science

VéloSoleX

VéloSoleX is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand VéloSoleX rather than just read about it. In short: VéloSoleX is a moped, or motorised bicycle, usually just referred to as 'Solex', which was originally produced by the French manufacturer Solex, based in Courbevoie near Paris, France. The company manufactured centrifugal fans for car radiators, carburetors, and micrometers before branching into assist motors and bicycles.

Key takeaways

VéloSoleX belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect VéloSoleX to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of VéloSoleX from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

VéloSoleX is a moped, or motorised bicycle, usually just referred to as 'Solex', which was originally produced by the French manufacturer Solex, based in Courbevoie near Paris, France. The company manufactured centrifugal fans for car radiators, carburetors, and micrometers before branching into assist motors and bicycles. The moped, originally created during World War II and mass-produced between 1946 and 1988, came in various iterations, while keeping the same concept of a motor with a roller resting on the front wheel of a bicycle. Referred to the company's advertisement as the 'bicycle which drives itself' (« la bicyclette qui roule toute seule »), it became extremely popular with school children, students, or plant workers because it was light and extremely economical.

Ownership Owned successively by Dassault, Renault, Motobécane/MBK, and VéloSoleX, it sold more than 7 million units worldwide before ceasing production in France in 1988. Production of the VéloSoleX restarted in both China and Hungary after 1988, but ceased in Hungary in 2002. VéloSoleX is now manufactured in France.

History The Solex motorized bicycle was conceived during World War II and marketed in 1946, with 8 million being sold between 1946 and 1988 in France and internationally, having been marketed in some 70 countries. The French design ceased production in 1988. It lived on for almost two decades as a licensed design produced in China and Hungary. Production returned to France in 2005, and as of 2011, the S4800 model was being marketed by VeloSolex America in North Bergen, New Jersey.

Models and modifications 1941: Prototype created, of which only a few remain, based on a bicycle 1946: A 45 cc model, of which many evolutions were made, with a 45 cc (2.7 cu in) engine developing 0.4 hp (0.30 kW) and no clutch, the engine has to be restarted every time the rider comes to a stop 1953: Model 330 with a 49 cc (3.0 cu in) engine and 0.5 hp (0.37 kW) using the same frame as the 45 but boosting power 1955: Model 660 with a new dedicated bicycle frame, but an unchanged engine 1957: Model 1010 updates the engine 1958: Model 1400 1959: Model 1700 uses the same frame as the previous version but introduces an automatic clutch and air cooling of the engine 1961: Model S2200 with an engine whose power is boosted to 0.7 hp (0.52 kW) over the next three years, to versions V1 and V2 will be produced. 1964: Model S3300 with a new square tube frame, which will remain the same until the end of production, adds a drum brake on the rear wheel 1966: Model S3800, which is the most common and most sold version of the brand over the years, later a Luxure or 'Luxe' version "S3800 luxe" and "S3800 super luxe" introduced color to the frame, which was always black (including the motor) until then, as well as having large wheels with blackwall tires. In 1968, the twist grip appeared allowing for reduced throttle at stops A smaller (children's) version is produced, the F4, with a replica plastic motor emitting clicking sounds to replicate the adult version. 1968: the Micron, which has very small wheels and no pedals. A three-wheel version would be produced in small numbers for children 1971: Model 5000, which has an upgraded kickstand, a white motor instead of a black one, smaller wheels than the 3800 with whitewall tires instead of blackwall tires, and is available in only four colors (yellow, blue, orange, and white) 1973: The Plisolex arrives, it is a folding version of the Model 5000, and was only produced in about 2,000 units 1974: Model 4600, destined only to be produced and exported outside France, and produced until 1978, it uses the frame of the 3800 and was produced in 4 colors (yellow, blue, orange and white); many made their way to the USA. Moped not using a roller transmission 1969: The 'Flash' (later renamed the 6000) is a moped with disc brakes, an axle transmission instead of the roller and a fan-cooled engine. 1972: The 'Tenor', with a chain transmission. It will be the only moped produced with an engine made by another maker. L and S series are equipped with Franco Morini gyromat engines, then GL and GS series with an Anker Laura engine. There are a few S4 versions with a Franco Morini engine and a 4-speed gearbox. 2005: Model Black'n Roll S4800, a modernized version of the S3800. It is not produced under the Solex brand but rather Mopex 2011: Model 'e-Solex', an electric motor-powered bicycle which can be folded; Model 'Solexity', an electric motor-powered bicycle with an axle transmission.

Electric As of 2012, the French company offered three products:

Velosolex — an electric folding bike which can reach speeds of up to 25 km/h (16 mph) and has a range of up to 50 km (31 mi). Solexity — an electric-assisted bicycle which can reach speeds of up to 25 km/h (16 mph) [Pedelec norm] and has a range of up to 60 km (37 mi). e-Solex — an electric bike which can reach speeds of 25–35 km/h (16–22 mph) and has a range of up to 40 km (25 mi).

In popular culture In the 1958 French comedy Mon Oncle, the main character Monsieur Hulot (Jacques Tati) is a day-dreaming and impractical uncle who, while perplexed by the cutting-edge lifestyle of his sister and brother-in-law, still maintains a VéloSoleX motorized bicycle as his main transportation. Primo Levi, in one of the autobiographic short stories in his collection The Periodic Table, mentions that he would be able to switch from a bicycle to a VéloSoleX if he managed to conclude a business deal with a cosmetics manufacturer. In the 1978 film The Boys from Brazil, a German postman (played by Richard Marner) is seen riding a Velosolex. In the 1983 film So Long, Stooge the main character Bensoussan (played by Richard Anconina) rides a Velosolex around Paris. In the 2007 film Mr. Bean's Holiday, the titular character attempts to hitchhike on an elderly man's VéloSoleX to get to Cannes, only to weigh the back of it down, and when the latter gets off to fix the problem, Mr. Bean uses this as an opportunity to hijack the bike, but fails. In the 1975 Sydney Pollack thriller Three Days of the Condor, Robert Redford rides a Solex to work in New York, which sets his character as an unassuming intellectual. He thwarts two youths who try to steal it.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with VéloSoleX

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what VéloSoleX claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to VéloSoleX before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about VéloSoleX ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of VéloSoleX

In research: VéloSoleX appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses VéloSoleX in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: VéloSoleX is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Companies based in Île-de-France, Cycle manufacturers of France, Cycle manufacturers of the United States, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for VéloSoleX outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study VéloSoleX in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what VéloSoleX means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain VéloSoleX out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is VéloSoleX in simple terms?

Why does VéloSoleX matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study VéloSoleX?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on VéloSoleX.