DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
Wed, 20/04/2011 - 08:06
I have a lot of time for the terrific little 49cc devices which were the path to the road for so many of us in 1972-1976.
Most of you weren't born then, but anyone else here either owned or ridden or even know about the likes of the Garelli Rekord, Fantic Chopper and Yamaha FS1E?
:-)
Sat, 30/04/2011 - 20:18
#2
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
I love sports mopeds too. Unlike Kevin though I did not have one as my Mum and Dad would not let me. I managed to sneak a few rides on my friends bikes, Fizzies and the above mentioned AP50. The first bike I ever rode on a road (ilegally) was a Puch and one guy also had a Malagutti Monte. There were a couple of local kids who had Casal machines, never seen or heard of those since.
One day I shall get my hands on something of this ilk but I will need to clear some garage space first.
I wonder if today's scooters give kids the same kind of thrills.
Sat, 30/04/2011 - 22:19
#3
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
Oh yes! If Fizzy OJF 538M is still out there, I'd love to buy her back. She was my pride and joy back in 1973!
Sun, 01/05/2011 - 10:29
#4
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
This is an apology to the big guy I took the mickey out of for collecting bits for his Italian 50cc sports bikes at a recent Netley Marsh autojumble. Having taken a look at these bikes I can now appreciate the attraction. Humble apologies mate and thanks for not punching my lights out!
Sun, 01/05/2011 - 17:50
#5
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
For my sins i had a Honda SS50 which was 4 stroke looked ok and ran on Petrol but that was about as far as it went - it was dog slow compared to the FS1E and the Puch grand prix - i did a lot of miles as it was the opening to be elsewhere, not a great hit with the girls !!! coudnt wait to get on the road with my Tiger cub a beautiful little 1957 gem on the right here ( it not the same one but identical same year colour
Mon, 02/05/2011 - 14:42
#6
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
I used to lust after the SS50 solely because of its high rise exhaust, that was SO cool. Then I found out how quick it was and got an AP50...
Mon, 02/05/2011 - 16:15
#7
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
The recently folded SMOC (Sports Moped Owners Club) ran for about 10 years and was great fun.
I was keen for quite a while and my list of 49cc sports 'peds is as below.
Yamaha FS1E; Suzuki AP50. Honda SS50ZK2 (later 5 speed model). Fantic Chopper. Fantic Ti 6-speed. Fantic GT. Malagutti Olympique. Puch VZ50. Puch M50S. Gilera Touring. Garelli Tiger Cross. Garelli Rekord. Gitane Champion Veloce. Cimatti Kaiman. Mobylette Motobecane SS. Malagutti Monte.
The fastest was the fully-faired, disc-braked, 7.6 bhp (raised to 11 bhp by Beeline Racing) and was timed at North Weald at 64 mph, which is still bloody good for a 50cc bike!
Mon, 02/05/2011 - 16:16
#8
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
The Gitane i mean!
Full fairing, decent go for a moped!
Mon, 02/05/2011 - 16:18
#9
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
Forgot the Montesa Cota 49, an amazing little bike with the most ingenious 'pedal' system to get round the law. I would LOVE one, but the only one i know anywhere is valued at £4000.
I recently sold a supermoped i had restored for £4600.
Mon, 02/05/2011 - 16:26
#10
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
Can't remember what cc my NSU was but it gave me freedom and independence plus the ability to visit girls outside my neighbourhood! Horizons anew!Just like today's bikes but you can't sling them against the school railings.
Mon, 02/05/2011 - 16:36
#11
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
The ''NSU Quickly'' in 2 or 3 speed guise weren't sports mopeds. I had the 3 speed version and it was pretty slow!
Mon, 02/05/2011 - 16:37
#12
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
Oh the NSU was 48.9cc
Mon, 02/05/2011 - 18:34
#13
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
There were three levels of Puke - the Grand prix - foot gear change - fast !! second the sports ss i think with hand change but with a big tank chrome sided - great for wheelies and then the S looking a bit like a glorified pushbike , hand gear change.
5 gear SS50 was as gutless as my 4 gear - but looked trendier with the higher bars - top dog at schoo; had teh Fantic Caballero which would do 50 easy with a pipe to make your ears wince - had my first low side on the Honda - got up kicked the pedals back into shape and rode on - dead hard
Or who could forget the Raleigh wisp - managed to put one in a pond loosing control of all that power in my mates back garden- first motorised two wheeler i ever got on
Mon, 02/05/2011 - 19:17
#14
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
The Puch Grand Prix wasn't very powerful; it looked great but didn't trouble the Italian competition for speed.
The Puch VZ50 had the chrome-sided tank, plus 3 speed hand gear change. 40 mph max. too on the level.
Mon, 02/05/2011 - 19:23
#15
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
I had a couple of VERY modified sports mopeds, not just the normal tuning many people did.
1974 Yamaha FS1E, with a Yamaha YB100 engine fitted, stage 3 tuned by Beeline Racing to 16.5 bhp. The change from 5 bhp to 16.5 bhp made it very fast but somtimes scary. 75 mph+.
1976 Honda SS50 ZK2. Honda SS90 (4 speed) engine fitted, bored to 114cc, big carb., custom exhaust system, gas-flowed polished and ported cylinder head. 15 bhp. 70+ mph. 15 bhp was a big increase from 2.5 bhp!
Mon, 02/05/2011 - 20:21
#16
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
I had a 4 speed Itom 50 back in the mid 60's-sold it to a guy who was a member of the Racing 50 club-compared to the BSA Bantams that I used to ride it was beautifully built.
John
Mon, 02/05/2011 - 20:51
#17
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
I rode a racing 50 owned by Ricardo Tormo (now dead i believe) and it was mental. I rode it at Spa in about 1981. 49cc and 16bhp.
Tue, 03/05/2011 - 10:01
#18
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
I had a 4 speed SS50, used to ride it flat out everywhere. Gutless, slow but never missed a beat and cheap to run. I tried some of my mates more spritely machinery. Scared myself to death on a Fizzy as I seem to remember that the gears were 4 up rather than 1 down, 3 up and I attempted to use engine breaking and dropped into neutral.
Garelli Tiger cross seemed like a rocket ship compared to SS50 and had its gear change on the wrong (compared to Honda) side.
Prior to the Honda I had a Puch 3-speed with scooter type hand gear change. Paid £50 for it and had clutch problems with it. I could strip and replace the clutch in 20 minutes.
Thu, 05/05/2011 - 16:28
#19
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
They were fun and are dead expensive now.
Thu, 05/05/2011 - 16:53
#20
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
749R. How much is dead expensive? My Dad may have a couple in his Attic!
Thu, 05/05/2011 - 18:05
#21
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
I am restoring a Fantic Ti 6 speed at the moment and i will want £3000 when it is finished.
Any runner is worth £500.
Mon, 12/09/2011 - 19:17
#22
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
Count me in with a motobecane, then a Gilera trail exactly like the one in last weeks MCN then a 5 speed SS50. All between March '76 and March '77. One of the hottest summers I can remember.
I was given the motobecane and used it for a couple of months but it had to go because my 2 mates were on an AP50 and FS1E and used to ride each side of me up hills each with an arm across my shoulders to haul me up the hill. Totally safe occifer.
Great times.
Mon, 23/01/2012 - 22:52
#23
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
hii guys it's possible to modify a yamaha fs1e 50??
Mon, 23/01/2012 - 23:19
#24
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
I had a 4 speed SS50 & it wasn't much slower than my mates FS1E's and GP50's, they didn't leave me behind anyway! It was the time when the restricted 'peds came out and it was faster than them anyway. I also liked the looks (exhaust) but mostly went for it because the 4 stroke sounded better IMO, I fancied it went up hills better too because of the torque but I think that was wishful thinking. We had an expression at the time, "fizzy eyes", meaning that tendancy to see 30mph on the speedo as an easy 65, was it just us?
Some of you will know I've just re-entered the world of 'peds with the purchase of an old Moby and am re-learning the old techniques. I'm now developing a theory that we learned to corner hard on those bikes because every mph was hard fought for and we'd be b"uggered if we'd lose any to a mere corner. People who learn on big modern bikes tend to point and squirt rather than scrape pegs. Any truth in this?
Tue, 24/01/2012 - 08:05
#25
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
UcR
If you started when fizzy's were orange or purple and didn't have frame down tubes, SS50's were orange or lime green, then we are from the same era. If your four speed was new then I guess you are about a year older then me.
Regarding your theory on riding technique, I tend to agree (but these days try not to over generalise). Do you find you are lighter on your brakes too?
Tue, 24/01/2012 - 11:20
#26
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
I always coveted my mates SS50 because it was so much faster than my bike.
I started after restriction and my first bike was a Honda C50 which my step dad gave me. It was 'full power' meaning it did not meet the moped laws of the time so I had to wait until I was 17 to ride it legally. I must admit to the odd ride to the beach about half a mile away when I was still 16.
Despite being 'full power' it struggled to do 35 and I was left for dead by my mates ss50. Both bikes were considered uncool! Mine cos it looked rubbish, and the ss50 becuase it looked about 200 years old. The cool kids at school / college were riding Honda Visions and the like. Can you believe these were considered the height of cool in my era? The equivalent now would probably be something like a speedfighter.
The only advantage of having a 'full power' model was that I toook my test on it. Seems crazy now when you consider it had 3 semi automatic gears.
Wed, 25/01/2012 - 23:09
#27
Re: DON'T LAUGH, but anyone else like Sports Mopeds?
Pittsy, I was about 15 when the law changed restricting mopeds. I remember desparately (and fruitlessly) trying to convince my dad to lend me loads of money to buy up all the old fast ones, I was convinced the price would jump. They did of course, but I don't hold a grudge and have of course forgotten all about it. I'm not bitter that he stopped my plan for a new CB550 in it's tracks. Not at all.
Meanwhile I did save enough from the old paper round for an older SS50, red as far as I remember. My mate got a new faster 5 speed model but blew up the gearbox when she somehow put it in 1st at 45mph. Not sure what happened to it after that. I think that makes me younger than you??
As for brakes, nah, never use them. I tend to regard it as a personal failure if they get used hard out of town so pads last me for years. This backs up the theory I suppose, though it is of course an over generalisation!
Herb, I seem to remember the older C50's didn't make it as mopeds because they didn't have pedals, and later ones because they were over powered as you say. I have a vague memory of them being slightly over 50cc too?
I had a C70 for years which was used as a back up bike when the others failed. It always ran. I got quite good at wheelying it it a vain attempt to re-gain some street cred. They were surprisingly capable off road too.
I took and passed my full bike test on my mums C90 (having failed on my knackered Yam YDS5E), drove round the block a few times and stopped when the examiner jumped up and down on the pavement. As you say, crazy. But then again having passed the test we spent a few years working our way up the power ladder. What stikes me as equaly crazy is the likes of a CB750 are now seen as 'starter bikes' when then they were 'superbikes'. The sports bike I lusted after for a bit (CB550) would now be a learner. Hey Ho.
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Of course! My best mate at school had on old FS1-E, one of the faster pre-restriction ones, and I had an AP50, a bit revvier but a touch quicker at the top end. And it had FIVE gears, yeah!
The ones we lusted after were the Puch Grand Prix as it looked like it had proper frame downtubes, and the Fantic Caballero because that was apparently scorchingly fast. Not so sure about the Fantic Chopper though, I think we used to laugh at that. Not from a position of much superiority mind...
They're getting to be worth a lot of money these days.