Lovely reminiscence there Mike.

It seems we both had a Quickly amongst our first bikes. (S2 23 model for myself.)

Interesting bit of trivia re same machine.

Rated by some, possibly, as the machine that got Germany mobile after WW2 it had a few unique features.

Firstly a semi automatic choke Bing carburettor which once engaged slowly wound itself off as the throttle was increased.

A general shortage of steel at the time meant that the cylinder didn't have the usual steel liner but was just the alloy barrel bored out then, using cannon barrel bore technology, had the alloy cylinder hard chromed which whilst it solved one problem it created another insomuch as when the barrel wore out it couldn't be re-bored and was usually too far gone to re-chrome.


Another thing concerning the Quickly was the interest a certain Mr Honda showed when looking for a small motorbike for his own company.

Having looked the Quickly over he promptly "borrowed" the leading link fork and pressed steel frame design along with the dual seat. He did however balk at the 2 stroke motor, going on to fit to what was was to become the Honda C50 an overhead valve, later to become overhead camshaft motor.

My Quickly I remember with much fondness for the bragging rights it gave me as a kid as it could "outdrag" said C50s returned nigh on a ton to the gallon and took me everywhere including many fishing trips with a six foot rod running lengthways along the frame and a tackle box strapped on the rear of the dual seat.

Christ on a bike what I would give to be that young kid again screaming my way to Tadcaster for a days Pike fishing and returning home with said fish for the pot.

I recall bringing home one such fish that tipped the scales at twenty three pounds before gutting, skinning and filleting and having baked it with some herbs and butter sitting in the front yard and sharing the spoils with my cat at the time, Tibby.

A mouthful for myself with Tibby gently pawing my leg for his share rinse and repeat.

As I may have said before my youth was generally an unhappy one but occasionally there were small chinks of pleasure that could be garnered if looked for and my memories of this small moped and the journeys various and breaking bread with my moggy are just a few of those lighter moments which, as the years rolled on and adulthood hoved into view, became a country seldom visited again.