(first posted 1/29/2013) It seems like every time gas prices take a sudden jump, so do the number of mopeds and other little buzz-bomb two-wheeled devices. Each wave lasts about as long as the price spike of the moment, and then most seem to disappear, perhaps never to be seen again. But this Motobecane has weathered numerous such spikes, and is still (or again) in use, even in the snow. Bowen Flat-Black66 shot this in Montreal, and it’s a subject I’ve been waiting to catch for some time myself, since there’s an almost identical one in Eugene that I’ve missed at least once.
For those of you too young to remember, as a result of the first energy crisis of 1973-1974, the first big wave of mopeds was imported from Europe and the Motobecane was one of the top sellers; actually, I should have said tsunami, because that first wave was truly enormous and lasted for a number of years. But even a year before it hit, I helped “legalize” a French moped in Iowa by some unusual methods.
Of course, the European history of the moped goes way back, but in the U.S. they were quite rare (although I do remember seeing “Allstate” mopeds in a Sears catalog back in the sixties). I instantly recognized them as fan-cooled Puchs, made in Austria and a common fixture of my childhood. Back then, they had to be licensed in the U.S. as motorcycles, which substantially dulled any wider interest. In Europe, the moped’s appeal lay in the ability to own and ride one with very little of the typical hassle and expense, but no such laws existed in the U.S.
According to Wikipedia, a certain Serge Seguin, with a small grant from Motobecane, began to open doors in various states starting in 1972.
But his influence hadn’t made it to Iowa in 1973, where a fellow actor in a theater troupe I was in bought a Peugeot moped (above) in Paris and had it shipped back.
Just one problem: In France, mopeds didn’t need brake lights: Like a bicycle, they were signaled by hand, so when he tried to license it in Iowa, as a motorcycle, he was turned down. So it sat in a basement, unused, until he told me about it. I bought a universal six-volt rear light, a six-volt lantern battery (stored in the saddlebag), some wire, and a switch from an old Honda that I adapted to work off his right brake lever. When I took it back to the DMV, they gave it the green light.
In exchange, I got ready access to it, and had some fun summertime rides out on Iowa’s country roads. The little 50 cc two-stroke mill hummed along at a top speed of about 30 mph. I was more into my Belgian ten-speed bike then, and the two of us rode together all over the place; a bit of an odd couple for Iowa in 1973.
image: heeters.com
Anyway, the Great Moped Mania took off like Beatlemania had ten years earlier, and soon every town and city was buzzing with Motobecanes, Puchs, Peugeots and other, lesser contenders. In 1974, Peugeot set its all-time moped production record of over a half-million units, thanks to booming US sales. What’s more, the First Great Moped Mania lasted for several years, well into the later seventies. When Energy Crisis II came along in 1980-1981, a lot of these well-built European mopeds were called back into action, or else could be bought on the cheap.
With the dollar falling in value, new mopeds from the eighties forward no longer came from Europe, so of course all manner of Japanese, Taiwanese and, ultimately, Chinese mopeds and moped-licensed scooters have taken over the market, ready whenever a gas price-spike brings a new wavelet of demand. I’m not exactly seeing very many on the streets right now, except for that one vintage Motobecane a couple of weeks ago…
I should have figured that mopeds would also be welcome at CC. I should get some pics of our ’75 Malaguti. My mom bought it for my dad as a birthday present. It’s unique in having a 3-speed manually shifted transmission, while most of them have a 2-speed automatic. Sale of that model was outlawed here not long after they bought it, because it was too much like a “real” motorcycle.
He commuted to work on it for a time, but eventually it wound up at the family cottage. It’s got over 10,000km on it now, and I figure I racked-up about half that distance on it. I was driving when the odometer rolled over. 🙂
I remember as a kid in the ’80s, an older guy in the neighborhood got a ’70s vintage Malaguti, and it blew my mind to see the logo on it with my family name. I never did find out if we had any relation to the company. Supposedly my great-grandparents came from the same region of Italy.
I remember one of the TV stations in Fort Wayne, Indiana offering a Motobecane as a prize on TV. Anyhow, I had never heard of Motobecane before. On those rare occasions since, the word “Motobecane” always makes me think of Dialing for Dollars. 🙂
Around here, modern mopeds are not used so much for saving gas as for allowing people to get around after their drivers licenses have been suspended following uninsured accidents or DWIs. BTW, moped drivers have no insurance either, in case you are curious.
Not so in Europe where they have to be insured. Hence the little ‘license plates’ which are only a proof of insurance. More recently special driving licenses for mopeds have been made mandatory as well.
These are frequently seen in San Francisco, particularly popular among the hipster crowd. The Puch Magnum and other “top tanks” command top dollar. In a city with limited parking, these are especially appealing since you can lock them up to a pole on the sidewalk, as with a bicycle.
I grew up in Arizona, in the country. My first bike was a 1962 Honda 50. I had 25000 miles on it before I got a bigger motorcycle. I got aSuzuki 120 Bearcat that I rode through high school.
I found a 1970 Motobecane Model 7 a few months ago that I am restoring. Surprisingly, parts are still available.
I remember seeing some of the “cool” kids having these in the mid-70’s. They looked like they were a pain to pedal when the gas ran out.
Unlike the early pictured versions, with current mopeds, the pedals are there essentially for legal compliance, only. Although it’s technically possible to use them, I doubt many do, and they aren’t really designed to be used for human motivation at all. The pedals are installed as an afterthought and I suspect that they’re immediately removed by most new owners when get they get them home.
So it had a starter, not relying on the pedals? Could the pedals be used to assist acceleration, or were they declutched when moving? I’m curious about what function they had. If none, then cycle footpegs would be the way to go.
The spiritual successor to the Moped should be what the Brits call the pedalec. That’s electric bicycle, to us. Mine mixes pedal and battery power, adding a power assist of 25-100% of my own effort. The power’s speed-limited to 24 mph, though, so it’s not quite suitable for traffic.
I’ve been out of small motorcycles for ages, but I’d be interesting in a ride-off comparo between the Motobecane and a modern Vespa.
Yes, these old French ones needed to be pedaled, in order to start the motor. No other way.
I opened a moped shop in St Petersburg FL in 1977, was open a year, only sold the few I had at greatly reduced prices just to get my money back.
I had a TOMOS a year before that, and also sole Jawa Babettas.
I really likes them and thought they would take off, but, no…
In PA you need the whole works to operate a moped. The perks are they are exempt from inspection, you can ride one on a regular license, and they are only 9 bucks a year to register.There has been a vintage moped boom of late, with kids modifying craigslist puchs into kustoms and cafes. The moped gang in my town has a garage with metal fab equipment and a powder booth. http://garage.1977mopeds.com/ has tons of custom ‘peds from around the country.
You don’t need to pass the motorcycle license test anymore in PA? I recall from a long time ago (probably around the time this first wave of mopeds came in) that people who checked a box on their license renewal would be grandfathered in up to a certain date, and after that date anyone who wanted a moped classification on their license would have to be tested for it. Did that change? I now live in GA where no license, tags or insurance are required to operate anything with a 50cc or smaller engine.
Nope. 50cc, automatic, and under 30mph design speed exempt you from needing a class m. If it is a true moped with pedals instead of a scooter, you also don’t need inspection and it is a separate cheaper class of registration. I got a sort of reverse cc effect in that all week I have been looking into getting one to rebuild, and then this popped up.
I had a 1978 Honda PA50 Type 1 Hobbit that was made in Belgium. It took me decades to forgive Honda for that disappointing piece of garbage. It worked for all of 2,000 miles. The last year or so I messed with it, it covered more miles in the back of my neighbor’s Buick wagon going to the Honda shop than it did on its own tires. The rear tire still managed to wear out, which I’m reminded of by the top photo here. It came with the same zig-zag tires, probably Michelins. I’ve been told that the problem was the carburetor, and that the new one was over $500, even though the moped only cost $399 as a leftover model. I’ve also been told it was the magneto, so who knows. I abandoned the thing in my parents’ basement for 25 years and then started a bidding war by putting it on a local internet bulletin board. People really wanted non-functioning mopeds in 2007 for some reason. I wound up getting $200 and help cleaning out the basement for it.
Carbs are not 500$ who told you these absurd things? It sucked because you had the pa50i which is notoriously slow and restricted. They do suck, I have a pa50ii and it’s rad and fast. Hobbits rule, even though they are just vespas with no style.
My father sold Motobecanes alongside bicycles in New York State during the gas crisis of 1973, They were a short-lived fad which died out once gas became available/cheaper again. As I recall, the mopeds themselves were not terribly reliable, or possibly their owners were just not used to maintaining them.
Definitely the latter. It’s been my experience with mopeds, 50cc scooters, and even 125-150cc scooters that the owners are the biggest problem, not the vehicle itself. For some reason, the new owner immediately gets the attitude that because he’s bought a cheap vehicle it doesn’t need service – completely forgetting that regular maintenance is essential to a vehicle’s operation, be it 50cc or a new Bently.
If that’s in Montreal it could be a good contestant for our Mad Bastard Scooter Rally:
http://madbastardrally.com/
Happens every two years, and 2013 looks like a go. Any takers?
By the way, 50cc mopeds/scooters can go faster if you remove the restrictor devices in the CVT and the exhaust: http://www.modernbuddy.com/forum/topic10938.html
Hate to be a killjob but I gotta’ ask: any emission standards on these?
Someday CC will have to document the 50cc bicycle conversion kits seen on eBay. Makes a Motobecane seem like a towncar.
When I was 17 years old my buddy had one of these.
Somehow he has managed to make it go 90km/h and it was totaly reliable.
Their engines were made to work constantly on top RPM without aproblem.
Some models had a very original way of changing the gear ratio by moving the
engine back and forth. I think it was called vario matic.These were the “fast”
models and it was kind of weird to see the engine move as you drove.
When riding you had your feet not on the pedals but on the flat”floor” piece
that’s beetwen the seat post and the rear end of the gas tank.
And yes the pedals are there for starting and for assisting on hills.
There are no restrictor devices in it because the engines had such low power
(1-2 hp) that if you restrict it it would’nt move at all.
It actually has a pretty good excaust,a primitive expansion chamber years
before the Japanese reinvented it.
You can make it go faster just by sanding down the transfer ports. Make them smooth
so the gas-oil mixture has an easier time filling up the cylinder.
Thanks for the memories.
Sorry for the language abuse.
Do i need a certain license to drive one in the united states?
here some more parts for Motobecane
https://www.foundapart.com/listing/1975-motobecane-50-moped-engine-motor/29
Mopeds are economical transportation but I’ve never liked them. Maybe because I spent my first year on two wheels driving a 50cc Honda motorcycle. Too under powered to be safe. Mopeds are all the disadvantages and danger of a motorcycle without any of the fun. Especially now with automobile drivers as aggressive, inattentive and distracted as they are. I always recommend a bike of 150 to 250 cc which can keep you ahead of traffic, and give you the flexibility to take a short hop on the freeway when necessary. I have a good recollection of the Japanese motorbike invasion of the early 1960’s. Honda and other manufacturer’s small motorcycles created a market for moped like devices. Truth be told I would have ridden anything with a motor back then. My Dad took us down to “Monkey Wards” to check out the scooters even though we were too young to drive.
Of course if you could afford “the big iron” there were these!
I’ve been a big moped fan since I got a late 70’s Puch Maxi S for my 13th birthday. About 30 – 40 have passed thru my hands since then among them the Allstate (Puch MV50 here) and Peugeot 103 in the photos above. My all time favorite is the Gilera Citta of which I’ve had 15 examples. They’re simple, well built and despite many limitations in the original engine they respond very well to performance upgrades if you know which parts to mix and match. Many limited editions exist in a wide range of colors but most have been repainted by now sadly, my current Citta is an original paint Gipsy edition from 1994 (red and black). The engine went from a rotary valve 50cc with a 9mm carburator to a reed valve 62cc with a side mounted 19mm carburator (no space for foot pegs anymore!) coupled to a variator transmission from a Vespa Ciao instead of a single speed. I’m about $2500 deep into it, most people won’t understand but these little things can make me smile more than most cars do.
Around here, these are known as DWIcycles, because you can drive one legally while your license is suspended.
There were quite a few in my area back in the 70’s. Puch seemed to be the big brand. They were often seen at yard sales and such years later. Sears always had a lineup of motorcycle and mopeds going back to perhaps the early 60’s.
I’ve heard the term “DWI-cycles” some years ago from friends who lived in NC. Evidently, under 50 cc no license of any sort is required. I believe that includes conventional motor scooters under 50cc. PA. used to be a little more lenient on moped and small scooter use but now requires nearly everything a motorcycle operator needs for street use. The only exception is that a regular auto driver’s license suffices without a motorcycle endorsement. So, no suspended license operation here.
At the Honda dealership I worked for, we called the Metropolitan (49cc Italian style scooter, no pedals) a DUI-Cadillac for the same reason. And back in the early 2000’s, that was about the only people who bought them.
In the nine years since this article came out, I’ve seen massive changes in what is legally a ‘moped in Virginia anymore: 49cc or smaller engine, body and weight that is a genuine scooter, no pedals, and they’re now titled, licensed, no insurance, but a DOT legal helmet and some form of picture ID is now mandatory. Performance is an honest 35mph (and you’re not allowed to go any faster, although I’ve seen more than a few hopped-up Honda Ruckus’ come thru the shop).
There’s still a few old Motobecanes and Puchs running around Richmond, but that kind of moped is completely unsellable anymore if new. Not enough performance, although I’ve noticed Segway is doing an electric version of one. With tiny, useless, pedals.
MoPeds and Motorized Bicycles are quite similar in the eye of the law or used to be .
Tomos is a good one .
Here in California there used to be a MoPd Army, a bunch of sometimes wild and crazy but always good hearted kids, Marvin’s MoPeds of Fullerton, Ca, sold them to the college kids by the boatload and at one time did fun weekend rides .
Honda had an interesting on in 1959 called the P50, it had a tiny 50cc four stroke engine mounted in the hub .
Servicemen brought many MoPeds home and as mentioned, as soon as they got bored or it failed to start it’s be left against the garage .
Some of these once modified will easily go 50 MPH and gave my CT90 a serious run for it’s money .
It’s hard not to be cheerful when you’re riding a ridiculous thing like a MoPed =8-) .
-Nate
MoPeds and Motorized Bicycles are quite similar in the eye of the law or used to be .
Tomos is a good one .
Here in California there used to be a MoPd Army, a bunch of sometimes wild and crazy but always good hearted kids, Marvin’s MoPeds of Fullerton, Ca, sold them to the college kids by the boatload and at one time did fun weekend rides .
Honda had an interesting on in 1959 called the P50, it had a tiny 50cc four stroke engine mounted in the hub .
Servicemen brought many MoPeds home and as mentioned, as soon as they got bored or it failed to start it’s be left against the garage .
Some of these once modified will easily go 50 MPH and gave my CT90 a serious run for it’s money .
It’s hard not to be cheerful when you’re riding a ridiculous thing like a MoPed =8-) .
You’d think he’d fix the headlight, they’re like fireflies anyway .
-Nate
I bought a brand new 1976 yellow Mobylette with the long seat and elephant ear shin guards. I needed reliable transportation and this got me to work and back with amazing reliability.
I could get a consistent 80 mpg, top speed about 30, and it would climb all but the steepest hills.
I believe I put about 8000 miles on it, not bad for $395 plus tax out the door.
the engine froze due to being not used for about 4 years, kept outside, and I gave it to a kid who wanted to get it going again…and a couple of years later it showed up at the office of the county landfill, probably salvaged by one of the employees.
I’d love to have it again!
Wow. My dad owned a bike shop in So California and when the moped boom took off we started selling Motobecane and Puch.
I met Serge Seguin once after the US Motobecane HQ opened. I think it was in Tustin, CA, or somewhere in OC.
The Moto “Mobylette” 50-series was the best of the bunch: heavy, smooth and soft-riding, and the top models with what we now call a CVT were quick off the line and handled hills well along with being a dead-simple design that never failed. I did not care for Puch as the engine was direct-bolted to the frame and the vibration was BAD, and it did not have a CVT so they were kinda sluggish until Puch came out with a 2-speed clutched box that was expensive and fragile. The Moto had rubber-bushing engine mounts and was so much smoother, but the Puchs looked more sporty (see Puch Magnum comment above) and had more color choices and sold better.
So many buyers forgot you had to mix 2-stroke oil with the gas and I can’t tell you how many seized engines I overhauled but it was good money: “that’ll be $50, plus parts.” “WHAAAAT???!?!” then the meltdowns ensued.
You’da been surprised at how many expensive special tools were required to work on these things.
The moped market kind of cratered around 1979. I think we still had a couple sitting around when we (thankfully) sold that shop around 1982.
In the 1960s, Ohio required no license for two-wheeled things with pedals and engines below a certain size. Same for the riders although they did have to be at least 14 years old. 16 was the minimum age for a driver’s license so these bikes were super attractive to 14 & 15 year olds. I was a member of that age group in that decade and, while I owned a Whizzer, my best friend owned an Allstate Mo-Ped like the one pictured in this article. Several years back, I posted an article on my own blog about this fine pair of two-wheelers. https://dennygibson.com/blog/2013/02/my-wheels-chapter-2-19489-whizzer/
Never owned a Moped, but used to ride bicycles with a friend, who had one back in the 70’s. He’s pretty well to do now, but back then he used to go to gas stations and fill up the tank with the residual left in the hose when someone preceding filled up…probably takes several hosefuls, but I guess if you aren’t too obvious or impatient you can run these things for almost nothing.
I live in hill country, which is pretty flat overall, but some hills that I wished on my bicycle that I had some assist (especially with headwind when I was tired)…often thought one of these would be better than my bicycle at such times…but part of the goal of riding a bicycle is fitness, so if you endure the tough parts you probably are better off….but if having a moped gets you at least some exercise when peddling, I guess it is better than doing nothing, plus you can get where you want to go.
The city I live in used to have over 10x fewer people (back when I rode bicycles…some 30 years ago). I liked to ride on the road because I could ride fast enough to give me some cooling (I live in the South); tried offroad but always was bathed in sweat. I stopped riding after getting hit by a car and breaking my scapula, collarbone, and 2 ribs; a moped might be marginally faster than bicycle at times but still even with some bicycle lanes (non-contiguous though) I’d still be wary of getting back on the bicycle…too bad, I was never in better shape than I was back then.
After 30 years to today 82 cc motobecane runs insanely quick built it in living room my ship
Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Hello, I just purchased this moped and I was wondering if anyone can tell me a value of it? I got it in peices and I’m putting it together