A double bill from the Coprolite Run. On the right is Luke Booth's McKenzie. The McKenzie was an autocycle from the 1920s with a Hobart engine. Luke's is single-speed but a 2-speed version was also available.
The other machine is, at first glance, a Berini M13 on a Pluvier cycle... but it's not. The cycle is a Hercules. Maybe someone took all the bits off a Pluvier and transferred them to the Hercules when the original frame broke? The strangeness doesn't stop there because the Berini engine is badged as a "Melesetto", supplied by Otto Benda in Prague. This is one of three cyclemotors recently acquired by Dave Watson. The others were a BSA Winged Wheel in the proper BSA frame and a Cyclemaster on a Humber bike - complete with the distinctive duplex tube fork and 'running man' chain wheel. Like the Berini, these two also showed evidence of having spent time in Eastern Europe.
First published in The MAC in December 2008
Continuing our Eastern European theme, this moped was on sale - and sold - in the moped jumble at the Kneel's Wheels Run in November. It is a Simson SR-2 dating from 1960. We're told that these have become quite common in mainland Europe since German unification but few have made it to the UK so it's still an unusual find over here.
First published in The MAC in December 2008
Marcel Mizon's Corgi was reported to be running well on the Mince Pie run - especially by those riders who tried to keep up with it! It's a Mark II model with a two-speed gearbox. The separate gearbox was an optional extra on the Mark II, becoming a standard fitting on the short-lived Mark III - until the Mark IV came along with proper, built-in gears.
First published in The MAC in March 2009
If you want to draw attention to your bike, paint it orange. This principle was established in the early days of the original EACC - who remembers the 'Research Dept's' orange Cyclemaster? Or the orange Batavus outfit at Sidecar Sundays? Once seen, never forgotten. Latest in an honourable line is Tris Smith's Raleigh RM4, which was spotted at the Mince Pie Run. Its striking and well-executed colour scheme elevated it from being just a Raleigh moped among a hundred other bikes to a machine that stood out from the crowd.
First published in The MAC in March 2009
We are the East Anglian Cyclemotor Club, so let's look at some more cyclemotors...
This is Keith Rutledge's Mini-Motor and was one of two cyclemotors that completed the West Anglian Spring Run. Keith, like David Whatling (whose Motamite we 'spotted' in The MAC last June), is one the dedicated cyclemotorists among our membership. It is the fate of the cyclemotorist to be the last to arrive at the end of any run. However, for once, Keith was not bringing up the rear on this club ride. That's because the other cyclemotor on the run was Andrew Pattle's Lohmann.
First published in The MAC in June 2009
And here is that Lohmann - though pictured here resting along the route of the Radar Run when Andrew had stopped to take some pictures of the other riders. How, on a Lohmann, did he get far enough in front to stop and take pictures of the others? Obviously, there was some cheating going on.
First published in The MAC in June 2009
It's not a cyclemotor, it's not an autocycle and it's not a moped, but this 1952 98cc Bown motor cycle in the club line-up was probably the machine that most club members coveted. Why? Because it's completely original. It has been stored, unused, for over 50 years. It even has the instructions and tool kit still wrapped up in the toolbox.
First published in The MAC in September 2009
When Puch made a smaller version of the Maxi, it ended up with the self-contradictory name of Mini-Maxi. This red and white model was the first version and was introduced to the UK in May 1983. The Mini Maxi Lady, available in either pink or red, replaced it in July 1985.
First published in The MAC in September 2009
Guy's Zorplan Shopper. A company from Essex marketed this conversion of a Puch Maxi to a three-wheeler. Their appeal must have been quite limited, making surviving examples pretty rare - in fact, Guy's is the first one we have ever seen.
First published in The MAC in September 2009
