Books on cyclemotors, autocycles and mopeds are fairly thin on the ground in the UK; here are some of the ones that we know of... we can even sell you some of them. We've split this section into two sections: Modern Books and Period Books.
This page coves modern books. By modern, we mean mostly books that have been written a long while after the machines they describe were new. These are books written for enthusuasts and collectors. They are not necessarily the latest books on the subject; some are current and some will be out of print. Most, even the out of print ones, will be readily available from the many internet book sellers. As well as this type of book, we'll include new books on new machines, for example: the book on Electric Bicycles. There is much more enthusiasm for small capacity machines in mainland Europe than in the UK, so you'll find several Dutch, German and French books in this list.
82 pages, A4 landscape, fully illustrated, soft covers, self-published, 2011
The story of all things Ariel: bicycles, motor cycles, cars; Fleet bicycles, motor cycles; Dunlop; Referee; Westwood rims; Warwick tyres; Biflex tubing; Crabbe brakes. A complete pictorial record of the factory and its machine shops, etc, which employed 2,000 people.
Written and published by Jim Lee and available from him for £9.50 inclusive of UK postage. 2 Bramfield Park, Lubenham, Market Harborough, LE16 9TP.
120 pages, 24cm×22cm, fully illustrated in colour and B&W, hard covers, French language, E-T-A-I, 2004
Covers almost every roller drive machine with seperate chapters for front wheel drive cyclemotors, rear wheel drive cyclemotors, front wheel drive mopeds and rear wheel drive mopeds.
256 pages, A5, fully illustrated in colour, soft covers, Excellent Books, 2010
Everything about electric bikes, including a history; technical details of how they work; a guide to buying, using & maintaining them; a review of what's currently available and a look at the legal requirements. With a forword by Dick Strawbridge.
192 pages, 23cm×31cm, fully illustrated in colour, hard covers, French language, E-T-A-I, 2013
Listing every make of French moped would be an impossible task—but this book has a good attempt at it. A worthy successor to the now out-of-print Le Temps des Mobs.
Out of print and hard to find
142 pages, 8"×10", full colour illustrations throughout, soft covers
368 pages, A4, B&W illustrations, hard covers
144 pages, 6¾"×8½", colour illustrations, soft covers, German language, Verlag Podszun-Motorbücher, 2003
Veteran motorised bicycles, scooters of the 1920s & 1930s, power wheels, roller drive cyclemotors, electric bikes, mopeds ... they're all in here. This is not an encyclopedia of all these: it covers their history by focusing on a selection of appropriate machines.
128 pages, 8"×10½", full colour illustrations throughout, soft covers
124 pages, 8"×8", B&W illustrations throughout, soft covers, French language
Although it covers all the cycle and moped industry of Hazebrouck, the greater part of this book is devoted to the Lucer moped factory and its successor, VAP SA. Also featured is the French branch of the British company H Miller.
120 pages, A4, illustrated throughout in colour & B&W, hard covers, German language, Schrader Verlag, 1996
This book covers small capacity motor cycle made in Gerany from 1930 to 1955. These machines are all what we would call autocycles. 70 makes, from Achilles to Wittler, are described and illustrated.
108 pages, A5, fully illustrated with B&W photos, diagrams and cartoons, soft covers, Flyscreen Publications, 1997
The definitive story of the Lomax kit car, written with the co-operation and assistance of many of those invoved in setting up and running Lomax. Is the Lomax 'off-topic' for IceniCAM? Maybe ... but the author is an EACC member and he (and his Lomax) have taken part in club runs: see the pictures of Ef's Essex Excursion for instance.
The book is available direct from the author for £10
inclusive of P&P to the UK.
E-mail: .
192 pages, 10"×10", full colour illustrations throughout, hardcovers with dust jacket, German language
£20 + £2 P&P to UK, £3 P&P to Europe, £10 P&P to Rest of World.
240 pages, 10"×10", fully illustrated in colour and B&W, hard covers, French language, E-T-A-I, 2008
The definitive history of Mobylette mopeds.
24 pages, A5, illustrated in colour and B&W, Ipswich Transport Museum, 2010
This booklet in the Ipswich Transport History Series describes the motor cycles built in Suffolk after World War 2.
Cover price of this book is £3 and we'll supply it post
free to IceniCAM readers in the
UK.
Please contact
us if you want a copy sent outside the UK.
16 pages, A5, illustrated in colour and B&W, Ipswich Transport Museum, 2015
Another booklet in the Ipswich Transport History Series describes the Otto dicycle … maybe not quite our area of interest but, as Andrew is co-author, we had to list it!
Cover price of this book is £1.50.
144 pages, 9"×10½", fully illustrated in colour and B&W, hard covers, French language, Editions Drivers, 2008
The story of the VéloSoleX from its beginning up to the e-Solex of 2007. Also has two chapters covering other makes of cyclemotor.
256 pages, A4, fully illustrated in colour, hard covers, Dutch language, 2013
Over many years, Jan Bosveld has collected a large number of cyclemotors. About 7 years ago, a group of his friends persuaded him that a book of the collection ought to be produced. Joost Heesakkers is credited as author, having written the text, but the book is something of a collective effort with Fritz de Graaf and Jaap Koren also responsible for creating this book. The book emphasises illustrations over text and is a history of cyclemotors from 1871 to 2005 using the machines from Jan's collection as examples.
A comprehensive review of the popular cyclemotors of the 1950s. 254 pages, A4, soft covers
£18 inclusive of P&P to UK.
For P&P to Europe, add £3; for P&P to Rest of
World, add £7.
Special limited-edition of the comprehensive review of the popular cyclemotors of the 1950s. 254 pages, A4, hard covers.
Collector's item - Only ten of these hardback editions were produced - Please to check availability before ordering
£42 inclusive of P&P to UK
For P&P to Europe, add £3; for P&P to Rest of
World, add £7.
A review of the rarer cyclemotors of the 1950s. 252 pages, A4, soft covers
192 pages, 9½"×9", B&W illustrations throughout plus 16 pages of colour plates, hardcovers, French language, Éditions E/P/A, 1995
A comprehesive review of French cyclomoteurs utilitaires. This has been out of print for some years; Encyclopédie de Cyclomoteurs Français is a newer alternative.
German Language, Motorbuch Verlag
The Typenkompass books are an illustrated catalogue of their chosen subjects. All the different models are described an illustrated. Pictured here are the volumes for Hercules/Sachs (by Andy Schweitzer, 144pp, ISBN 978-3-613-02834-0) and East German motor cycles (by Frank Rönicke, 120pp, ISBN 978-3-613-02776-3) - both of which have a large proportion of autocycles and mopeds in them. Also by Frank Rönicke are two volumes on Eastern Bloc motor cycles, covering Bulgaria, Poland & the USSR (ISBN 978-3-613-03355-9, 120pp) and Czechoslovakia (ISBN 978-3-613-03474-7, 128pp). Other subjects available include BMW, DKW, KTM, Maico, MZ, NSU ... The Typenkompass series also extends to other types of vehicles.
188 pages, 8½"×8½", B&W illustrations throughout.
There are lots of general motor cycle books that give the small machines a mention, and we couln't hope to list them all here. However, this one deserves a place in our list. Many autocycles and light motor cycles used Villiers engines and this book is essential reading on the subject. The last quarter of the book is filled with appendices giving engine numbers, frame numbers, dates, models... it's an invaluble, and constant, source of reference.
This page was updated on 27 November 2015
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