PAGE 42. German Cyclemotors: 1953 Fuchs FM40S on 1949 HMW bicycle

Fuchs FM40 Cyclemotor

There are two models of Fuchs hilfsmotor. The first was produced between 1949 and 1951 (below).

Here’s a picture of my 1951 Fuchs cycle-attachment. As you can see from the advert above, it fits on the left side of the rear wheel, and the petrol tank is situated on a rack above the rear wheel.

It is almost identical to the Victoria FM38. In fact, Fuchs was one of the original designers of the Victoria cyclemotor. But he then returned to Austria and brought out his own model, the Fuchs FM40S, below.

The second version of the Fuchs FM40 was manufactured from 1952 to 1955.

The machine pictured above is owned by my friend Pat in Paris. Unfortunately, the piston is stuck, so he has some work to do before he’ll be motoring around the Parisien suburbs on it.

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Mit 1 PS Durch Nordafrika – ‘With 1 hp around North Africa’

I have a copy of this book, by Richard Waldegg.

It was printed in 1957, and tells the story of buying a a bicycle fitted with a Fuchs cycle-attachment and cyclemotoring on it around North Africa.

I can’t read or speak German. But I have been known to take my copy of this book with me when I venture out on my Cyclemaster. It helps to inspire me whenever I break down to think that if I’m too far away to get home by pedal power only, at least I can get a bus or a taxi back home to get my van to recover it. I don’t suppose that would have been a luxury available in the Sahara!

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Illustrations from FM40 handbook

These pictures illustrate the procedure for mounting your Fuchs FM40 into a bicycle

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UPDATE AUGUST 2008

Patrick completed the restoration of the Fuchs engine pictured at the top of the page, found a rare 1949 Austrian HMW bicycle to attach it to – the original mount for Fuchs cyclemotors – and did, in fact, run it around the suburbs of Paris. When I visited him recently with a van-load of old British bicycles and cyclemotor engines, the Fuchs found its way into my van as part of the exchange and I can now show you the finished result in all its glory …in my driveway.