French Bikers Protest

OK, so maybe I cannot class myself  right now as a real biker on my VeloSolex, but I have in the past ridden thousands of miles on my Harley touring France. I even raced my 125 Yamaha in a local hill-climb event way back when I was just sixteen and have owned various motorbikes throughout my life. So maybe I can class myself as a 'past biker'.

My real fast biking days were cut short at 18 when I had an argument with a car windscreen and lost! Resulting in me getting the nickname of 'Nelson', luckily I lost just an eye and not  an arm as well.  Hence the move to a Harley, which are more suited to sedate riding most of the time.

However, attending the latest biker protest in France on my VeloSolex could have decimated the last bit of biker street-cred that I had left. So I will wait until I either turbo charge the VeloSolex or purchase another real bike. Or maybe I could attend with a a few fellow VeloSolex fans, namely Keith and Andy.

The latest protest if I have read it correctly, was about some draconian measures being taken by the French Government. Apparently, it is illegal for bikers to filter through slow moving traffic, although it seems most bikers do not realise that and  they are also wanting bikers to wear florescent vests and possibly to pay for parking. This from a country that allows people with no driving licence to drive a Sans Permis and we all know how dangerous these can be!

 

   Or even how great the drivers are at parking them.

  

The demonstration was well attended and in usual French style some of the protesters wanted to make a 'ASS' of the government.

Here is a short snippet about the latest protest and you can visit the UK France Bikers website HERE
which has more about the protest.

 
 
For the third time this year, France has been the scene of enormous demonstrations this weekend, where thousands upon thousands of angry bikers took over every town and city nationwide, a real slap in the face of the French interior minister, Claude Guéant. Facing a deaf government despite previous demonstrations on 18 June 2011 gathering almost 100,000 protestors all over the country.

French bikers continue to express their radical opposition to a series of government proposals, designed by Claude Guéant, to treat motorcyclists like cash cows rather than recognise that motorcycles are the golden solution to environmental and congestion issues and also offer a cheaper, faster and more reliable mode of transport, especially for those in a weaker financial situation.

Velosolex of the Week

As time is limited due to my mammoth tomato crop this year and of course building up French Classified and Property, which I am proud to say has achieved over 2 million hits in the past year. I have been neglecting 'Francine' and this blog. 

I think the easiest  way to get around the situation of sparking 'Francine' into life would be to purchase a back up bike, which I will do before the end of the year. Then I can tinker with her to my hearts content and still have the enjoyment of the open road on a Velosolex. After all, a man cant have too many Velosolex's, a little like ex-wives ad sheds. (only joking Mrs TK)

 

So before I decide which model  to buy, I thought I would see what was on the market, or what I could turn 'Francine' into.

This hub-less model looks pretty darn sleek, but maybe out of my skill zone to copy.

 

Now this looks a little easier a Solex-Scoot, but no rack for my Baguettes and wine, so that's really a non starter 

The hunt will continue, 'watch this space' as they say!