The Cycle-Motor Era
By RAYMOND PARMENTER
OTORING pleasures are returning once more, but to a changed society. The prospect of increasing choice in the purchase of a car, sensible prices for second-hand vehicles and a choice of petrols—all these are exciting enough. But the plain fact is that petrol is expensive and likely to remain so, and many of us have less money to spare. The people who before the war would have expressed their desire for sport and style in an M.G. or their family prudence in an Austin Seven are being compelled to look for something less expensive. Some of them are finding that their ambitions are limited by their pocket, and they are beginning to look for the answer on two wheels instead of four. The impact of this change on both the industry and society is going to be considerable.
TIte enormous increase in the numbers of scooters and motor- assisted bicycles was first seen in the impoverished countries of Western Europe. A visitor to Lake Como recently saw a whole family of four scooting alongside the lake, with father driving, mother on the pillion and bambini fore and aft. They were followed by another scooter on which a large nun was seated, in full ecclesiastical uniform, driving with one hand and holding an umbrella up with the other. These machines are now being imported into England, and one very lovely design, the Douglas Vespa, is being manufactured in this country under licence. It is a beautiful piece of engineering, produced originally by some Italian aircraft-designers.; driven by the Allied Command to find some other outlet for their genius. It has a dashing air about it, roguish lines, is as easy to drive as it is easy on the eye, and; although it seems a little expensive at £150 fully equipped, it is very economical to run. It gives the impression of being a model that was dead right from the word go, like the little M.G. or the pre- war Rover, in which engineering excellence was combined with good looks. It will certainly have an equally long run.
For many of us, though, it is too dear and the whole idea of scootering too novel. Most people looking for cheap trans- port will find the answer in the cycle-motor. Millions are now in use on the Continent, and the sales of them in this country are growing at a remarkable pace. The most prominent maker in this country, E.M.I., is turning out its Cyclemaster model at the rate of 1,000 a week. The cycle-motor enables a pedal cyclist to go almost anywhere with very little effort at the cost of five miles for a penny. The cycle-motor move- ment started on the Continent and grew at such a pace that in several countries already one bicycle in ten is fitted with a motor. The engines are designed to produce sufficient power to take the rider alone the level or slight gradients without pedalling, and to give assistance on hills. They are immense fun, and I can speak with the experience of having ridden for four years one of the first to some into this country, a French Velosolex.
At first, in this country as on the Continent, interest was taken in what are known as " clip-ons "—separate little engines which can be fitted quickly at the front or back and operate mostly via a small roller on the tyre. They are easy to manu- facture and sell, and were therefore the first to arrive. I deprecate them very strongly, and believe they have done harm to a good cause. They are not very reliable; they go too fast, and are a danger to rider and the machine. They raise the centre of gravity and put undue strain on the wheels and brakes. The Velosolex avoided some of these troubles by making a strong bicycle properly designed for the job and selling it complete with engine. It is a quiet little machine and very reliable but it still has the disadvantage of carrying the engine too high.
The real masterpiece in this field is the Cyclemaster. Its origin is very similar to that of the Douglas Vespa. German designers of the Auto Union Company, having escaped from the Russian zone. turned their attention to the new field of cycle-motors. The engine was discovered by an enterprising manufacturer over here (Mr. Reilly, who produced the Jowett Javelin—one of the first post-war cars), and he got E.M.I. to make it. By putting this tiny but powerful engine, capacity only 32 c.c., into a'specially strengthened wheel, equipped with an adequate back-pedalling brake, he provided the cyclist with all the power .he wanted in the right place and at the right price. For £27 10s. the Cyclemaster is the best post-war motoring proposition that I have seen. At a time when the musical industries and bicycle-makers are experienc- ing a recession, this new field of development is fast opening up, and has already had significant results in both industries. In a short time the Cyclemaster has outstripped all its competitors and now commands about three-quarters of the total trade.
The social advantages of this form of transport are con- siderable. For the housewife to do her shopping, for factory and office workers to get to work and for young people wanting cheap holidays it is a great boon. An old postman of my acquaintance has found it a godsend (G.P.O. please note). Workers are finding it a cheap and independent form of travel, and it is already in certain districts easing the load on public transport. For transport workers themselves it is particularly useful, as many on the early and late shifts have no other means of travel between home and work.
Now comes the snag. This whole new industry, which promises to provide considerable social and industrial benefits, is cramped by legislation dating from another age. These transport workers, many of whom have been driving for twenty years, find that their driving-licence does not in every case cover motor-cycles, and so they have to put up " L " plates, and then take half a day off work to pass the test. The house- wife is equally, discouraged by all this rigmarole. The absurdity is such that a youngster can pass his motor-cycle test on a Cyclemaster at 16 m.p.h., jump immediately on to a large racing-machine and tear off at 100 m.p.h.
In no other country does this discouragement exist. All motor vehicles up to 50 c.c. are free of licence in every way. Sweden was the last country to relax the regulation, on July 1st this year, and a very brisk trade in cycle-motors has resulted. The cycle-motor owner has no powerful organisation like the A.A. or R.A.C. to fight for him, but, even without such pres- sure, the Government would do well to consider issuing an Order to free this class of vehicles, to encourage a new and deser- ving industry. The regulations date back to the days of " Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do."
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