875 - August 1965 to February 1970
875 - August 1965 to February 1970
875 - August 1965 to February 1970
All Velosolex Club U.K. publications are in English. They have been checked and occasionally corrected, updated or reformatted if required, to enable today’s Velosolex owner to get the best from their machine.
Clicking on the chosen handbook will open it as a PDF which can then be downloaded.
All Velosolex Club U.K. publications are in English. They have been checked and occasionally corrected, updated or reformatted if required, to enable today’s Velosolex owner to get the best from their machine.
Clicking on the chosen handbook will open it as a PDF which can then be downloaded.
All Velosolex Club U.K. publications are in English. They have been checked and occasionally corrected, updated or reformatted if required, to enable today’s Velosolex owner to get the best from their machine.
Clicking on the chosen handbook will open it as a PDF which can then be downloaded.
All Velosolex Club U.K. publications are in English. They have been checked and occasionally corrected, updated or reformatted if required, to enable today’s Velosolex owner to get the best from their machine.
Clicking on the chosen handbook will open it as a PDF which can then be downloaded.
All Velosolex Club U.K. publications are in English. They have been checked and occasionally corrected, updated or reformatted if required, to enable today’s Velosolex owner to get the best from their machine.
Clicking on the chosen handbook will open it as a PDF which can then be downloaded.
Bond Owners' Club
The club catering for all enthusiasts of Bond vehicles
1962 - 1965 Power-Ski
Like the Sea Ranger before, not much is known about the Power-Ski either. The original 1961 franchise agreement with an American company gave Sharp's Commercials the manufacturing rights for up to 1000 units and exclusive rights to all the European markets. Power-Skis were unveiled to the public on stand UM14 at the Boat Show, Earls Court in January 1962. They were proclaimed to be the newest sport to zoom into Britain. Bond made the ski floats and controls and customers supplied their own outboard engine. This could be anything from 5 h.p. to 18 h.p. and then the thrills of water skiing could be experienced '......without towing risks. No special skill is needed. Just squeeze the throttle for more speed or release it for the engine to idle in neutral. Simple to operate, easy to manoeuvre - the Power-Ski is the ideal water craft'. Float colours were Blue, Yellow or Light Brown.
The production records show the first skis were made in January 1962 - although trials are known to have taken place locally on Fairhaven Lake in Lytham St. Annes during 1961. Probably helped along by the cool British climate, the Power-Ski never really caught on and production at the India Mill factory finished 3½ years later in June 1965. The balance of the manufacturing rights for 1000 skis was bought by a company called Kirkham's Marine Ltd. in 1966 with the intention of selling them to hotels in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The new company increased the buoyancy of the floats by incorporating polyurethane foam into the hull sections and changed the colour to Signal Red. A production run of 150 Power-Skis is believed to have commenced in the summer of 1967.
Although it was reported in the Lancashire Evening Post newspaper that a Greek gentleman, Mr. Nicopopolous Zographos had placed an order for 500 said to be worth £50,000 and an Austrian hotelier had ordered 50 for use on the lakes around his hotels, the Power-Ski does not appear to have benefited from these orders and nothing more was heard of it.
Power-Ski Number Range: 62/1/1 to 65/6/110
Total Bond Power-Skis produced till 1965 = 110