Briton MotorDrone “#2”

The first thing that came to mind when reading about Briton Bees Motorcyclettes was, “what the heck is a Motorcyclette?” Then, like they had read my mind, I found the answer on their website: “Elementary, my dear boy. Moto: from the Latin “propulsion”, cycle: “movement by wheeled means”, and ette: from the French, “small or smallish”. Giving us a small engine-propulsed two wheeled vehicle.” Briton Bee are the latest in a swarm (sorry) of young builders using mopeds as donor bikes. These sweet handmade bikes are built in Asheville, NC using a mix of parts from Europe and the U.S.

Here’s how Briton describe what they are creating; “A fresh take on an old classic, Briton’s combine the best from the world of professional bicycle racing with the motorized features of European mopeds, all in a stylized package reminiscent of the early 1900’s board track racers. These are not your father’s mopeds. Yes, they still have the same gas-efficient 2-stroke engines, capable of 100-120 mpg. All controls are hand-operated, and they are street-legal 50 cc engines (check individual states’ requirements for license and DMV registration). But the weight difference between our new-technology frames and the old-school moped allows more power for your ride, while our fully customizable designs means you create your own look.”

Briton MotorDrone “Kobiak”

At this stage, they offer two versions of the ‘Motorcyclette’: the MotorDrone, which is a board-tracker style bike, with a Puch 17” front and rear spoked wheels; and the BioCyclette which is their “green” bike, with 26” tires, and an engine that runs on bio-fuel. It is also built with a pedal-start so it can be purely people-powered when the motor is not running.

Briton Puch “Gun Show”

Briton Bees frames are constructed from 4130 Cromoly aircraft-grade steel and all come stock with the Franco Morini S6T engine, Dell’Orto carburetor, Magura controls, and a classic Brooks saddle and saddlebag. These classically styled motorcyclettes weigh in at a very light 50-75 lbs, making it super easy to carry these things up the stairs to your apartment – as long as your queen bee doesn’t mind having one in her hive.

Puch “Mean Street”