforms religiously to the specifications that havemade the Solex a legend.And so begins another chapter in the story of Solex. You are

invited to join with the Matthews and Impex as they introduce theirpedal-assisted bicycle to a whole new generation of Solex lovers.


17/23

I..

GUIDE ON "HOW TO FIX YOUR SOLX"Thanks to Cris LePage & Jim Clift

April 10,2002Read this guide to figure out how to get your Solex to run... or maybe run better. This guide iswritten to supplement information provided by the users manual that is provided when youpurchase your new Solex bike. If you have bought a used Solex and are interested in purchasingmanual, please consult your dealer. In addition, there are many topics not cover by this guide thcan affect engine performance, but are not easily dealt with by the average Solex owner. In thoscases, see your dealer for proper instructions or service where needed. In all cases, please exerc:caution when handling gasoline or other fl~ liquids. If you are working around movingengine parts, keep your hands and clothing away so as not to become tangled and injured. If yoidon't know what you are doing, consult the owner's manual or your dealer before proceedingfurther!!! I do not assume any responsibility for injuries or damaged components you may havewhile following this guide .... look before you leap...

GENERAL SOLEX TROUBLE SHOOTING and TUNE-UP PROCEDURESIt takes 3 things for an engine to run:1 Gas2 Spark3 CompressionIf your engine doesn't run. .. 1 of these 3 things is gone. or not good enough.(If your engine has all 3 of these things. IT MUST RUN. It does not have a choice!)The 3most common reasons why Solex's don't run are....1... dirty fuel (inside tank, filters, main jet)2.. fouled spark plug.3... dirty, worn, or mis-adjusted ignition points.

The dirty fuel is the most common reason.>BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING (follow these steps to get it to run)>

The first thing to check on a Solex that won't run is to see ifyou have spark at the spark plug.Remove the old spark plug and attach a NEW spark plug to the high tension lead, ground theplug base (threaded part):firmly against the engine while you spin the flywheel clockwise byhand (for models with ignition points) rapidly .... it will help to do this at night or ina dark garageto make it easier to see the spark. The spark should be a dark blue/purple flame, ifyou notice theflame to be bright white/yellowish; your spark plug is defective!!! For those of you that have theelectronic ignition, you wil l have to reinstall the plug and attempt to start the engine by pedalingin a normal fashion.If there is no spark. ... clean the ignition points (like it says below)

1


18/23

3inductive timing light.To clean and adjust your ignition points, remove the flywheel (consult your dealer for aflywheel puller and manual for proper instructions). NEVER use a claw style puller or attempt topry off your flywheel using lever tools like screwdrivers!!! I have repaired several engines withdamaged crankshafts and flywheels due to careless attempts at removing flywheels. After yourflywheel is off you will need a 5x7 white index card, carb cleaner or rubbing alcohol. Then cut afew 114"wide strips of index card, take one of these strips and wet it in cleaner/alcohol Insertthe strip between the ignition points and let is sit for a few seconds. Remove the strip, and insertits opposite dry end. Carefully pull the strip from the points. If the strip is discolored on bothends, repeat the procedure until the strip(s) are clean (points are now clean). It's important to usesharp scissors when cutting index card strips .... tearing these strips will produce paper filamentsthat will remain between the ignition point contacts!!!Next, on the right side of the stator, you will see two nuts securing wires (top one is for theignition coil [spark roll] and bottom one iffor condenser lead). Loosen the top nut, slide theignition coil lead out and position it out of the way for now, attach a 2 to 3 foot long wire testlead (use a light gauge insulated wire for this purpose) to this terminal and tighten the nut. Thetest lead ends must be bare with one of them attached to the terminal as mentioned above, passthe other end of the test lead thru one of the 3 openings in the flywheel and carefully place theflywheel back onto the crankshaft (you must align the flywheels key with the key way in thecrankshaft) end. At this point, rotate the flywheel clockwise to where its scribed line is inposition under the "Rupture" mark on the stator. Attach an Ohmmeter to the loose end of the testlead and the engine case (Ohm meters typically have two leads, one black and one red for thispurpose, and it does not matter which one goes to the test lead or case), so you have created a"circuit" with the ignition points being the "switch" in the circuit. When the points are closed, theOhm meter will indicate low resistance (1 to 2 ohms, with a clean set of points) and when thepoints are open, the Ohm meter will indicate an open circuit, or infinite resistance. It is beyondthe scope of this guide to discuss Ohmmeters, consult your dealer or email me for additionaltechnical information. You now can rotate the flywheel counter-clockwise past when the above-mentioned marks align, then clockwise noting where the points open (as flywheel is rotatedclockwise, the points will (or should) open where the marks align). Adjust the points byloosening the two screws (holding the points stationary anvil to the stator) and rotating theadjustment cam to reposition the point's anvil. After adjusting the anvil, rotate the flywheelclockwise and recheck your settings. Once you have the setting correct, gently tighten the twoscrews and recheck the settings. If you push to hard against the screws when tightening, you willbend the point's backup plate and ruin your day. Remove your flywheel, test lead and put theignition coil wire back under the top nut.... tighten nut. Install flywheel and tighten nut perinstructions in manual; your engine is now "statically timed".To time a Solex engine using an inductive timing light, you will need a quality timing light,12-volt source, drill motor with attachment to turn the engine over manually. The adapter can befabricated as follows: purchase a 3/8" x 1-112socket head cap screw (uses a 5/16" Allen wrenchin the head), 3/8 nut and 3/8 lock washer at your local hard ware store. Purchase a deep 6 point14 mm or 9/16" socket (3/8" drive); pass the socket head cap screw down through the socketuntil the head of the screw is hidden inside the socket. Slide the lock washer over the threads andscrew the nut down until the lock washer is being pinched. Tighten the nut securely whileholding the screw stationary. File three small flats on the protruding end of the screwapprox.1200 out from each other; these flats will keep the adapter from spinning in the 3 jaw chuck ofthe drill motor. Next, remove the engines spark plug and reattach the high-tension lead, ground


19/23


20/23

7Run the required spark plug detailed out in your owners manual; consult your dealer foradditional dataSPARK PLUG FOULINGYou should never foul a plug .... not ifyou have been following your owner's manual and what Ihave written above!!! If you find yourself having to replace spark plugs, you should look at whatyou are doing to contribute to this problem If your Solex is of particularly high mileage orunknown history, the engine may need a top end overhaul.PARTS FALLING OFFKeep and eye on your SoIex .... become familiar with its appearance and operation, watch forloosening fasteners and ifyou are concerned, apply "Locktite" brand adhesive to fasteners thatkeep coming loose. I recommend the "blue" Loctite as opposed to the "red" variety. Checkfasteners weeklyCONCLUSIONYour Solex is the end result of brilliant engineering and design. Solex bike have sold since 1946and will continue to do so... Never the less as in any mechanical device, problems can arise andbe dealt with as required. I suggest you become very familiar with your bike and look forproblems before they arise. If you are going on a long trip, tighten all fasteners and clean yourSolex so you can touch all parts and find anything out of order. Carry a spare inner tube, tirepump and proper tools for fixing flat tires ....Carry extra fuel should you be out in the wild where you cannot find a gasoline station, but becareful when carrying fuel, as it is a combustible!!! Giving your Solex a little attention nowand then will greatly decrease the eveu.tuality of a problem when you least expect it.YourSolex will reflect the quality of care gwen it!Good luck.... email me for additional information or questions [email protected]

CmlJ/~/02: ,f'
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


21/23

BUSINESS FINANCEMAX KNUDSON , BUS IN ES S EDIT "~

DESERET NEWS ,MON . P .M ./ TUES . A .M .,. lJ NE 1 ~ 16, 1998

F a m i l y hash ig h hopes.solex w i l l take-off in U tahByMax B. Knudson

Deseret News business ed itorS pe nc er M atthe ws c om es to w ork in a T s hirt' th a t p r oc l aims , "This h og g ets 2 00 m ile s pe rgallon."T he " ho g" in q ue stio n is n ot a H arle y- Da vid -so n: it's a Solex, a moped-like c ro ss b etw e en a

- b ic yc le a nd a m oto r s co ote r th at is s ta nd ardtransportation in E uro pe , S ou th A fric a, s om eP ac ific is la nd s a nd o th er p arts o f th e g lo be .M atth ew s a nd his fa mily h av e h ig h h op es th atth e U nite d S ta te s w ill jo in th e p arty .M atth ew s. w ho gre w u p rid ing a S ole x, ism an ag in g d ire cto r o f S ole xU S, w h ic h b ec am eth is y ea r th e e xc lu siv e U .S . d is trib uto r fo r th eH unganan-made " mo to r b ic yc le ." It's b as ed inN orth S alt L ak e, 64 0 N. Ma in , S uite 1 53 4 .. S pe nc er's fo lk s, T omm ie G. (h e's C EO o fS ole xU S) a nd J an M a tth ew s , firs t fe ll fo r th eSo lex back in 1967 w hen T om mie w as on ate ac hing as sign me nt for th e L DS C hu rc h inW este rn Sam oa .. .W e w e re lo ok in g f or s om e tra ns po rta tio n+around th e is lan d, be cau se c ars w ere hard to:"g et." J an re ca lls . T he S ole x, th en m ad e in9 ."ra nc e, p ro ve d to b e ju st th e tic ke t. T omm ie,. sa ys h e w o uld ta ke all th re e o f th eir c hild re nwith him a rou nd the islan d. o ne o n th e fro nt: and tw o on the back. T hey ende d up buying tw oof the m achines and brough t them back to the~ tate s. (T he y no w liv e in F r ui t H e i gh ts . );: The fam ily founded an im port com pany in; 19 86 , Ma t th ews &A s s oc ia te s , w o r ki ng w i thI,,c om p an ie s s uc h a s B o sc h a nd R o te l In va ria bly ,''W h en p eo ple w o uld v is it th e M atth ew s es , th eyw ould w an t to ride the So lex and then w ouldask w he re the y c ou ld g et o ne . T om m ie M at-!::th ew s d ec id ed to lo ok in to it.:~ ~ S o le x trie d, w i th marginal s u cc e ss , t o c ra c k-the U .S . m ark et bac k in th e '70s b ut th en p ulle d.~ ut. In prod uc tio n s in ce th e e nd of World W ar:.IJ, Solex ha s b ee n o w ne d b y s ev era l firms, in-i:C lu din g R e n au lt, M o to be c an e, Y ama ha a nd" Cy klo n. In 1 99 6, a F re nc h im po rt c om pa ny"h eade d by H ung arian bu sine ss man G eo rg es Sa -far b ou gh t S ole x a nd m o ve d its m a nu fa ctu rin g:p la nt to B ud ap es t. Im pe x H un ga ria is no w set-; .tin g u p a w o rld w id e d is trib utio n n etw o rk a nd-expects to s ell 1 5,0 00 b ik es this year .'. . . S ole x is n ot n ew te ch no lo gy . T he tin y 4 9c c::m oto r w a s p ate nte d in 1 91 6, a nd th e firs t proto-: typ e bik e w as un ve ile d in 1 94 0 in F ra nc e a t th e,.o ns et o f th e G e rm a n o cc up atio n. As a bic yc le it's h eavy (6 2 p ou nd s), b ut as a

m oto rc yc le it's lig ht a s a n in ne r tube. Itha s nogears ( ce ntr ifu ga l c lu tc h) , a nd rid in g it a s a bikeis r em i ni sc e nt o f t w o-wh e el er s of the 1 9 40 s a n d'50s.Ah, bu t the y did n't h ave m oto rs . T he S ole xm otor sits in fro nt of th e ha nd le bars and isc a ll ed i nt o a c ti on by lo w e rin g it o nto th e fr on ttire w h ere fric tio n g oe s to work. It's f a ir ly qu ie ta s t w o- cy cle e ng in es g o ( 65 db a t full throttle)an d willm ov e th e b ike alo ng b etw ee n 20 -2 5mph .A lth ou gh it g ets th e a fo re me ntio ed 2 00 m pg ,th e tin y fu el tank h old s o nly 1 .4 lite rs , a bo ut aquarte r gallon . . .It's a q uirky m ac hine and take s a b it of get-ting us ed to , b ut it's c harm ing an d a lot of fun.D urin g a 1 0- min ute s pin a ro un d th e S ole xU Sn e ig h bo rh o od , I s u dd e nly realized Iwas grin.n in g lik e c ra zy . " He y, mister, wh a t's t ha t,"

s om e k id s c alle d fro m th eir fro nt yard. .Ac c or di ng t o S p en c er , part o f S o le x 's a pp e alis th at m a ny s ta te s require n o lic en se to rid eo ne s in ce it's c la ss ifie d a s a b ic yc le (a t 5 0 cc itw ou ld b ec om e a m ope d). "W e 're w ork ing w ithth e D ep artm en t o f M o to r V eh ic le s inU ta h tog et th at s am e k in d o f c la ss ific atio n fo r S ole x, tthe said.T h e c ompa ny 's also w ork in g to s et u p retail-e rs , in clu din g b ik e d ea le rs , m o pe d d ea le rs ,even R V deale rs for people w ho w an t to hango ne o n th e b ac k of the ir motor hom e . .So l exUS also ha s been s ellin g th e b ik es o ve rt he I nt e rn e t (www.solexus.com).T he m ac hin es c om e in b la c k, w h it e, y e ll ow ,s ilv er a nd g re en .F or m o re in fo rm a tio n. S ole xU S 's p ho ne 'n um be r is 8 01 -7 36 -8 33 3. Its fa x n um be r is 801-294-3322.


22/23

fOUR ffiINGS YOU OUGHT TO KNOWRegarding your Solex

(Comments by J im , J an os, F ran k, C ris , K en ny - and m an y o the r S ole x e xp erts)You really only need four things to have a running engine: fuel, air, compression, and spark at the righttime.Compression is easy enough to check--try to push the bike from a stop without the compression released.Ifit turns over fairly easily, compression is shot and its ring time. If the engine bucks and resists turningover, the compression is probably OK.My experience with solexes has been that 9 times out of 10 its the fuel that is lacking. The easiestway to check for fuel blockage is to disconnect the fuel return line from the carb and blow into the line(your mouth will work, ifyour'e not too picky about having gasoline-breath!) Air pressure should fill thetank and push fuel past the fuel pump and check valve, and come dribbling out of the carb from the returnline nipple (this is also the best way to prime the fuel system ifit has run dry). If you get no fuel, youhave a blockage in the tank filter, tank line, fuel pump, check valve, or carb filter. just work your wayback from the carb disconnecting things until you can blow gas out the end of the line. If this tests O~leave the return line disconnected from the carb and turn over the engine (pedalpower is easiest). If gasdribbles out of the return nipple, the fuel supply system is OK. Ifnot, your fuel pump or check valve isfaulty.An easy way to check spark is to remove the spark plug, reconnect the spark plug lead to the spark plugand ground the body of the plug to unpainted metal on the outside of the engine somewhere. Then rotatethe engine (turning the front wheel forward by hand- with the engine resting upon the tire - while theweight of the bike is resting upon the kick stand and the back tire) and look for spark (nightime is best).Usually if you have spark, the timing will be close enough to run the engine, and that's not the primaryproblem. (Big Help: Do you want to try the "modern way" to turn over the motor? OK? First pullthe engine back and "hook it" so it is not resting upon the front wheel. Now remove the cover to the flywheel by removing the 2 rubber fasteners. Then place a 14mm socket on the nut that is in the center ofthe flywheel. Now hook your electric drill to the nut and carefully let the drill turn the nut (which willthereby turn the fly wheel) in a "clockwise" manner. CAUTION: As soon as the engine begins to"sputter", quickly pull back on the drill.Air supply is pretty basic--check for obstructions in the carb throat. While you are there, screw out themain jet of the carb and see ifit is blocked If you are not comfortable with removing the main jet,sometimes you can unblock the main jet by turning over the engine and placing your thumb over the airintake throat. This puts the entire intake vacuum on the jet and can pop it clear.IF all of these things are OK and the engine still won't start, it could be:- fouled plug- leaking crankcase seals- loose intake/exhaust manifold (air leak)- plugged exhaust system- or the Gods just didn't want you on the street today!

VeloCruz P.O.Box 540080 (800)393-7101 North Salt Lake, UT 84054EXCITING WEBSITE: www.Solexus.com
http://www.solexus.com/http://www.solexus.com/


23/23

... C D, . .. . . ,

,c.:;':.:~

velo solex collection

Documents