Well, it's not a diesel, or even a Mercedes, but at least it's German

[Mark DiSilvestro]

So I've been in Virgina Beach nearly a week, dealing with a rental property, and since I didn't already have enough to do, and needed another project like I needed another hole in my head, I bought another German motor vehicle.
It's a 1977 Sachs Hercules moped. A friend saw it on Tidewater Craigslist and was interested in it, so I went for a look. Paid $120 and managed to fit it in the trunk of my 240D (after removing the wheels, seat and handlebar of course) for the ride home. Spent the last couple days fixing a bunch of stuff, including a messed-up wheel-bearing, a sagged kick-stand, and some wiring, then ended-up checking the no-spark issue,
Finally last night, through little openings in the flywheel, I was able to clean and adjust the points just enough to get a feeble tingle from the plug-wire. So today's job was removing the flywheel without having the special puller. Got real lucky and found a '60s Mercedes valve-rocker pivot/adjuster in my garage junk-bin that fit the 22 (I think) mm threads in the Sachs Flywheel. I was able to convert it to a flywheel puller. The good news is the flywheel finaly popped loose.
The bad - it took extreme force and the crank threads are hopelesly mushroomed now! This thing must have been left out in the rain too long. The points are hopelessly rusted too.
I'm going to try and drill & tap the crank for an allen-bolt. So far, I've drilled a 1-inch deep pilot hole in the crank that's reasonably straight and centered, so that's looking hopefull.
It also needs a front tire and a rear brake cable.

I remember nany years ago, finding a sales flyer for the new Sachs mopeds. But I think this one's a grey-market version as the speedometer is in km. It's now showing 1939 km on the odometer.
It's also going to need a front tire and a rear brake-cable. Wish me luck.

Happy Motoring, Mark

[Mölyapina]

Any pics?

C'mon Mark, you know how it works! Good luck with it. I've been toying with the idea of picking up a moped for a while now...

[gatorblue92]

[Mölyapina]

Originally Posted by gatorblue92

Oh man, I need to save that smilie link. Nice.

[kerry]

I own a couple of 70's Puch mopeds.

[kerry]

Sachs - MopedWiki

[Mark DiSilvestro]

My first moped (and the only new motor vehicle I've ever bought) was a 1978 Wards Imperial
(a rebadged Columbia Commuter), purchaed as a leftover from Mongomery Wards during the 1979-80 gas-crunch. Weather permitting, I used to ride it to work. It's powered by a Sachs 505 engine and looks almost identical to the Sachs-Hercules I just got, though with some detail differences. Mainly, the Hercules 504 Sachs engine has an external separate pedal & chain drive, while the Wards 505 engine's pedal is geared inside the transmission-case and drives the wheels through the main drive-chain. Also, the Wards brakes are Magura (Italy?) with brake-light switches built into the hand-controls, while those on the Hercules are Sachs, with no brake-lights - only a tail-light.
I still have the Wards, though it's kind of ratty now due to some local delinquents breaking into my locked shed 16 years ago to steal and trash it. Plus more recently, my shed's roof leak didn't help matters either.
But I've kept it in running condition and use it up in Alexandria occaisionally for neighbohood grocery and mail runs.
If I can get the Hercules going, I plan to keep and use it for the same here in Virginia Beach - at least until next summer, when the Virginia Legislature has decreed all mopeds will require titles and registration! We'll see how much of a hassle it is to start dealing with DMV over this.

Happy Motoring, Mark

[Mark DiSilvestro]

Originally Posted by kerry

I own a couple of 70's Puch mopeds.

I also have an early '60s Sears Allstate moped, made by Puch. The engine is cooled by a ducted fan, there's a two speed cable-shift on the right handle-bar, and it's somewhat larger then the ones from the '70s. I've had it since 1990 when I bought it at a flea market fo $25, but it's pretty rough.

Happy Motoring, Mark

[Pooka]

I have a Puch bicycle. Over thirty years of serious riding and the frame still looks like new.

But then it is chrome moly and the strongest built bicycle I have ever seen. I guess it is made to take a beating on their cobblestone streets.

[benhogan]

ahhhh.....i know what you mean.

my trip to Europe last month inspired me to get my own scooter. So I bought a broken one on craigslist for $75, fixed it up and I am now scooting around the neighborhood. 40mph top speed.

pic attached!

[865sp300e]

Originally Posted by Mark DiSilvestro

So I've been in Virgina Beach nearly a week, dealing with a rental property, and since I didn't already have enough to do, and needed another project like I needed another hole in my head, I bought another German motor vehicle.
It's a 1977 Sachs Hercules moped. A friend saw it on Tidewater Craigslist and was interested in it, so I went for a look. Paid $120 and managed to fit it in the trunk of my 240D (after removing the wheels, seat and handlebar of course) for the ride home. Spent the last couple days fixing a bunch of stuff, including a messed-up wheel-bearing, a sagged kick-stand, and some wiring, then ended-up checking the no-spark issue,
Finally last night, through little openings in the flywheel, I was able to clean and adjust the points just enough to get a feeble tingle from the plug-wire. So today's job was removing the flywheel without having the special puller. Got real lucky and found a '60s Mercedes valve-rocker pivot/adjuster in my garage junk-bin that fit the 22 (I think) mm threads in the Sachs Flywheel. I was able to convert it to a flywheel puller. The good news is the flywheel finaly popped loose.
The bad - it took extreme force and the crank threads are hopelesly mushroomed now! This thing must have been left out in the rain too long. The points are hopelessly rusted too.
I'm going to try and drill & tap the crank for an allen-bolt. So far, I've drilled a 1-inch deep pilot hole in the crank that's reasonably straight and centered, so that's looking hopefull.
It also needs a front tire and a rear brake cable.

I remember nany years ago, finding a sales flyer for the new Sachs mopeds. But I think this one's a grey-market version as the speedometer is in km. It's now showing 1939 km on the odometer.
It's also going to need a front tire and a rear brake-cable. Wish me luck.

Happy Motoring, Mark

Moped Riders Association :: View topic - Need Info on my Moped, Oh........and advise is good as well!

[Mark DiSilvestro]

Originally Posted by benhogan

ahhhh.....i know what you mean.

my trip to Europe last month inspired me to get my own scooter. So I bought a broken one on craigslist for $75, fixed it up and I am now scooting around the neighborhood. 40mph top speed.

pic attached!

That looks like one of those 3/4- scale Chinese knock-offs of a vintage Vespa. What did you have to do to it and was there any problem finding parts?

Happy Motoring, Mark