Tomashop Grand Opening
The Tomahawk shop in Filipino town is done.
My back is sore but it was worth it. It’s a nice little nest to build custom bikes, repair and restore mopeds. We’ve got the tools, the bikes, now we just need to hang a photo of a moped babe to make it a ligit shop.
It’s party time tonight Friday night at 7:30pm. Come and hang out with us. Honest Mike from Scoot TV will be there to cover the event. I saved plenty of room on the red doors for his stickers, yeah!
Next Monday I’m finally back to fixing mopeds, I can’t wait. We’re gonna build some amazing bikes there and we’ll happily serve the LA moped community.
BBQ Party:
Thanks everybody for coming, it was really fun. We’ll try to throw more moped parties in the future.
Video by Honest Mike – Scoot TV Show. Thx dude, that was fast editing!
Additional video:
Yes, we can build your engine
This is a Peugeot bottom end engine I properly reassembled today and ready to ship back to Canada for a top tank moped project.
Some people still ask me if we build moped engines for others, I hope this post answers the question.
I’m specialized in Peugeot and Motobecane variated engines my first choice of mopeds but can also work on Puch and Tomos engines stock or kitted.
Just email us at tomahawkmopeds@ymail.com for quotes since every engine project is different and send us your parts or ask us some advice on what parts to buy.
And YES…. we can build your custom moped too!
Keep in mind that a vintage custom moped built from scratch with brand new parts is not cheap and to build it right with quality like all the Tomahawk bikes it takes an average of 50+ hrs of labor, that’s if there’s no special custom frame modifications request.
For example:
Just a vintage moped frame can cost up to $200, good mag wheels $200, Ebr fork $200, disc break assembly $200, standard rear shocks $60, handle bars – controls – head light – cables – pedals – chains, seat, etc… another $200.
So a $1000 just for the rolling chassis + paint job.
Plus close to $1000 in parts for a fast brand new race engine built from scratch. A brand new stock engine is a little cheaper but still around $600 in parts.
Here’s my personal experience:
The fun thing about mopeds is that it’s supposed to be cheap and do it yourself. Fast vintage custom mopeds are a whole different world. People buy a cheap vintage moped and try to learn to fix it themselves. It’s fine as long as they keep the engine stock but once they decide the bump the power with performance parts, it’s just the beginning of a long, painful and expensive road.
Over and over I see people wanting to build their own kitted engine to learn and save money. But most of the time they end up spending more in the long run after seizing multiple kits or breaking their engine parts. After few months of frustration, they finally bring the bike to an expert which they should have hired in the first place to really save money. It takes even more labor for a mechanic to repair a damaged engine than building one with new parts.
In conclusion, their is no cheap vintage custom moped and fast. The only cheap moped is a stock vintage one which you got a good deal for and that only needs little maintenance once in a while. Or, a brand new Tomos stock-ish engine reliable with a pipe and up jet for daily commuting at 45 mph max, and maybe little extra money spent on chassis parts to make it look less boring and more custom.
That’s just my opinion but I hope that it helps those who are new to the moped world or want to build a custom bike.
Moped Movie Screening in Los Angeles
Catch director Matt Chevlen’s dark moped drama, “Blank Generation”; screening this Saturday, January 9th. The movie costars Jamisin (me) and the variated Puch Magnum (pre-powdercoating) . Just Facebook Matt for more info!
Blank Generation Moped Movie Behind the Scenes
Blank Generation Moped Movie Behind the Scenes
Variated Magnum, Completed
Variated Magnum IgnitionVariated Puch Magnum AerialVariated Magnum Nose
Variated Magnum Nose
Variated Magnum Tail
Magnum Oil Injection Conversion to Storage Trunk
Oil Injection Converted to Storage
Magnum Storage box
Variated Magnum Spray Tan
Got these back from Melvin in the perfect sesame color. We did not powdercoat these parts because half are plastic. “Come on Dee” Kinsler calls this color “Caucasian”
Magnum Tank etc.
Plan 1 From Outerspace
This is the first working setup: 21mm carb, simonini circuit pipe, malossi 70cc, doppler clutch-pulley, mvt millennium ignition, malossi cases, bidalot variator, malossi head. (Borrowed Wheels)
Magnum with Variated Engine Mounted
Color Theory
Trying to decide on paint options for variated Magnum (this photo is a working photo, engine components are not final or attached to bike at the time of this photo).
Variate that Puch!
This 1978 Puch Magnum was a metal spider nest hidden under a Honda Monkey bike and a bunch other random stuff in Glen Miller’s yard. Rebuilt by Glen and Jamisin with slight port matching and piston modification and about 100 trips to Myron’s Mopeds and Choke, the MKII became an urban commuter bike. A couple rotted crank seals later, a metal twisting mma confrontation with a Mustang, a few za50 gear tooth incidents, and an improperly installed tab washer debacle later, the sweet lady was ready for the old Reanimator treatment.
