Marchal

[kevin beeversParticipant @kevinbeevers61752]

just thought i would share what i found while cleaning out the old shed

a pair of manchal 702 starlux driving lamps photo in my album

[kevin beeversParticipant @kevinbeevers61752]

driving lamps

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Very nice, Kevin

…. are they a knock-off replica of Marchal ?

MichaelG.

[kevin beeversParticipant @kevinbeevers61752]

hi michaelg,

no all original and they are a matching pair ive had them tucked away for 20yrs and forgot about them

kevin

[kevin beeversParticipant @kevinbeevers61752]

thanks to michaelg for putting me right on my mistake of the nameit is Marchal

[MikeParticipant @mike89748]

Can anyone remember those French headlamps you could get in the 1960s which were a direct replacement for the circular Lucas units fitted to Minis, Vauxhall Vivas, etc? They had concave lenses, and could be switched from left to right-hand dip in a couple of minutes? I fitted them to my Viva 90 in preparation for my first Continental journey to Turin about 1966. I just can't remember the name of the things……

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Mike on 02/12/2016 17:18:36:

Can anyone remember those French headlamps you could get in the 1960s which were a direct replacement for the circular Lucas units fitted to Minis, Vauxhall Vivas, etc? They had concave lenses, and could be switched from left to right-hand dip in a couple of minutes? I fitted them to my Viva 90 in preparation for my first Continental journey to Turin about 1966. I just can't remember the name of the things……

.

Cibié

… I had a pair of Oscars [the 'driving lamp' version] on my SAAB 96

MichaelG.

 

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 02/12/2016 17:44:20

[Graham TitmanParticipant @grahamtitman81812]

Hello Mike they were available in the mid seventies i fitted one to a 750cc honda 4 the difference was unbelievable no wasted light above the handle bars and see where you were going at 70+

[MikeParticipant @mike89748]

Thanks, Michael – Cibie it was (can't work out how to generate an acute accent on this keyboard). Graham, on dip you got a really good light along the verge. The advertising in the car magazines said they were safe for 80mph on dip, and 100 on full beam.

[Trevor Drabble 1Participant @trevordrabble1]

Mike,

Cibie Z180 . A pair cost me a weeks wages from Larkspeed to uprate my Wolsley 16/60 headlights by 20 years in 5 minutes . Best money I ever spent .

Trevor.

[robjon44Participant @robjon44]

Hi all, when I acquired my first motorbike, a BSA Bantam, in the early 1960s I was very impressed by the feeble yellow of the headlight which all but went out when you closed the throttle, more than enough to make riding at night a bit scary! However as time went by & powerful alternators,zener diodes, 12 volt electrics became all the go I was introduced to the delights of the Cibie light unit by a riding buddy, it was a revelation, I was very impressed by the very long tapered "finger" of light along the nearside of the road when on dipped beam which never provoked angry flashes from oncoming cars, over time I had them on no less than 4 Norton 750s ( S Type Commando anyone? ) as a spectacle wearer myself with all the fun that brings with yet more reflective surfaces, full face helmets, visors etc between you & what your trying to see, all that was swept aside by these mighty lamp units, we used to say that on main beam you could see paint blistering on road signs & more importantly making night riding safer & more enjoyable at last.

robjon44

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

When I have full beam on my diesel estate car I have no less than 4 off 55w lights, and halogen to boot. Compare this with my Velocette Venom. It would quite happlily get up to 90 ish, with a single 25W non halogen headlamp. You couldn't fit anything bigger as the dynamo was rated at 28W and that was on a good day. Obviously being young I knew where I was going and didn't need to see!

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

The trick with the 6V bike lights was to chunter along until overtaken by a fast car- Jag or similar, then tag on behind. The good drivers knew what you were doing and co-operated. Once stopped by police when in my old Ford with 6V lights, going up a steep hill. The constable cupped his hands round a headlight and called back " they are on Sarge ". Couldn't afford the Cibes.

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

OOHH that's bad.

[davebParticipant @daveb17630]

I had a Vincent Rapide in the 70s, 6V Miller electrical system, lighting was not good. I fitted a Cibie headlight, much better. I later fitted an alternator, 12V with a 75 Watt Lucas sealed beam headlight, that was very good. I believe the Cibie headlights were later declared non compliant, MOT fail if you had them.

Dave

[MikeParticipant @mike89748]

Typical, isn't it? You fins something that really works, so some ignorant idiot who sits behind a desk and has most likely never ridden a bike, bans it.

[robjon44Participant @robjon44]

Hi all, again on the subject of the pathetic lighting on my bantam, on the way home from work in late autumn, it was pitch black & subject to a thick "smog", could not even see the street lights! I was accosted by the driver of a double decker bus who asked me to guide him to the depot because he couldnt see, this I did, riding at walking pace, good deed done I went home just in time as tea hit the table, happy times.

robjon44

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

If the speed of light is 156,000 miles per second or whatever can anyone explain why I could run over my Lucas main bean at 70 mph ?

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Don't wonder you could trip up over your Prince of darkness goodies, in Yorkshire speed of light is 186,000 miles per second.

Regards Ian.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Posted by robjon44 on 09/12/2016 09:49:13:

Hi all, again on the subject of the pathetic lighting on my bantam, on the way home from work in late autumn, it was pitch black & subject to a thick "smog", could not even see the street lights! I was accosted by the driver of a double decker bus who asked me to guide him to the depot because he couldnt see, this I did, riding at walking pace, good deed done I went home just in time as tea hit the table, happy times.

robjon44

Reminds me of going down the M62 in a real pea souper to visit my now SWMBO in the mid 70s when we still had thick fogs. About 20 cars followed me off at my turnoff, much chaos ensued as they tried to find their way back on.

[Peter G. ShawParticipant @peterg-shaw75338]

Re Duncan's comment about 4 x 55W headlights etc.

In 1969 as a young single man I bought a VW Beetle – 12v 40/45W headlights. 1st upgrade was to fit higher powered bulbs, 45/60W I think they were. Next was a pair of Lucas LR6 spotlights which came on with the main beams. And finally, a pair of spots for use as foglights.

Now fast forward to 1998 when as a middle to old aged family man, I bought a 1996 Peugeot 405 estate. This car was fitted with, as standard, a normal pair of double filament headlight bulbs, a pair of spot lamps which came on with main beam, and a separate pair of fog lights. In other words, its standard lighting was exactly the same as the Beetle I modified 29 years previously. Which shows just how much lighting has improved over the years.

As it happens, I didn't realise that the Pug had twin spots until I had owned the car for a few years and one of the beams failed.

Interestingly, my next car was a Focus with what seems to me to be somewhat retrograde lighting. Whereas the Beetle and the Pug were capable of supplying large amounts of main beam lighting by having in effect four main beams, the Focus used dip beam and only two main beams, so four beams in total, but only the two long distance beams. It wasn't anywhere as good as Pug. Furthermore, it suffered due to a cack-handed MOT mechanic who insisted on lowering the beams until they were next to useless on main beam, this in a rural area with next to non-existant street lighting. Eventually, after much complaining, his boss put them back as they should have been, but still within the MOT guidelines.

And again following on from Duncan's comment about the M62, I had a deeply unpleasant journey one Friday evening, in winter, in rain, on a MZ250 m/c with 6v lighting. My route was Stone (Staffs) – Stoke – Leek – Buxton – Chapel-en-le-Frith – Glossop – Huddersfield. Those of you who know anything about that route will know that it includes some quite high unlit roads. Understandably, my return journey the following Sunday evening was by car.

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

Still got a Cibié Z beam on my Trident, will shortly be going on an archaeological dig in the garage to find bike in amongst all the other junk, should scare the neighbours if I get it going again.

Mike

[robjon44Participant @robjon44]

Hi Michael Poole, then you must tell them the perceived wisdom of the 1960s, dirty ,noisy, smelly, motorised death traps, get your leg over one today!

robjon44

[Simon Williams 3Participant @simonwilliams3]

Posted by John Stevenson on 09/12/2016 10:00:45:

If the speed of light is 156,000 miles per second or whatever can anyone explain why I could run over my Lucas main bean at 70 mph ?

Lucas. Made in the Black Country, that's why!

[JAParticipant @ja]

Posted by Simon Williams 3 on 11/01/2017 22:31:51:

Posted by John Stevenson on 09/12/2016 10:00:45:

If the speed of light is 156,000 miles per second or whatever can anyone explain why I could run over my Lucas main bean at 70 mph ?

Lucas. Made in the Black Country, that's why!

Don't worry. With one of my bikes the damn thing is pushed backwards when you turn on the lights. And the thing has Lucas 6 volt electrics.

JA

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