Poguemahone

Okay, every now and then I run into something I know nothing about and can find nothing about on the web. Here's today's:

Vello Kombi Spesial (spelling correct)

Altenburger Brilliant Front brake

Sachs Torpedo "E" rear hub, coaster brake/single speed

Obviously, it's some sort of European-style city bike/errand runner. Probably common as dirt in Holland, but relatively rare here in the states. A google search on "Vello Kombi" yeilded a few hits, all in some language I cannot identify. I kind of like it's general funkiness, so I intend to fix it up and use it to pick up beer at the local store and the like. It's equiped with a bell, fenders, and a generator set (which I haven't been able to ascertain if it's in working order ot not, may just need a new bulb). I imagine one of my arty friends will eventually talk me out of it, it's simply too cool-- although you may make fun of it, should you desire. The seat had a hideous gel cover over it and was beat, but I have a wild seat off an old Magneet I'll probably put on it as a replacement.

Thanks all!

stumpjumper

Wow, interesting bike! Your right, funky is a good word for it
"Kombi" strikes me as vaguely South African (I recall a few models of "Kombi" cars mfg'd there. I could be totally wrong, especially since alot of that bike screams Germany at me:

I recall the VW Kombi bus, made in good old Deutschland
I have Alterburger Synchrons on my old NSU, both of which are also German

Any manufacturer stamp on that rear rack?

Right on. I have a bike just for this, and even has the perfect sized handlebar bag as well as a stretegicly placed toestrap for securing the handle on a 6-pack Beer+bikes=Love.

stumpjumper

interesting. a quick google shows that Spesial is likely to be Norwegian for 'special'. I also see that "Kombi" is Norwegian....

And based on this... https://www.workcycles.com/Products/Monark/Vario2.html
I'd say maybe the "kombi" designation is some sort of work or utility bike??

I love a good mystery

Poguemahone

There is no stamp on the rack. It appears to be of a piece with the fenders, which had a sticker on them, but all that's legible on the sticker is "alum" for, I assume (uh-oh) aluminum. I forgot to mention the whells are 24"; the front appears to be a replacement; the rear is marked "alum" as well. The front light is marked "Safir". I am guessing the rack and fenders were original equipment. The frame has spots for a ground wire from the lights (at least I think) so the light may OS as well.

Probably a bike someone bought in Europe and then brought over to Richmond. Germany may be a good guess, I was thinking scandanavian for some reason, uttlerly w/o logic.

Map tester

This bike seems very similar: WorkCycles

Poguemahone

A couple other tidbits: Above the "Vello" on the headbadge is "NKL"

The serial number is on the headtube.

I find the working bike hypothesis quite appealing. Wonder how it got to RVA, tho.

USAZorro

Maybe it hitched a ride with a spider.

Poguemahone

Well, I began tearing the bike up to overhaul it. At this point I've done the front hub, the headset, recabled, re-housed, and put new pads on the front brake. A couple more things:
1) The headset is French threaded (25x1). This should narrow down possible countries of manufacture. The headset also took 3/16 ball bearings.
2) the date stamp on the front wheel is May 1981. I believe this is a replacement, so the bike likely dates earlier. The serial number on the bike itself begins with 6704-- possible 1967, April manufacture? I have found no date codes or maker's marks on the headset.
3) The rear hub is, according to the brake arm, a Sachs Torpedo Jet. I mistakenly read Jet initiailly as "e" because the "J" and "T" are somewhat disguised by the graphic style used. According to the outside of the hub body, it is simply a Sachs Jet. By odd fortune, I have an exploded diagram of the Sachs Jet in a Sutherlands, I'll take it apart and grease it Sunday-- hopefully there's a date code on the hub somewheres. I haven't found it yet, but it's still dirty.

T-Mar

Hmm, a French thread would seem to rule out Scandanvian manufacture, as these countries typically used English thread standard. Yet there are lots of Scandanavian websites with references to NKL. One website in particular mentioned problems that NKL in Kristiansand (Finland) was having with an ealry ice chain for bicycle tires. Of course NKL could have factories in several countries or could have had the frames manufactured in France and assembled them elsewhere.

mswantak

It's so homely it's cute.

stumpjumper

Ah! translation:
Vello Kombi Spesial = "bicycle combination special" or simply put, multi-use bicycle (with a "special" designation, perhaps a model).

Not that it helps with ID'ing it, but I was terribly curious.

Poguemahone

Well, it just performed it's first beer run admirably. I still need to tweak a couple of things, but it rode real well. Very interesting ride, very upright riding position, more than any other bike I've ever ridden. Not terribly fast, either. Pleasant.

There was nothing on the bike anywhere I could find to indicate vintage or country of manufacture. Like the headset, the pedals are french threaded; no manufacturer's mark on the ashtabula-style crank/bb. No date codes anywhere on the rear hub, and I disassembled and overhauled the entire thing. At this point, I have two hypotheisis:

1) The bike is of Scandanavian manufacture, either Norway or Finland. For some obscure reason, the manufacturer used metric french threading-- perhaps they got a parts deal, I dunno. Sutherland's says the standards for both countries are English.

2) The bike is of French manufacture, and was then rebadged in Norway or Finland for sale there.

On the other hand, my girlfriend insists it is Brazilian, mostly because of the colours. Makes sense. I've never seen a bike about which I could find literally nothing on the web or in Sutherland's and other sources. To give you an idea how obscure this brand seems to be, this thread is now #2 on a google search of the words "Vello Kombi", #1 is a for sale site that frustratingly has no picture.

At any rate, as others have noted, this is one weird looking little bike. At 6'2" with a 34" inseam, I can ride it comfortable-like. It can be adjusted for a smaller rider as well. I'll keep it about as a bike for smaller guests and neighborhood errand runner; with the chainguard, fenders and rack, it's well suited to this. Plus, it has a kickstand and coaster brake, unlike any of my other rides. I fully except someone to ask me if they can have it in the next few months. (Answer=no. I've had a ball working on it this weekend).

I need to figure out how to get the generator and lights working next; if any one knows how to troubleshoot them I'd appreciate your advice on the matter.

Thanks to T-Mar and Stumpjumper for the help-- it looks like the two of you have run several searches as well, which I do appreciate.

mswantak

That appears to be a Union dynamo; they're one of the better brands. If it's not working, first check the bulb. The headlamp takes a 6volt, 2.4 watt bulb, the tail lamp (if there is one) uses a 6V, .5W. If the bulbs are good, check the wiring next beginning with the end that presses into the plastic cap on the bottom of the dynamo; occasionally they work themselves out far enough to lose contact. Sometimes the headlamp won't be grounded well; make sure the mounting bolt is snug, and that you're not mounted to aluminum or some other non-ferrous material. If all these things check out, the wire itself may be broken at some point. Either check it with a continuity tester, or just replace the wire.

If none of these solve the problem, remove the dynamo and soak it overnight in a jar of pickle brine.

stumpjumper

looks like we're number 1 now

check this out... https://forum.akamera.dk/index.php?sh...c=294058&st=40
looks like a scandanavian "what do you ride" thread. Interestingly, someone here has a Velo Kombi. Maybe you can email him/her and pray they can read english better than I can read noregian?

USAZorro

I googled "Kombi bicycle" and found this. Seems like our French-loving Irishman instinctively knew the correct manner of usage for his latest find.

https://www.workcycles.com/Products/Monark/Vario2.html

mswantak

Oh, that must handle like a dream with a keg of beer stuck out high on the front end.

Poguemahone

Hot dang! A Scandanavian bikeforums! I may PM the Vello Kombi perfect owner... maybe someone there can translate, I dunno... may have to find out.

I wish this bike could haul a keg of beer. Preferably Murphy's.

Poguemahone

Here's the modern version:

https://www.czechdesign.cz/index.php?...nek=478&lang=2

about halfway down the page, there's a shot of a low maintenance city bike.

mswantak

Low maintenance is right -- it looks positively disposable. I assume that pic is a non-functional mock-up, but what's it using for a drive train? Shaft and bevels?

USAZorro

Egads! Some designer spent far too much time at Ikea.

Poguemahone

Well, I think I've solved the dynamo problem without resorting to the pickle brine (is that for real?). The auction I attend coughed up a cheap schwinn Mt bike today, complete with union dynamo, head light, and taillight. Perfect working order, and even better, the tail light is the kind that mounts on a fender. The back light on the Vello Kombi had been broken pretty good. So it looks like I'll switch the lighting rig over from the schwinn, which also had some fenders and a rack. As soon as I find someone small enough, they can have the Schwinn.

The only bad part was I had to buy a Trek 400 (my size!) and 531 framed LeJeune as well (also apparently my size). . Life is very hard. The LeJeune is in rough shape-- lots of rust on the chrome, paint okay for an old frenchie-- but had a good Stronglight crank, old-school style. I'll be working on it this weekend. The frame may be salvageable, I dunno, but some of the parts definitely are.

T-Mar

I had a quick look through some of literature to see if I could find any French utility bicycles that resembled the Vello Kombi. The Peugeot and Gitane models had enough frame differences that I've ruled them out. Motobecane had a model called the Riviera, but I have been unable to locate any pictures (yet).

The closest match I've found to date is a Senator Auto-Mini, which has the same frame layout, but was a folding bicycle. They probably had a non-folding version (Senator Mini?), but the brand was Japanese, so it is unlikely they were the manufacturer.

Poguemahone

Thanks T-Mar. If you find anything, let me know, although I now fear my ugly duckling may forever remain a mystery. Fortunately, it's fun to dwaddle around the neighborhood on it.

stumpjumper

i'm not irish?

USAZorro

Poguemahone is an Irish expression. One that could get you tossed from a soccer match.