. . . of Raleigh motorised bikes (last century)?

[freiston]

After perusing a link to pictures from the Nottingham Faraday Road factory posted in the Anyone in Nottingham? thread, I came across this - it looks like a mid-drive motor-assisted pedal cycle - does anyone know what it is?
https://www.inspirepicturearchive.org.u ... s_Interior

[Biospace]

After perusing a link to pictures from the Nottingham Faraday Road factory posted in the Anyone in Nottingham? thread, I came across this - it looks like a mid-drive motor-assisted pedal cycle - does anyone know what it is?

An RM1?

[freiston]

Cheers!
I think you're right - it certainly looks a lot like the RM1 in this link:
http://suprememotos.com/other_makes/642 ... ed034.html

I have no recollection of coming across these before (which surprises me) - quite interesting.

[Biospace]

There's an interesting little back story to the underpowered engines, here's a link, http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pattl ... rc0238.htm and a pic without the covers/fairings

[thirdcrank]

Without checking, I don't know the exact dates but that was when the comic had a spell as Cycling and Mopeds. I cannot imagine anybody thought that the typical comic reader was remotely interested in mopeds so somebody must have believed there was a potential readership among moped riders.

IIRC, what sunk typical British mopeds was that they simply complied with the regs - broadly a pedal cycle with up to 50cc assistance - where the likes of Honda exploited the same regs to produce a 50cc motorbike with pedals (only fitted to comply with the moped definition,) The regs were soon changed to dispense with pedals and the comic reverted to being Cycling concentrating on RTTC results.

[rjb]

This must have been the forerunner to the Wisp. More info from a previous thread. viewtopic.php?t=151964#p1707124

[freiston]

Thank you everyone for your replies - interesting and enlightening.

rjb - on going to the linked thread about Raleigh and roadsters, I recalled your Twiggy post as soon as I saw it but unfortunately failed to recall it when seeing the photo of the RM1 in the factory (I expect such failures of recall to get worse with age )

[simonhill]

Mopeds like that RM1 were common in France at the time. You could ride with no licence, etc at 14. They were cheap get arounds for the French youth. The UK were much more restrictive.

I had one (a Mobylette) in the UK and used in West London when studying. I could ride without L plates as I had a full car licence. I then took it touring to France, where it's full size number plates and obligatory helmet (in UK) caused amusement amongst the French. Great fun whizzing round the Arc d'Triomph on the cobbles.

[Biospace]

Some 1910s and 20s motorbikes showed up at an air museum we were visiting last month, including this Raleigh -

Plenty had rim brakes, but with little traffic and fewer tarmac road surfaces, probably not too much of a problem. Acetylene lamps were still in full working order!

[gxaustin]

Without checking, I don't know the exact dates but that was when the comic had a spell as Cycling and Mopeds. I cannot imagine anybody thought that the typical comic reader was remotely interested in mopeds so somebody must have believed there was a potential readership among moped riders.

IIRC, what sunk typical British mopeds was that they simply complied with the regs - broadly a pedal cycle with up to 50cc assistance - where the likes of Honda exploited the same regs to produce a 50cc motorbike with pedals (only fitted to comply with the moped definition,) The regs were soon changed to dispense with pedals and the comic reverted to being Cycling concentrating on RTTC results.

My son bought me a 1962 Eagle comic for my birthday and in it was advertised The International Cycle and Motorcycle Show, Earles Court. Someone clearly thought they were appropriate bedfellows.