Happy 16th Birthday Jonathan

[Chris Thomas]

Dear Jonathan

Not long now until you can take your driving test.

Chris Thomas

[richard]

Many happy returns from me too. Am wondering if you have grown up and left childish pursuits like micros - you have been very quiet ! Surely not studying

[Jonathan Poll]

Hey,

  Thanks both of you!

I have been quite quiet, I havent outgrown micros, don't worry! But because I got a couple of new toys recently

There the first vehicles I actually paid for!

Orange one is mostly for parts, but if I ever get a front wheel and a few more small parts, may be worth to build up and sell (rare model)

Thanks again, JP

[richard]

yes jonathan nice to hear from you , but apart from one being orange ( and one blue ) what the heck are they  mobylette ? motobecane ? something like that i guess great fun for learning about engines and spanner rash 

[Big Al]

Nothing like a Veggie Motobacon eh, Bob.

16 years of age, feet on the crossframe, throttle wide open and the local area is your oyster, in France.

[Bob Purton]

Yeh, Mobylette etc etc all have that very crude engine and transmission, I'm not a fan although my moped club is dominated by fans of them, it goes back to my own sixteenth birthday when I got out of bed at six in the morning before my daily commute to work at the Temple Inn as a young barristers clerk. All to get my first legal ride on a Mobylette Caddy, what a let down, took ages to start the thing, 25mph max, no suspension, and I slipped off on a wet manhole cove, I've disliked them ever since! I had previously been riding a Tiger cub over the local fields [not cabbage fields] but my dad wouldnt let me have anything bigger than a moped at sixteen as he was rightly concerned for my safety. Later graduating to 250cc bikes I never had anything any bigger than that, now I could have any bike I want I just don't have any interest in anything bigger than my 175 Italian machines. As Richards says though these little mopeds are great for leaning basic mechanics on and I see that the blue one is a better more sophisticated model with suspension an'all. I guess now Jon is sixteen he can drive sans permiss cars without a license anyway. I see there is a Renault Twizzy that qualifies for that too.

[Bob Purton]

Nothing like a Veggie Motobacon eh, Bob.

16 years of age, feet on the crossframe, throttle wide open and the local area is your oyster, in France.

Those Motobacons are real pig to start! And swines to get parts for!

[richard]

  I would rather have two wheels under me than drive any sans permis car that I have ever seen - safer too I imagine -  oooh controversial 

[Jonathan Poll]

Thanks you lot!

  I actually think the Motobecane is great fun to drive. My dad said I was averaging 30mph on it (he followed me on his Heinkel Tourist).

It feels very nice to drive. Don't see what the problem is with the transmission Bob, if you're talking about the auto transmission (not sure of the exact name, with the belt and expandable pulley), it feels really smooth to me, especially compared to the Peugeot, which is also quite smooth!

Rich, it's some sort of Motobecane, Mobylette, Mobymatic and Motoconfort... Engine body covers say "Mobylette", many parts have otobecane logo, petrol tank badges (whatever is left from them!) says Mobymatic, and chassis plate says motoconfort... I guess it was the time they all united?

Bob, I don't think I want to drive a sans permis! I do still need a moped licesne, which I don't have. I just find all sans permis cars horrible Especially the Twizy! Ugh!

[richard]

This boy will go far - properly brought up that what we like to see

[Bob Purton]

I'm not a fan of Sans permis cars either but I do like the Twizzy. Mobylettes do the job fine and have proved themselves over decades but you only realize that the quality is very average when you graduate to a better quality machine like a Puch MS50 or NSU. Just my thoughts, enjoy what you have!

[marcus]

Missed it, but happy birthday anyway.

[Big Al]

I'm not a fan of Sans permis cars either but I do like the Twizzy. Mobylettes do the job fine and have proved themselves over decades but you only realize that the quality is very average when you graduate to a better quality machine like a Puch MS50 or NSU. Just my thoughts, enjoy what you have!

Probably cheap in rural France. When your not with much funds that counts for a lot and a few scrappers, mix up the good bits and you have something to use. Its where you learn the basics you need later on the better stuff. Even better if you have a father who has relevant skills and experience to back up blunders. That said I would have thought the small twist and go scooters had more street cred amongst the younger community. So is Jonathon showing that trend towards his own thing that we can recognize in the face of accepted fashion. I hope so.

[Jonathan Poll]

Thanks Marcus!

Bob, I have never riden one of my dads motorbikes, but I have washed/polished quite a few of them, and I do see what you mean, but I stil find that omy mopeds are very good quality, way better than modern plastic crappy whizzy mopeds!

Yes Rich, I'm brought up like your lots generation, unfortunately not enough ids my age are, so I'm the only one at my school that really loves and knows about old cars/bikes... Luckily my friends enjoy them when they pop over, thats the ain thing!

JP