Tazrider and the French Monkeys

I just found some cool photos of two moped builders latest projects in France.

– Custom mopeds by Tazrider:

Peugeot 103 and Motobecane Av88

“Meugeotbecane” twin Av7 h20 head dual variated!

 

– Custom mopeds by the French Monkeys:

Motobecane 4oT

 

BONUS PICS:

– Cafe’ Peugeot 103 dual variated project by Tomahawk:

I got inspired tonight and started working on a side project. I haven’t built a Peugeot 103 for a while and missed it, that bike got me excited again. Even though it’s going to be hard to let go that rare dual variated swing arm, I’m thinking about selling the bike for a reasonable price. So if anybody is interested in commissioning the project, email me before I finish it. I’ll try to keep the cost down using used spoked wheels, used ebr puch magnum fork and  adapt an affordable front disc brake (safer) or used stock peugeot fork with drum brake, stock shocks or affordable upgraded ones, decent tires, used Tomahawk clipons, work on the seat, etc… I haven’t decided about the paint yet, I might keep it as is for now.

The best set-up with that dual variated swing arm is a high rpm 50cc kit. I might also include that rare vintage race track Bidalot 50cc kit (ported) with special cooling fins. I raced that engine at the 2010 polini cup and once tuned perfectly it’s very powerful, faster than most 70cc. I’ll replace the the thick 103 spx Giraudo racing crank with a standard 103 racing crank to adapt any standard small taper variators on the market. My second option is the small polini or 1977 cases with a polini or doppler 50cc kit from Treats. The bike should have fast take offs with decent top speed and fun to ride on the weekends, intriguing friends and neighbors.

Peugeot vintage race track Bidalot Radial 50cc kit:

Disassembly of my first generation Bidalot race engine, old school, imported from France in 2009. Bidalot 50cc kit air cooled, Giraudo 103 spx crank, high rpm FAG celeron riveted bearings, stock 2 port cases with creation of 3rd port, polini single flat reed, Bidalot intake manifold, 19mm carb. The port matching was done poorly and the cases wrongly assembled with gasket + silicone but the kit still blasted. Before heating the cases, I noticed a thin crack in the left half case, it might have affected the engine’s power causing air leaks during my last few races. I’m not sure what happened, it could have been caused by the front wheel hitting the engine and knocking the cylinder head off center, during my first crash when I bent the front fork doing a full spin with my bike. Or the thin ported cases may just  have had a weak spot.  Now I definitely need new engine cases 🙂

Head gasket after my crash. Bidalot racing gaskets have multiple aluminum layers to modify your squish.

Since everything is bigger in America, I could also use one of my 70cc kits in stock (malossi and polini W port) with air cooled or h20 head. It wouldn’t be as fast as with the 50cc kit but more like a low rpm torquy cruiser bike, still with fast take offs.

I’ve got most of the parts in stock, pedals, controls and cables, mvt cdi, bearings and seals, 19mm carb, stock clutch + rad vintage GIRAUDO racing variator. All I need to complete the bike is new shocks, maybe a disc brake assembly, headlight, tubes, engine cases + crank.

Peugeot race cases  by 1977mopeds + Polini 50cc kit by Treats :

 

 

You can follow that build on moped army:

Tomahawk peugeot 103 dual variated project

 

BONUS VIDEO:

French punk rock band, LES ANIMALS – “Chevauchee Fantastique”

8 comments

  1. Chad

    Im following with awe as always. Thanks so much for the reference. I have a dual vari swingarm & was scared to pull it off without reference like this.

    Keep up the good work. I may just copy this build exactly. Black Gun FTW?

    • tomahawktuning

      Sure.

      I happened to have the black gun in stock.

      The giannelli black gun is the best bet for your money. It’s a good overall pipe for any kit but more for high rpms than torque.
      The giannelli sport is little better, same volume but thinner metal gauge for higher rpms ported kits.

      Best would be the bidalot pipe.
      Doppler is a good overall pipe, solid and quite, for torquy engines less high rpms.

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