Mopeds & Power bikes.
Sianelle.
My first moped was a Mini Motor which drove on to the rear wheel of my push bike I used this to go to high School I bought this from earning from planting cabbages over the Christmas school holidays. Then I bought a 1949 Francis Barnett 98cc single speed Villiers horizontal motor moped/power bike in 1956 from Butlers here in Christchurch all in pieces for I think it was about 5 pounds I didn’t realise the cylinder head was missing plus a few less serious bits at the time
Eventually my brother who good on a lathe made me a cylinder head from aluminium.
I got it going then made the mistake of registering it as a 98cc moped and the postmaster called me back to informs me that because it was over 49cc it could not be registered as a moped but had to be registered as a motor bike and would require an M/K licence so my interest fell away.
It got left under my brother’s house in Bluff and he cleared the stuff from under house and took it all to the dump when he sold it in 1973. I at that time had long moved up to Hamilton.
The Villiers motor was similar to the motors they made for lawnmowers only it was horizontal and had a detachable head
Boy would I love to have it now.
