Solex

Before we talk about the famous Vélosolex with the curious friction roller drive on the front wheel, we should talk about the origins of the Solex company. Because several decades passed before it produced the famous motorized bicycle.

Birth and history

in 1905, Maurice Goudard and Marcel Mennesson, two talented French engineers, joined forces and founded a company for radiators, carburetors and starters. The Solex brand was not registered until 1910 and offered spare parts of all kinds for cars, buses and motorcycles.

The company survived the First World War and specialized in the development and manufacture of carburettors, which were found in numerous vehicles and were even produced under Mikuni license in Japan.

It was not until 1940 that the first prototype of the moped was developed. Here, too, the war caused a delay, and it was not until 1946 that Solex production and sales got underway. It was discontinued in 1988, a few years after being acquired by Motobécane and later by Yamaha.

the Solex moped

In the spring of 1946, the Solex had a 45cc engine and 650cc wheels. The engine was further developed in 1953 and reached an output of 49cc in the 330 version. A new frame was introduced in 1955 for the 660 model, while the 1010 model received a completely new engine in 1957. in 1958, the 1400 version received a new frame, which was followed in 1959 by a brand new engine with automatic clutch in the 1700 version. This was followed by the 2200, 3300, 3800, Micron, 3800 Luxe, Flash, 5000, Plisolex and finally the Ténor in 1973. With each evolution, the engine power and / or the chassis were improved to meet both market expectations and the changing laws for two-wheelers.
The latest versions even had disc brakes and telescopic forks.

Today, the Solex brand still exists and produces e-bikes.

Solex in our store

You can find everything you need to repair or restore your Solex in our online store. We stock cylinders, pistons, ignitions and clutches, as well as spare parts such as brake shoes or fork blades - in short, everything you need to keep the last Solex still in circulation in good shape.

Simply select the model and find the right parts in the respective categories, always at the best price and with short delivery times.