Regular blogonaughts will be pretty used to me going on about the wonderful quirky things that France used to make in the past.

I’ve go on about old Citroën 2CV’s an nausium, but until now have not had the chance to introduce one of my absolute all time favourites, The Motobécane Mobylette.

Yesterday, I parked Baby Harls outside a supermarché in Vierzon and popped inside for some basic provisions. Now a really great thing about supermarkets in France is that you can normally park, or as this is France, abandon, your motorbike just about anywhere except inside the front door! So Baby went right by the front door, to be fair there were a couple of French bikes there already.

When I came out, oh delight! Squeezed in between Baby’s front wheel and the wall was this! 

Now it may not look much, but this dear old thing is over fifty years old and 100% made in France!  

I love the way it’s been repaired and painted with a not quite right shade of blue and that wooden box held on with bungees, oh heaven! I hardly need to say that there was very little in the way of tread on the tyres either. That rear shock looks a tad less than straight as well, but it still is earning it’s keep!

After I grabbed the shot a very elderly chap appeared and proceeded to show off his fine machine to me. He really liked the way I was into it, but declined the offer of a ride on my Harley!

When I was young I remember seeing the Onion Johnnies riding these machines around so laden with their wares that you couldn’t tell what they were riding. 

So if every you see one of these in need of a good home, think of me and grab it for me!

Merci beaucoup.

Dookes