23

Moped people

PAUL SIMCOXFor Paul Simcox, a Midlands businessman, restoring a Garelli Tiger Cross in 1991 had life changing consequences. Paul is now at the very hub of the sports moped revival movement, with friends, and contacts, all over the world.

Paul had left mopeds behind in the 1970s, but yearned for more time on the little Italian bike that had brought him so much happiness as a 16-year-old. In 1991, he saw an advert in Used Bike Guide for two Tiger Crosses for sale in Crewe.

By good fortune, the seller was keen to swap for anything horrible and nasty, and Paul had a tatty, but original MZ150 Trophy in his shed. A deal was on the cards, and on April Fools Day 1991, Paul and a mate drove up to Cheshire and came back with a bike each.

His friend decided he would just do up his, and sell it on, but for Paul the bug had bitten. The Crewe bikes were the rst of many restorations he has now successfully completed, and he has helped countless other enthusiasts with advice and parts from the vast spares collection he has amassed.

Never needing to advertise for bikes or parts, Paul has built up an unrivalled network of moped contacts and sources. He has tracked down a large number of spares by nding the stored stock of long defunct bike shops.

In 1996, Paul became a founder member of the Sports Mopeds Owners Club, which was put together by a group of enthusiasts, who had come together a year earlier for a feature in Classic Motorcycle Mechanics magazine. The article kick-started the sports moped movement, and the club now

boasts over 250 members. Paul organises the clubs stands at the Stafford Classic Motorcycle Shows.

He said Interest is growing all the time. We said at the time were shooting ourselves in the foot, for if theres a club people will say these bikes and bits must be worth something. However, the purpose of the club is to have fun and to help people, and I think weve done that.

During the Stafford shows, Paul has an open house, and he has hosted some memorable evenings. Theyve been some of the best nights ever, its a great social life. It takes over your life, mine, and many other people in the club, too - in a good way. His wife Sharon also thinks its great Weve met some lovely people. she said.

Paul has a full set of Garelli mopeds comprising Rekord

Paul Simcox. Spring 1976. (Courtesy Paul Simcox)

Paul Simcox and his Garelli Tiger Cross Mk I the earliest known surviving Tiger Cross in the UK.

33

That was then ...

Fantic Caballero. Big bike looks and one of the fastest mopeds around.

Fantic TI. Small and antisocial!

had tiny inlet and transfer ports. Unrestricted bikes without pedals had the same engines, but were a lot quicker. Basically they took a responsible line, when they interpreted the UK sports moped regulations. - Chris Mahon.

I got a Gilera by default. I hadnt even considered motorcycling, but when I left school my mum and dad took me to Goddards, an old fashioned bike dealer in High Wycombe. My dad said Right, now youre an apprentice youll need transport, and were buying it for you. Unfortunately, the bike theyd chosen was a Puch Maxi, complete with shopping basket! I was mortied. I said No way, Im not riding that b****y thing. Anyway, Goddards sold Gileras, so I talked my mum round to getting me one of those, and she persuaded my dad. They got me a red Gilera Touring. - Gerry Croxson.

Steve Wilkinson, from Dunstable, saved up for his Gilera Touring by working in a petrol station. The styling was

attractive to me, and Im still a fan of Italian bikes. Theyre not necessarily clever motorcycles, but theyre built with passion rather than with a business head. The Fantic TI was very popular and very quick, and so was the Garelli Tiger, though it was clearly a budget bike. I chose the Gilera.

I would probably have never got a bike, a car was always the plan, but I was well aware of the moped scene. My mates were starting to get bikes, and kids a year older than us had hung around outside the school on Garellis and Fantics, when we were in our last year. So, when my parents offered to buy me a bike to go to work on for a year, I persuaded them to get me a Gilera. I enjoyed it so much I kept it for two more years, and had two more motorcycles after that. - Gerry Croxson

Gileras. Good looking and well built, but a bit slow.

PuchJohn Dunn, from Nottinghamshire, spent most of his sixteener year on FS1-Es after starting off on a Puch M50 Sport, and it was another Puch, the black and gold Grand Prix Special, that caught his attention above all other sports mopeds. A lad called Kenny Hawkins had one in a neighbouring village. It looked really different in those colours with cast wheels. You rarely saw them, and they were quite a lot of money when new. I just had to have one, and many years later I did.

CasalFizzy Galore boss, Russell Marsden, bought a Casal ST50 eight months before he was 16, but tried to trade it in for an FS1-E two months after getting it on the road. I was bored with it, and decided to buy an L reg gold SS for 120 from Earnshaws Motorcycles, in Hudderseld. They didnt want

44

Funky Mopeds

There were a number of different pedalling systems, but they all had one thing in common - they were purely a device to get around the law.

76

Funky Mopeds

John Dunns award winning Puch Grand Prix Supreme is nished to a higher standard than the original bike. Improved parts include generally superior

paintwork and polished surfaces, downtubes (not on the original bike), brake switch, drilled disc, and rubber brake pedal cover.

103

1970s sports mopeds

the rm manufactured its rst moped in 1967. The company used its own engines and cycle components in its mopeds and motorcycles, but similarities between its engines and Zundapp units are not coincidental, the German company having supplied advisers and technicians to the Portuguese factory over many years.

Casal sports mopeds were among the rst available in the UK, but never sold in large numbers. In January 1975, the early spine frame K190 four speed and K196 two speed models were revamped and relaunched as the SS4 and S2 respectively, and the purposeful motocross style ST50 was introduced. Featuring twin leading shoe brakes and alloy

rims, the high speci cation 6.5bhp Phantom 5 joined the range ve months later.

The SS4 was solid, reliable, and an impressive performer, capable of a top speed of around 48mph. Handling was good on smooth surfaces, but lively on bumps due to the bikes light steering and stiff suspension. Finish was good. Electrics and lighting were bad!

CASAL S2 Engine 49.9cc two-stroke Power 2.5bhp Gears Two (hand change) Tyres 2.75 x 17 front and rear

CASAL SS4 Engine 49.9cc two-stroke Bore and stroke 40 x 39.7 Light alloy head and barrel with chrome bore Power 5.3bhp@7500rpm Carburettor 17mm with plunger choke Electrical system Flywheel magneto ignition. 30w generator direct lighting Gears Four Tyres 2.75 x 17 front and rear Price 215.00 in March 1975, 249.00 in July 1977 Imported From January 1975 onwards

CASAL PHANTOM 5 Engine 49.9cc two-stroke Power 6.2bhp@7500rpm Gears Five Brakes Twin shoe front and rear Tyres 300 x 17 Alloy rims Max speed 55mph Price 299.00 in July 1977 Imported From June 1975 onwards

CASAL ST50 CROSS Engine 49.9cc two-stroke Power 5.3bhp@7500rpm Gears Four Tyres 3 x 17 front and rear Max speed 35mph Fuel consumption 120mpg Price 149.90 in November 1974

CIMATTICimatti, an Italian family business founded in 1937 by

Casal Phantom 5.

Carburettor 17mm with plunger choke Electrical system Flywheel magneto ignition. 30w generator direct lighting Gears Four Tyres 2.75 x 17 front and rear Price 215.00 in March 1975, 249.00 in July 1977 Imported From January 1975 onwards

Engine 49.9cc two-stroke Power 6.2bhp@7500rpm Gears Five Brakes Twin shoe front and rear Tyres 300 x 17 Alloy rims Max speed 55mph Price 299.00 in July 1977 Imported From June 1975 onwardsCasal ST50.