Solex began in 1905, as two young French engineers, Maurice Goudard and Marcel Mennesson, producing engine parts. They made radiators, mostly for large trucks and buses, before and during World War 1. After the war, Solex shifted from radiators to making carburetors.
Solex carburetors became the company’s most famous product, used on many European automobiles for decades. They also made lots of other things, like excellent micrometers.
1940 prototype
VeloSolex (SolexBike) was developed during WWII while France was occupied by Germany. In 1940, after decades of interest in “bicycles with emergency engines”, the first front engine prototype was unveiled.
In 1946, after 5 years of testing, the humble hybrid went into production.
Identify your Solex by sequential engine number:
from from
year.mo motor # model 000 cc 0 tires
1946.05 0001000 Solex 45 00 45 23″ 650B reverse levers
1947.01 0004200 Solex 45 00 45 23″ 650B
1948.01 0012975 Solex 45 00 45 23″ 650B
1949.01 0038980 Solex 45 00 45 23″ 650B
1950.01 0076670 Solex 45 00 45 23″ 650B
1951.01 0117020 Solex 45 00 45 23″ 650B
1949 VeloSolex 45
1951.06 0140096 Solex 45 00 45 21″ 600B
1952.01 0179400 Solex 45 00 45 21″ 600B
1953.01 0254685 Solex 45 00 45 21″ 600B
1953.09 0325206 Solex 330 0 49 21″ 600B reverse levers
1954.01 0352320 Solex 330 0 49 21″ 600B
1955.01 0513720 Solex 330 0 49 21″ 600B
1955.09 0653389 Solex 660 0 49 21″ 600B
1956.01 0709950 Solex 660 0 49 21″ 600B
1957.01 0935850 Solex 660 0 49 21″ 600B
1957.04 1016251 Solex 1010 49 21″ 600B reverse levers
1958.01 1222310 Solex 1010 49 21″ 600B
1958-59 VeloSolex 1400
1958.10 1394501 Solex 1400 49 1.75 – 19 reverse levers
1959.01 1509600 Solex 1400 49 1.75 – 19
1959.10 1702029 Solex 1700 49 1.75 – 19 new automatic clutch
1960.01 1770840 Solex 1700 49 1.75 – 19
1961.01 2083850 Solex 1700 49 1.75 – 19
1961.06 2202001 Solex 2200 49 1.75 – 19 reverse levers
1962.01 2386650 Solex 2200 49 1.75 – 19
1963.01 2705990 Solex 2200 49 1.75 – 19
1964.01 3041150 Solex 2200 49 1.75 – 19
1964.10 3283293 Solex 3300 49 1.75 – 19 new rectangular-tube frame
1965.01 3384500 Solex 3300 49 1.75 – 19
1966.01 3686125 Solex 3300 49 1.75 – 19
’66-76 light
’59-66 tail light
The VeloSolex 3800 had reverse brake levers and a non-self-closing twist throttle. Most had Seima tail lights with no brake light. Only some US and Canada models had Maly tail lights with a separate brake light on top.
All 3800 motors from May 1966 to 1975 had an ID badge that says 1966. That was the year of the design approval, not the year it was made.
By 1967 4 million VeloSolex’s were sold. Improvements were made year after year. The Solex motor bike became a household item in France and many parts of Europe.
1973 Solex 3800 (US)
years 0 motor # tires 000 model
1966-66 3800001 1.75-19 VeloSolex 3800 reverse levers, revised engine
1967-67 4003600 1.75-19 VeloSolex 3800
1968-68 4252840 1.75-19 VeloSolex 3800
1969-69 4533060 1.75-19 VeloSolex 3800
1970-70 4600285 1.75-19 VeloSolex 3800
1971-71 4713001 1.75-19 VeloSolex 3800
1972-72 4767151 1.75-19 VeloSolex 3800
1973-73 4816551 1.75-19 VeloSolex 3800
1974-74 4859701 1.75-19 VeloSolex 3800
1975-75 4914560 1.75-19 VeloSolex 3800
1967-74 5000001 1.75-19 VeloSolex 3800 (US)
1967-74 5200001 12½x1¾ VeloSolex Micron
’74 Pli Solex
1970-70 6000001 2.00-16 VeloSolex Flash reverse levers, new engine, drive shaft
1971-71 6039318 2.00-16 VeloSolex Flash rigid or cantilever fork versions
1971-71 6055001 2.00-16 VeloSolex 6000 same but telescopic fork, drum brake
1972-72 6059690 2.00-16 VeloSolex 6000
1973-73 6082453 2.00-16 VeloSolex 6000
1974-74 6096851 2.00-16 VeloSolex 6000
1975-77 6106350 2.00-16 VeloSolex 6000
1973-78 7000001 2.00-16 Pli Solex (folder) forward levers
’73 Solex 5000 (US)
1971-71 7000001 2.00-16 VeloSolex 5000 reverse levers
1972-72 7079595 2.00-16 VeloSolex 5000
1973-73 7117674 2.00-16 VeloSolex 5000
1973-74 0000000 2.00-16 VeloSolex 5000 (US)
1974-74 7155661 2.00-16 VeloSolex 5000
1975-75 7224292 2.00-16 VeloSolex 5000
1975-75 0000000 2.00-16 Renault 5000
1977-78 9000001 2.00-16 MB Solex 5000
years 0 motor # tires 000 model
1973-73 8000001 2.50-17 Solex Tenor L, S Morini MO1 engine
1974-74 8009080 2.50-17 Solex Tenor S, L Morini MO1 engine
1974-74 8500001 2.50-17 Solex Tenor S4 Morini MO4 engine
1974-74 9000001 2.50-17 Solex 8000 GS, GL Laura M56, M54 engine
1975-75 9004681 2.50-17 Solex 8000 GL, GS Laura M54, M56 engine
1975-75 0000000 2.50-17 Renault Tenor Morini MO1 engine
1975 Renault: In 1974 Velosolex sold part of their production facility and rights to Renault. Here is a Renault 5000 and a Renault Tenor. But Renault sold the production to Motobecane (MB), in Dec 1974, after only a month.
1975-82 Motobecane (MB): Motobecane kept the old chrome VeloSolex side stickers until late 1977. Here is a 1977 Motobecane 50V, a 1977-80 Motobecane S 3800 and Motobecane 5000. At the same time VeloSolex continued to produce mostly domestic S 3800s, up to 1986.
1983-88 MBK: Motobecane was bought out by Yamaha in 1983, restructured and renamed MBK. The 1986-88 MBK S 3800 stickers only said Solex, in script.
’75 Solex 4600 V2 (US)
years 0 motor # tires 000 model xxxxxxx oooooxxx levers throttle head-light switches tail-light
1974-75 7100001 1.75-19 VeloSolex 4600 V1 (US,CA) reverse not self-closing Cibié xxxxx Maly tl+bl
1974-77 7100001 1.75-19 V.Solex 4600 V1(BR,DK,UK) reverse not self-closing Cibié xxxxx SEIMA tl
1975-76 7200001 1.75-19 MB Solex 4600 V2 (US,CA) Magura 70’s self-closing CEV CEV CEV tl+bl
1977-77 9000001 1.75-19 MB Solex 4600 V3 (US) xx Magura 70’s self-closing CEV CEV ULO tl+bl
1977-80 9000001 1.75-19 MB Solex 4600 V3 (US) xx Magura 70’s self-closing Luxor Aprilia ULO tl+bl
1976-77 9007451 1.75-19 VeloSolex S 3800 xxxxxxx reverse not self-closing
1977-80 9015840 1.75-19 MB Solex S 3800 xxxxxxx reverse not self-closing
1977-86 9015840 1.75-19 VeloSolex S 3800 xxxxxxx reverse not self-closing
1986-88 9015840 1.75-19 MBK Solex S 3800 xxxxxx Domino 80’s self-closing
’80 MB Solex 4600 V3 (US)
Solex re-makes: The 1999-05 Solex 3800 was made by Impex in Hungary and made well. It was an exact copy of a 1986-88 MBK Solex 3800. US versions had different switches and lights. More about that later… The other Solex re-makes were Chinese made.
1999-02 0000000 1.75-19 Impex Solex S 3800 (US) Dom80’s copy self-closing SEV points-ignition
2002-05 0000000 1.75-19 Impex Solex S 3800 (US) Dom80’s copy self-closing xxx CDI-ignition
2005-08 0000000 1.75-19 Mopex Velosolex S4800 and Mopex Black ‘n Roll S4800 website
1976-on 0000000 1.75-19 generic Chang-Jiang
1976-on 0000000 1.75-19 generic Hua Jia
1976-00 0000000 1.75-19 generic Hong Du
