Iceni CAM is a
Trade Supporter
of the FBHVC

Introduction

This is the home of the Iceni CAM Magazine - a free e-magazine about Cyclemotors, Autocycles, Mopeds ... and more.  It was launched on 15th April 2007 and the most recent four issues can be downloaded here.  (Copies of earlier back numbers are also available.)  For non-computerised folks, printed copies are available at £1.50 per edition; we can accommodate mail order too at £2.10 per single edition or £8.40 for a year's subscription.

So what's it about?

It's an e-magazine all about cyclemotors, autocycles and mopeds that carries road test & feature articles, rally reports, free adverts and other assorted information.  Although we are an independent production, we have strong ties to the EACC and also to the New Zealand Cyclaid Register.

We are based in East Anglia, but are by no means limited to that area.  Much that appears in the magazine is of universal appeal.  We welcome contributions, whereever they are from, and are also happy to help to publicise any events for cyclemotors, autocycles and mopeds.

When's it published?

We publish four times a year and the publication dates are synchronised with key events in the EACC calendar: the Radar Run, the Peninsularis Run, the Coprolite Run and the Mince Pie Run.  It's purely an enthusiast production, and all produced on a tiny budget.  Nevertheless, we think you'll be pretty impressed  The free downloadable version will be posted on this website on the same day as the printed version goes on sale.

All the issues of CAM Magazine that we've produced have been very well received.  Thank you all for your comments; they are much appreciated.  Several of you have also made donations, which has helped enormously in keeping Iceni CAM going.

What's in it?

The January 2012 edition is available now on our Downloads Page.

Main feature

Life in the Slow Lane was a very long article, and correspondingly, the production notes are similarly large.

When we decided to produce an article on the smallest cyclemotor, the initial thought was that it could only really be as a stand-alone mini-feature, since it seemed highly improbable that there would be anything equally feeble enough to fairly compare with this antique auxiliary motor - until we received an option to sample what may be perceived as Lohmann's modern equivalent!

So a flash of inspiration finds IceniCAM with probably the most unlikely feature that one might ridiculously imagine, as we match up the most fractionally powered machines from some 60 years apart.

Our titanic clash between a Lohmann 18cc 'diesel' cyclemotor from the 1950s versus the technology of 21st century electric bicycles was initially going to be called "Snail Racing", but ended up as "Life in the Slow Lane" as an anti-tribute to The Eagles song title, though a vestigial reference to snail racing remained in the text.

The "Slow Lane" feature has been around on IceniCAM's distant horizon for several years now.

The Lohmann came from IceniCAM's own stable, being one of Andrew's personal collection, so we didn't have to go far for that.

A date of April 2009 on the Lohmann photoshoot pictures presents an interesting contrast to the road test date of October 2011, and it's not very often that features develop in quite that manner.

Our preceding Front Wheel Drive feature on the Cymota and GYS clip-ons presented two machines fairly comparable to each other, but trying to imagine any other cyclemotor competitively paired against Lohmann's tiny compression-igniton engine would be difficult, since there really isn't anything quite like it.

The Lohmann would seem to be the world's smallest (and feeblest) production cyclemotor engine (unless of course you might know differently?), so what might we match with it?  Even the first generation 25.7cc Cyclemaster motor wheel presents a mighty 43% capacity advantage, and obviously crushing superiority even before getting out of the starting blocks.

Possibly the original Berini M13 with the associated frictional losses from its roller drive arrangement might disadvantage the performance from its 26cc Pluvier engine a little, but it's still going to be way ahead in the power stakes.

Just when we've pretty much accepted the seemingly inevitable conclusion that the Lohmann was going to have to run as a singular test feature, along comes our sixth Mopedland story as Year of the Cat in July 2010, with a passing association between an ancient Lohmann and a modern electric bicycle... yes, that's it, that's what we'll do!

All we need is an electric bicycle for comparison, but so many to choose from?  As usual, it's not so much a matter of picking and choosing, more just a case of what we might be able to get!

As it happened, we got rather more than we expected!

Our first opportunity was the Spanish built Koolgachet E-bike from Zena Bamberger in early September 2010, which started first development of the text when the Koolgachet became the first of our machines actually tested - she didn't like it, and neither did we!  As a first impression of an electric bicycle it wasn't very impressive, just heavy and sluggish, and required the pedals constantly no-load rotating to drive, even though they weren't contributing to the propulsion - whose stupid idea was that?

Then came the Pyramid E-scooter from Clive Bamberger later in September 2010, freshly fitted with a brand new battery set for optimum performance, and switchable from its silly no-load pedal mode to a technically illegal 'throttle' mode.

The scoot went OK in electric drive, and proved best to ride with your feet on the footplate after removing the pedals since they stick out dangerously and tend to catch things (like your shins!).  However, the width of the scooter deck, unsuitability of the scooter style seat and its position, and crummy QD square drive crank arms of the pedals gave a hopelessly 'splayed' pedalling posture and rendered any form of useful cycling assistance practically impossible.

With its sealed lead acid gel batteries positioned in the footdeck, the Pyramid achieved a low centre of gravity, but still remained seriously heavy and presented nowhere to lift other than easy-shatter cheapo plastic body panels.

We still remained unimpressed by the E-bike experience.

There must be something better than these, so what did the trade recommend?

"You want to try a Powabike, they're pretty good"!

So next up was Terry Smith's E-Powabike in June 2011, which seemed appreciably better as the E-motor proved pretty strong on the switchable throttle, while you could further pedal assist to also effectively use it as a bicycle.

Still however there remained handling issues with the high centre of gravity and weight of the battery.

Might the progress of modern technology offer the final E-bike solution in the form of the Lithium-Ion cell?

Zena Bamberger now seems to find all she wants from her BM Freedom in October 2011, an easy step-through frame, unparalleled lightness for practical handling, folding capability for convenient transportation, and the ability to pedal like a proper bicycle.

Only time may tell the durability and economic replacement of the LiFe batteries, and maybe if limiting legislation doesn't hold back further development and performance (15mph/250 Watt limit), then the E-bike may possibly generate a wider transport appeal towards saving the beleaguered environment and relieving our congested roads.

We think electric bikes might be more practical and safer if they were able to keep up with urban traffic pace, 30mph?

The TGA Mark 1 Electrobike was our final E-bike, which turned up at the eleventh hour from Nick Bence-Jones.

Being an interesting and locally produced early electric bike example, we decided it had to go in too - but were much disappointed that the manufacturer was so completely disinterested and unhelpful regarding enquiries about their old products, which probably tells you everything you need to know about today's TGA!

By now the article had now grown to vast volume!  What to do with such a massive feature, and how would there ever be room in the magazine for anything else?

Danny simply handed the problem on by just mailing all the files to Andrew at the last minute, then jetting straight off to New Zealand on more road tests - so down to editorial decision how to cope with it all?

Can the modern E-bike be considered a later day Lohmann?

From very different generations and totally polarised technologies, the two machines do perform fairly similarly, so we thought it was a pretty fair and interesting comparison match.

The E-bike is probably cleaner and easier to use, but will any of them still be working in 60 years' time, and will any E-bike ever achieve such mystical fascination as an 18cc 'diesel'?

Costs for "Life in the Slow Lane" were pretty minimal, various local collections and returns probably amounted to only around some £10 of diesel fuel.  In the interests of promoting compression-ignition cyclemotors, fellow Lohmann rider Peter Vaughan from Devon very generously sponsored the article.

It wasn't so much a case of sponsoring the article, as sponsoring the extra production costs of presenting such a bumper edition!  By featuring six bikes in the one article, "Life in the Slow Lane" had grown to a completely impossible size (as have these production notes!), and without Peter's very significant sponsorship it would have been difficult to see how IceniCAM could have managed all the additional printing and postage costs for the hard copy magazine versions.  There was a point at which we were seriously considering having to hold over the second and third features, but Peter's donation made this possible - our biggest ever magazine.

Second feature

The Mini 16 feature bike came to us amongst a job lot of ex-number-plate-trade 'junker bikes', and, when the van was unloaded into the workshops, we didn't know quite what it was at the time.  The Motobi isn't exactly a common machine; the engine was seized; it was dirty, dusty and rusty, and we hadn't actually seen one before.

The workshop routinely unstuck the motor, fitted new piston rings, repaired the exhaust, and sorted out the cycle parts.  That element was easy, up and running again in no time at all, but its previous life as a registration retention vehicle cultivated a number of difficulties when trying to sort out the documentation.

Somewhere along the long progression of various 'cherished' number transfers, its identity had mysteriously mutated from Motobi to Motobécane!  Perhaps the DVLA computer failed to recognise Motobi, and switched to the nearest similar name at sometime?  Who knows?

The indicated frame number was correct, and the V5 suggested a matching engine number, but adding to the complications of correcting the documentation - Motobi didn't actually stamp any engine numbers!

The whole muddle sat in the bureaucratic tubes of indecision for literally months, with no-one in officialdom willing or able to make any judgement on what to do about correcting the details.  The eternal trail of number transfers exceeded traceable records back to its original registration, so if in doubt, the answer seems to be - do nothing!

After floating in limbo for a couple of months it took a right rocket to prompt any action, finally a VOSA inspection to satisfy them the Motobi really was a Motobi and tick the appropriate boxes, then re-issue the documentation with the obvious adjustments just to get it out of the holding tray.

After all that hassle, it just seemed a pointless step too far to try and correct the fact that the bike ended up with a 1972 K-registration number on a 1966-1968 bike!

Finally the bike could be taxed & tested, then went on road test and photoshoot in September 2010, which gave a completed turn-round time on the feature of around 18 months.  Mini 16 went really well for the test, and with the whole moped being smaller than the wheels of Chris Day's Russian ГАЗ truck in the background, the pictures seemed to emphasize the subject of the article.

Once our mini-feature was completed, there wasn't really much further reason to retain the bike, so off it went into the big wide world to make way for something else.  At least the exercise returned the machine to use, and it's been regularly seen around the local rally circuit since.

We don't account workshop time and parts cost in the article production since these are recovered when the bike is sold on, so production of the Mini 16 article involved only negligible expense.

We just happened to receive a small sponsorship donation from Graham McLean out in Oz about the time the article was completed, so the credit just got tacked straight on.

Third feature

The Motobécane X1 feature came about as Monkey bike and Micro-machine fan Simon Taylor brought his X1 into our workshops for complete mechanical restoration up to MoT standard, which, knowing the complete lack of availability of essential parts for these machines, was going to prove quite a challenge.

The 'S' suffix plate (1978), indicated the bike had been registered 2 years after imports of the model were discontinued in the UK, rather suggesting the X1 hadn't actually been selling very well in its time.

Probably like a lot of these micro-machines, the X1 looked as if it'd had very little actual use, since the tiny rear sprocket showed barely any sign of wear.  It looked as if the bike had been abandoned because of a broken throttle cable and handlebar cam-lock lever.  Components detached from the bike became misplaced when the twistgrip was dissembled and, just for want of a throttle cable ... the bike was lost!

Over a year of trawling the internet by Simon had produced no result, so there was going to have to be another solution if the bike was to be recovered.

The missing throttle components and broken handlebar cam-lock lever were resolved in the only practical way possible, by machining up new replacements.  Other general repairs and improvisations were not really any problem - until it came to replacing the 2.50×9 tyres.  No 9-inch tyre sizes are now listed by any manufacturer - basically, they're extinct!

It just happened, however, that there were two 4-ply new/old stock Ceat 2.75×9 tyres listed in the Chainmail stock but, because of the compactness of X1's close design, even this slight increase in diameter and width proved a problem, requiring modification to the rear frame to allow the back wheel to fit.  Up front, the forks also needed to be splayed to accommodate the width increase, with appropriate spacers on the axle adapted with special inserts to set the wheel down the fork by 5mm, which generated clearance for the diameter increase.

All went well, and the modifications enabled the installation of a pair of far better quality tyres than the flimsy Hutchinson originals, which had all the structural capability of a plastic bag!

As work on the bike completed in June 2011, and it checked through MoT for return to its owner, we thought we might whiz it through a quick road test and photoshoot for an article since we'd not had opportunity to cover one of these before, and the bike had now become a fairly reasonable and roadworthy example.

All-in cost of recovering the X1 knocked on £400, but since Simon originally acquired the tiny bike for a mere token, he reckoned the investment was worth it for a completed and roadworthy machine - and you certainly don't see many of these in use today, so it's probably perceived as a fairly unusual example now.

X1's biggest let-down has to be the miserable Cady engine, which pathetic output restricted its performance to the 20mph category.  This may be considered adequate as a micro-compact for 'camper site' use, but not really effective as a proper moped since it wholly lacked the capability to keep up with general 30mph town traffic pace.

X1's performance would prove a practical limitation to its sales capability, which Motobécane addressed to some degree in the later X7 version, installed with a 2bhp M-series motor.  The X-series, however, proved more novelty than longevity and, as is the way with these flighty things, its customers moved on to new novelties.  After just 5 years' listing, the models were discontinued in 1976.

Rather like Marmite, whether you love or hate these machines, the X-series concept and styling was always iconic.  The little bikes have achieved almost a cult status and still appeal to many people, who will appreciate and collect them - though very few are probably likely to be seen in highway use today.

Owner Simon Taylor delivered and collected the bike, all pics were digital, so our production cost of the 'Micro Solution' article was effectively nothing, though the workshop certainly clocked up the hours to restore the bike to functional order.

As we completed the test feature, Simon contributed a token donation to bring the article on to publication.

What's Next?

Next Main feature: an extraordinarily rare bike.

People go on ... "I've got a Vincent!"  Common old things, sold complete with the bragging rights, loads of them about and they all look the same.  "I've got a Goldie!"  Yeah, yeah, another mass produced motor cycle reserved for investment...  Now if you want something really interesting and unusual, you want to think small - you want to think Mercury!  There's only four known and recorded surviving examples of this particular model but, incredibly, we've got hold of one, and we're running it for our next edition!  Watch out for the Grey Streak in "Meltdown".

Next Support feature: We make a lot of efforts in tracking down and testing the most obscure machines for feature, which is all very well, as long as examples survive - but what to do if nothing exists?  Short of building a replica, we can never test a bike that's actually extinct, but another form of presentation may still be possible.  Way back in 2004, a research series started on several machines, all of which were firmly believed to be extinct - no traceable examples survive.

Quite a bit of work was done, but the series never progressed to completion due to political issues within the miserable old autocycle club (a sad situation that still persists today, barely holding together with dust and cobwebs).

These research notes turned up again recently as a number of old files, and it might seem a pity to simply mothball the work again, so we thought we might try to complete one from time to time as a bit of a change.

The old research series was titled "Legions of the Lost", and the first analysis presents a final solution to a moped that never was.

Next Second support: Leaving behind the slow old world of folding microbikes and stunted performance, our next oddball third feature seems to be heading into some bizarre, post-nuclear, apocalyptic future with this speed crazed warrior from the Anglian wastelands.  Has the humble Puch that everyone knows and loves become irradiated into some twisted demonic mutation?  The innocuous and faithful Maxi may never be seen in the same light again, after - "Mad Max".

What else?

Well, there's this Website... we've put a lot of useful information here, and we're alwas adding to it.  We have a directory of useful people to know.  Information on local events: route sheets, maps, etc, are here as downloadable documents and, after each run, we put photos of the event on this website.  There's also a market place where you can buy and sell mopeds, autocycles, cyclemotors and other related items

We have a discussion forum on Google Groups - you can get to that from our Contacts page or the box at the top of this page.

As each edition of the magazine is published, we add to our collection of articles.  From Edition 3 of the magazine, we introduced another evolution.  Previously, features in the articles section had reflected what appeared in the magazine, but you may now discover a bit of extra content has crept into some items as they've transferred to the website - you might call it "The Directors Cut".  The problem with printed magazines is editing everything to fit page sizes and space, and there can sometimes be bits you'd like to include, but they have to be left out to fit the available space.  The web articles don't need to be constrained by the same limitations so, although the text will remain the same, the 'Directors Cut' graphic in the header indicates the item carries extra pictures and bits that didn't make it to the magazine.

We also have an Information Service - if you want to know more about your moped, we can help.

What we do

Iceni CAM Magazine is committed to celebrating all that's good about the Cyclemotor, Moped and Autocycle scene; researching toward the advancement of the pool of knowledge about cyclemotors, autocycles, old mopeds, and other oddities; and the publication of original material.  We are a declared non-profit making production, though we still need to fund everything somehow to keep the show on the road.

The magazine is free on line, and the nominal price of supplying hard copies to non-computerised folks is pitched only to cover printing and postage.  All advertising is free since we believe that the few people left out there providing parts & service for these obsolete machines do so as a hobby and an interest.  This involves far more effort than reward, and they should be appreciated for the assistance they provide.  Our Information Service is there to help anyone needing manuals to help with restoration of a machine.  We make a small charge for this but, again, we have set our prices so the just cover postage and material costs.

Overheads involve operation of the website, and particularly the generation of features.  Articles like Last Flight of the Eagle can cost as little as £20 to complete, while others have cost up to £150 to generate, eg: Top Cat on the Leopard Bobby.  With these overheads, you may be wondering how we get the money to keep it all going.  So do we!  But, somehow, it works, helped by a number of generous people who have sponsored articles or made donations to keep the show on the road.

How long does it take to research, produce, and get these feature articles to press?  Well, up to two years of preparatory research in some cases, where little is known about the machine or its makers, and where nothing has been published before.  Then, collating all the information and interviews, drafting and re-drafting the text, travel and photoshoots typically account for up to 40 to 50 hours to deliver the package to editing.

There are many examples where these articles have become the definitive reference material for previously unpublished machines like Mercury Mercette & Hermes, Leopard Bobby, Ostler Mini-Auto, Dunkley Whippet & Popular, Stella Minibike, Ambassador Moped, Elswick Hopper Lynx, and many others.

We're committed to continuing to produce these articles, because we believe it needs to be done, and we've got a proven track record for achieving it.  Nobody else has done it in 50 odd years, so if we don't do it - who will?

To whet your appetite for what's ahead, here's an updated list of machines with developing articles for future features: AJW Collie, Ariel 3, Ariel Pixie, Batavus Go-Go, Busy Bee cyclemotor, Capriolo 75 Turismo Veloce, Coventry Eagle Trade Auto-Ette, Cyc-Auto (Wallington Butt), Cyc-Auto (Villiers), Cyclaid, Derbi Antorcha, DiBlasi, Dot ViVi, Dunkley S65, Dunkley Whippet Super Sports, Elswick-Hopper VAP MIRA test prototype, Excelsior Consort, Excelsior G2 autocycle, Gilera RS50, Heath mini-bike, Hercules Corvette, Hercules Her-cu-motor, Honda CD50, Honda Chaly, Honda CT70 Dax Monkey Bike, Honda Motocompo, Honda People PY25D Cyclemotor, Honda SS50, Honda Stream, Huzhou Daixi Zhenhua, James Comet 1F, Kerry Capitano, Leopard B6, Mercury Grey Streak, Mitubishi TLE43 Cyclemotor, Morini FM128 Cyclemotor, Motobécane Mobylette AV42, Motobécane Mobylette AV44, Motobécane Mobylette AV46, Motobécane Mobylette AV78, Motobécane SP50, MV Agusta Liberty, Norman Nippy Mark 2, Norman Nippy Mark 3, NVT Ranger, Phillips P36X motorised cycle, Phillips Traveller, Powell Joybike, Puch Magnum X, Rabeneick Binetta, Robin Subaru EHO35 Cyclemotor, Shuang Ma Cyclemotor, Simson SR2E, Solifer Speed, Sun Autocycle, Sun Motorette, Suzuki A100, Tailwind cyclemotor, Vincent Firefly, Yamaha FS1E.

The working list changes all the time as articles are completed and published, and further new machines become added - so as you see, there's certainly no shortage of material.

Readers have probably noticed a number of the articles collecting sponsorship credits, and we're very grateful for the donations people have made toward IceniCAM, which certainly assures we're going forward into another year.  We don't need a lot of money since IceniCAM is a declared non-profit making organisation, and operates on a shoestring (and we'd like to keep it that way) - run by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts.

It's easy to sponsor an article by either picking a machine from the forward list, and we'll attach your credit to it, or simply making a donation.  There is no fixed amount, it's entirely up to you, and however large or small, we're grateful for any contribution to keep the show on the road.

If a vehicle you're interested in seeing an article about isn't in the list, then let us know and we'll see about trying to add it in the programme, but we do need access to examples - perhaps you have a machine you'd like to offer for a feature?

See the Contact Page for how to: Subscribe to the magazine - Chat to fellow readers - Make a donation - Sponsor an article - Enter a free advert - Submit an article yourself - Write a letter to us - Propose a machine for feature - Offer your machine for test feature - ...

News

Electric Bike power increase

Our recent article Life in the Slow Lane featured a number of electric bikes and one of the points Mark made was that UK regulations on electric bikes are out of step with other contries.  As part of its 'Red Tape Challenge', the government is going to bring the regulations into line with the rest of Europe.  The first change will be to increase the maximum allowable power from 200 to 250 Watts.  Other aspects of the regulations will be changed once a current EU discussion is concluded.
www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2010-02

New stock at Aplins

Brian Aplin has been trying for ages to get hold of 2.00×19 (23×2) whitewall tyres ... and now he's succeeded.  He has also got hold of a stock of complete pistons for Mobylette engines.  You will find Brian's contact details in our directory.

January 2012

La Vie en Bleu

January 2012

Older news stories are available in our News Archive

This page was updated on 28 January 2012