1978 Mobylette 50V, my first foray into two wheeler classics

[Cavboy80]

A good friend of mine has been rebuilding a 1969 BSA Bantam, it was whilst helping him that i got drawn to the idea of having a moped project that i could tinker with and it'd make a change from cars.

My Uncle has been a collector of bikes for years,in fact the Bantam came from him and it was whilst looking at this i saw this Mobylette.

18 months later i enquired as to whether he'd sell it and being family he would as normally he doesn't let stuff go.

Tomorrow i collect it but last night i viewed it.

It's a 3 owner bike that's spent it life in South Norfolk and was supplied by WR Cobbs of Diss in June 1978.

It's covered  just over 3000 miles and was last on the road 9 or so years ago.

The plan is to get it running, go through the mechanicals and get it on the road.

 

Now for photos.

 

 

 

[Fabergé Greggs]

Brilliant! My first foray into fettling was a mobylette under licence: the Raleigh RM4.

 

Is this a variated version? If not, it’ll recalibrate your idea of slow...

[castros_bro]

Brian Aplin will be your best friend..................

 

Iceni Cam / Buzzing will be your bibles

 

http://www.icenicam.org.uk/direct/aplin/aplin.html

[Cavboy80]

This is the 'Mobymatic' Variator version so hills won't be quite as daunting apparently.

[UltraWomble]

Ive got a pair of legshields that will fit that.

And rear shocks, a swingarm, a complete rear hub ass'y, tank chrome, tank badges, a speedo, a frame, forks, front wheel....

[Fabergé Greggs]

I think I’ve got a clutch puller

[Mally]

Looks ready for the road to me.

Has it got a spark and fuel?

[Sigmund Fraud]

I've got one of those beasts, purchased from Mr Castro of this parish.

 

They're absolutely brilliant to ride and remarkably simple. Change the spark plug, clean out the carb, add some premix to the tank and take it for a ride !

[warren t claim]

I was going to say that as an S plate it'll be restricted but that's largely academic on one of those.

[Junkman]

Ive got a pair of legshields that will fit that.

And rear shocks, a swingarm, a complete rear hub ass'y, tank chrome, tank badges, a speedo, a frame, forks, front wheel....

 

Then put it the fuck together and let's all ride our Mobies to Scotoshitefest.

[wuvvum]

Nice buy!  I had one very similar a few years ago, albeit slightly older and with legshields.  And a two-seater saddle.

 

 

[Junkman]

Yeah, but I have an AV89 Caudron.

Hence I am the one among you who will have all the bikini clad birds flocking to him.

 

Pffft.

[plasticvandan]

I don't wish to give you a big head,but iirc the 50v was the pinnacle of Moby development,being variated and having a reed valve! An easy 40mph should be possible.

My first bike was meant to be a met blue dualseat 50v,but the carb had been bodged so I had a puch maxi instead.if needed I've got the clutch puller,mag nut has a left hand thread I use a ratchet and a large jubilee clip around the flywheel,with a 7mms socket and extension bar jammed against the floor or frame to lock it.

 

Edit: I was thinking of the 51v

http://www.icenicam.org.uk/articles/art0012.html

 

The 50v is bog basic commuter,but should still do 35,,unless your fat.

[UltraWomble]

Then put it the fuck together and let's all ride our Mobies to Scotoshitefest.

Pretty much everything bar an actual engine there to build one up. I have debated seeing if I can get one of those cheapo 80cc "bicycle" engines to fit it and I think with some fabrication one probably would fit. The other option is a pull start 50cc chainsaw type engine like Mr S Angel has on that RSW of death bolted onto the rear rack.

[castros_bro]

Pretty much everything bar an actual engine there to build one up. I have debated seeing if I can get one of those cheapo 80cc "bicycle" engines to fit it and I think with some fabrication one probably would fit. The other option is a pull start 50cc chainsaw type engine like Mr S Angel has on that RSW of death bolted onto the rear rack.

 

You could give me all the bits then I could bolt on 60cc + Amal + WinnerWinnerChickenDinnerExhaust.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

The 50v is bog basic commuter,but should still do 35,,unless your fat.

 

I've never managed over 30MPH riding mine...

 

[Junkman]

Pretty much everything bar an actual engine there to build one up. I have debated seeing if I can get one of those cheapo 80cc "bicycle" engines to fit it and I think with some fabrication one probably would fit. The other option is a pull start 50cc chainsaw type engine like Mr S Angel has on that RSW of death bolted onto the rear rack.

 

You can get Moby engines for 50 - 70 quid.

[UltraWomble]

I believe the phrase is "its a project"

[Cavboy80]

Looks ready for the road to me.

Has it got a spark and fuel?

 

Got it home today and cleaned the 5 years worth of grime off it. Said mate with the Bantam is coming over and we'll get this bad boy smoking.

[Cavboy80]

Got it home today and first job was a good clean. That is free and gives a good feeling to push on to running. It came up quite well with a T-Cut and wash.

 

 

 

 

[wuvvum]

You could give me all the bits then I could bolt on 60cc + Amal + WinnerWinnerChickenDinnerExhaust.

 

2016Moby60cc.jpg2016Mobyspanner.jpg

Those Winner exhausts are shit.  Cheaply designed crap that destroys bottom end torque without really giving much extra up top.  There are far better alternatives for Mobylettes out there - I had a Ninja race exhaust on my AV88 for a while - with the more modern electronic-ignition reed-valve engine and a 15mm Dell'orto it would sit at 50 quite happily, although it was a bit slower off the line.

[Tamworthbay]

Those Winner exhausts are shit.  Cheaply designed crap that destroys bottom end torque without really giving much extra up top.  There are far better alternatives for Mobylettes out there - I had a Ninja race exhaust on my AV88 for a while - with the more modern electronic-ignition reed-valve engine and a 15mm Dell'orto it would sit at 50 quite happily, although it was a bit slower off the line.

I remember fitting a free flow air filter and allspeed straight through exhaust to my RD125LC when I was 17, it did 5mph more but was flat as a witches tit everywhere below 7000rpm. Swapped back after a week and it felt so much better.

[Cavboy80]

Update time, myself and a friend got the Moby started two weeks ago. Plug cleaned and fuel added and away she went. Unfortunately the carb leaked worse than a sieve due to knackered seals and gaskets.

Yesterday i visited Mark Daniels who runs Mopedland and came away with a small stash of parts and today these were getting fitted.

Plug, Lead, Cap, Drive Belt, Fuel tap and hose and a gasket/ seal kit in the carb.

Now she fires up nicley and has the good manners to retain her fuel inside.

Front tyre and exhaust sealing gasket are getting done during this week and then with luck MOT time will be Saturday.

Insurance was purchased last week, with Carol Nash, fully comp, 2000 mile limit (very optimistic) all for £90 !!!

Also i've discovered that my Mobylette was last on the road in 1983 so Saturday will be a big milestone. 

[Cavboy80]

 Further update.

Carb leak has plagued me, i attempted to fix it yesterday by stripping the carb down and carefully cleaning it (or so i thought) I checked and all seemed good, it sat outside mine for a further hour until i rode it 2 miles to the MOT station. It failed......loose lock-nuts underneath the brake levers (i never touched those nor realised they were there) and a leaking carb !! Right, that's bloody well it. Once home i got onto the Classic Moped site and ordered a brand new carb, £40 plus P and P......that'll sort it once for all. Once here it's getting fitted and MOT 'd.

[Zelandeth]

Not a bad result then given how many years it's been idle!

 

I'd love to get something like this to play around with. Oh...wait...Invacar...that's already happened then.

[Cavboy80]

The new Gurtner carburettor arrived yesterday and last night i fitted it. No more leakage and it runs so sweetly now too. 

So today for the first time since 1983 my Mobylette is roadworthy. MOT'd and taxed today i took it on a 14 mile run. 

It's slow and noisy but it's a brilliant little bike that just makes you smile.

The next part of the project is to get the cosmetics right. The plan here is to retain as much of the originality but to get it looking cleaner. In between though i'll be using it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cavboy80]

The weather today in Norfolk was lovely, as i couldn't give a flying for either the Royals or Football i decided to take the Mobylette out for a run.

I headed south again but this time it was to the border, the 100th Bomb Group museum at Thorpe Abbotts is a real favorite of mine so i 'ring-a-ding-dinged' down the A140 at a leisurely 35 mph. 

40 minutes later i got there without incident and had coffee and a relaxing couple of hours looking around.

Heading for home i took the back roads and stopped for pictures a couple of times.

The Moby didn't miss a beat, it hummed along happily.

Next step is to get the bike looking a bit fresher, i've ordered a new period plate for it and some panels are on there way too. A friend during the week gave me two better looking chrome panels for the tank.

Updates are coming soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cavboy80]

I've been slacking with any updates on the Mobylette, it's actually been doing sterling service as my daily covering 30 miles a week. Two weeks ago it had covered in my ownership 600 miles.

Rewind back to June and the paintwork was letting the side down, the first owner had slapped some paint on the top surfaces with a brush and ,well, it just looked wibblepoo.

I wet flatted the brush marks out, and sprayed it, whilst i was at it i also prepped and painted the rack too. A new number plate smartened the bike up more.

A few weeks later and all was going slowly, literally.

Now i've next to no knowledge with 2 strokes and it seemed to me that the clutch was starting to slip as the bike would pull away (very eventually) then bog down.

The clutch was pulled off but the clutch shoes are good with hardly any wear, there was a bit of glazing and this was sanded off.

Once together it still went like a snail that was half asleep, hmmmm, what else? I mentioned this issue to a friend and the exhaust was mentioned as possibly being a culprit.

It was removed and geez was it grim, the rear exit hole was clogged up as was the four holes in the baffle plate. Once fully cleaned and refitted it was a new bike. It pulled better than ever and even topped the heady speed of 40.

One thing though is the amount of noises that it likes to produce, ting, zing, rumble are some of its favourites. I've been keeping an eye out for wear and tear but can't see anything untoward.

Winter is soon upon us and that'll be when a full investigation will ensue as it's still happily humming along. Two weeks ago it covered a 45 mile trip which saw it visit the Motorcycle Museum at North Walsham and the former RAF Coltishall.

[fairkens]

Missed this thread first time around, top marks for using it as your daily