I have owned my Hobbit since '98! Time has a way of getting away from you, I have bought and sold/traded many bikes in that time, but Ol'yeller here here has been with me the longest. What about you guys?
What's the longest you have owned a moped?
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
Since i was 16, so 03 or 04. Nowadays its just an ornament as i couldn't afford to get it registered when that became a thing here.
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
Been driving them since high school. Longest on one bike was 20 years before it was stolen
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
I still have the green Motron Medalist I bought in summer of 1979, so 40 years.
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
40 years and still going strong.
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
Many came and went but These 2 magnums and 2 maxis I’ve had and kept since mid/late 90s
All been kitted/modded, a dozen years or so ago, still run great, Maxis have original bottom end/cases with Polini kits,
The magnum mk ll different Za50 non oil injected engine cases, Gila kit, with stock parts installed bored and welding for Gila but I have original oil inject engine # Gila case but I like non oil injected cases,
XK has Gila za50 non oil engine but I have original e50 engine bored and welded for Gila that was gonna put back on when the za50 blew but it hasn’t yet,
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
^ Bronze Maxi is beautiful, great seat! Keep this going. I thought owning the same bike for 21 yrs was a record, keep putting me to shame! Love to see this.
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
My blue Snark. Bought it in 1977. Still running strong!
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
Much respect for the Roff he mods to gain extra power but not at the expense of a shortlived engine or terrible mpgs!
Ken do you use a temp gauge? Seems unnecessary if you check for airleaks and tune conservatively.
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
20 year old batavus I just refuse to work on or sell...
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
I've only had my FA50 for the last 10 years and it still does 30 MPH+ in stock form .
I've had my Simplex since Spring of 1964 . Yeah I know it's a bit more than a moped .
BTW , that's 55+ years for those lacking basic math skills . ;)
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
I have my first moped 10 years.
2nd moped from ‘9, my wife threw in the trash on accident back in 2012, 3rd ped, I got in ‘10 is in pieces again. My 4th and 5th have been hanging out since 2011.
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
Still have and ride the 1970 50v I bought with money earned working at Garage Services Speciaux when I was a kiddo, it was a couple of years old but brand new.
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
Didn't know mopeds until 2000. Bought my first of many Motomarina Sebrings then...….still have it, but it's now powered by an MO2.
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
> Angry Hipster Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> Much respect for the Roff he mods to gain extra power but not at the
> expense of a shortlived engine or terrible mpgs!
>
> Ken do you use a temp gauge? Seems unnecessary if you check for airleaks
> and tune conservatively.
I like dash stuff, turn signals and on some bikes I had tachometers on too, most of the silver temp gauges still work over 10 years, The new style black ones are junk
But gauges did save me a few times too, when intakes came loose/Air filters fell off and I did get air leaks and temperatures went over 400 I knew right away something was wrong as well as when temperatures were too low and bike was running poorly I found that the timing was retarded because the points follower was wore out,
Long uphill runs in 90° humid weather with non retarding points ignition on air cooled non fan bikes you could get to over 400° too even if you have low timing, I’ve got to 430°F a few times on a few bikes but no seize, so since they had them available 10 or so years I use them,
I like temperature gauges, oil pressure gauges, voltmeter gauges etc in vans/vehicles, I hate dummy lights,
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
> Moped Lar (OFMC) Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> My blue Snark. Bought it in 1977. Still running strong!
Damn! :) It sure is amazing these things that were at best basic transportation, are still alive and well today, I assure you no one will be riding a 40 yo Tao Tao. My Fave marque is Motobecane, but I must give a huge thumb's up to Honda, ridiculously over engineered, but if you do what they tell you to maint wise, they are damn near un killable, no style like the Frenchies have, but always and I mean always run. Since '98 i have done the following: one carb clean, one exhaust port de-coke, one crank seal, last year new tires and replaced rear rim as it had a small bend. I put about 300 miles a season on it, and it has only failed once, in a torrential downpour, ran for shit stalled if you stopped, but always fired back up, belt slipped even covered, but it was not fit to ride in that storm, I was dumb, not the bike. I'm upgrading to a maxi scooter soon, prob a Helix, but I think I will keep this Hobbit just because it is what it is, an amazing stock survivor. I'm proud to keep these bikes on the road, an honorable mention goes to Yamaha for the QT-50, another amazingly over-engineered bike. Shaft drive, big boy controls, not fast but dead reliable and factory turn signals. Keep the posts coming, love to see the stories.
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
I try not to keep anything too long, on to the next one!
anytime anything runs reliably, that means it's time to sell it, fix something else!
I did build this about 12 years ago, it was my first sachs. it started as a red balboa 505/1A, I top tanked it and made a custom seat, powdercoated blue and built a TM24 athena 80, "blaster" pipe'd 505/2D gripshift 2 speed with german "uber" clutches and hit over 60, ran that for hundreds of miles before detuning it for reliable and 40 and running it thousands more. My wife broke her teeth out riding it. Finally I sold it and later left atlanta.
When I came back to town for swoops rally and needing a loaner, the fellas had found this for sale and bought it back to be my loaner bike. true frendz.
Now i still have it but went with comfy bars and a hnda passport front rack, some late 70 earles leading link forks, and a simple 1 speed auto engine, 505/1A with the airsal, alsil pipe and a 15 bing. I commute on it when I can but that's only about a day a week cuz my wife can't drive right now and i gotta drop her off and our daughter to daycare etc. it's a bummer sometimes but not forever.
I'd love to sell it but I feel like I'm not allowed to.
hoke photo for extra credit
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
Your Simplex is older than I am! Crazy cool.
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
> Born to be WillD Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> I try not to keep anything too long, on to the next one!
>
> anytime anything runs reliably, that means it's time to sell it, fix
> something else!
>
> I did build this about 12 years ago, it was my first sachs. it started
> as a red balboa 505/1A, I top tanked it and made a custom seat,
> powdercoated blue and built a TM24 athena 80, "blaster" pipe'd 505/2D
> gripshift 2 speed with german "uber" clutches and hit over 60, ran that
> for hundreds of miles before detuning it for reliable and 40 and running
> it thousands more. My wife broke her teeth out riding it. Finally I sold
> it and later left atlanta.
>
> When I came back to town for swoops rally and needing a loaner, the
> fellas had found this for sale and bought it back to be my loaner bike.
> true frendz.
>
> Now i still have it but went with comfy bars and a hnda passport front
> rack, some late 70 earles leading link forks, and a simple 1 speed auto
> engine, 505/1A with the airsal, alsil pipe and a 15 bing. I commute on
> it when I can but that's only about a day a week cuz my wife can't drive
> right now and i gotta drop her off and our daughter to daycare etc. it's
> a bummer sometimes but not forever.
>
> I'd love to sell it but I feel like I'm not allowed to.
>
> hoke photo for extra credit
Ya that’s Hoke, One of the best Cleveland Moped people there are in the area!
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
This is my 1982 Urban express I'm the 2nd owner I bought it in Summer of 1983 From my best friend when I was about 14 drove it for 2-3 years then parked it in 1986.
Fast forward 30 years I retrieved it from my mother's garage and I am enjoying the hell out of it!!!
I try to ride it every day!
I now have a little crew of 6 to 10 of us that ride and wrench together...
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
Love this photo!!!
Probly gonna repost it too..
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
Dang, I think I've owned my wallaroo for like 6 years! Most bikes I end up owning for a couple years before moving on.
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
Bought my Tomos A3 Bullet with paper route money in 1980 and still riding it!
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
^ very nice! Wish I would have kept my very first, sold it for money for a car, and the kid I sold it to wrecked it in a week, was sad for the bike, but not the kid, he was an asshole! ;)
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
My brother bought this 1976 Pacer Deluxe in 1993 and its been in the family ever since. I am the current owner of it and I am currently rebuilding it. This is the one that started my Pacer collection. I am up to 8 Pacers.:D
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
> Benjamin The Wandering Pacer Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> My brother bought this 1976 Pacer Deluxe in 1993 and its been in the
> family ever since. I am the current owner of it and I am currently
> rebuilding it. This is the one that started my Pacer collection. I am up
> to 8 Pacers.:D
You better get busy . That garage looks pretty empty . ;)
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
P D /pdcomm
>You better get busy . That garage looks pretty empty . ;)
I wish I had a garage that big! Mine is actually pretty packed. :(
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
> Benjamin The Wandering Pacer Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> P D /pdcomm
>
> >You better get busy . That garage looks pretty empty . ;)
>
> I wish I had a garage that big! Mine is actually pretty packed. :(
> >
Your garage has plenty of space . Look into some shelving and sky hooks .
Maybe you shouldn't . You'd just buy more bikes and then you'd have to buy a barn .
Ask me how I know .
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
I've had one of my hobbits 9 years. Sounds like nothing compared to some but for those that know me I get rid of a lot of bikes.
Re: What's the longest you have owned a moped?
I had a vespa back in 1986 at 14 yrs old for a summer. Didn't get another until my tomos last year. So far ive owned it about 17 month's now.
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