MotoMatic's '78 Sears Free Spirit - “Yuba 2”

Another day and, hey presto, another killer 'ped build. I'm not sure sure where they are all coming from, but our super computer calculations show that at this rate, every man, woman and child in the world will be tootling around town on a bitchin' custom moped within the next 4.27 years. Scarily, the builds won't stop there and look set to continue amassing until we reach a moped armageddon of sorts where it becomes us against them, man versus machine, in a nightmare-ish future that will see the bikes test mankind to it's very limits by blocking out the sun with vast clouds of blue smoke, all while getting great gas mileage and being very convenient to boot. The leader of this future moped master-race will be none other than this exact bike; Motomatic's “Yuba 2”. And deservedly so. I, for one, welcome our new low-powered overlords... and their creator, Nathan Kiehn.

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Janus Motorcycles - “The Paragon”

Over the years, I have thought long and hard about the difference between mopeds and motorcycles. There's the technical considerations regarding pedals et al - the whole "motor with pedals" thing that seems to be the most obvious seperator. Then there's the licensing thing and the fact that in many countries you can jump on a moped with minimal intervention from "the man." There's also the lack of a cross-bar frame and the extreme economy of the typically minute moped engines that split the pack, too. But you know what I keep coming back to as the overarching difference that really defines the two? The sure-fire way to explain the difference to a laymen without risking any sort of misconbobulation down the track? It's the fact that mopeds are just so beautifully svelte. Trawl back through the Pipeburn archives and you'll notice that pretty much ever 'ped we've ever posted has the most sublime minimalism - it's enough to take your breath away. But you ain't seen nothing yet - at least until you lay your eyes on our new model of minimal excellence, and pretty much the nicest 'ped we've ever seen, The Paragon Puch from Janus Motorcycles.

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Revdub's Puch Moped - “General Mayhem”

A wise man once said, “If a custom bike could be made with keyboards alone, there would be outstanding builds everywhere." Now I'm pretty sure most people here would know what that means. Comments sections are the playground of armchair experts who talk the talk, but just can't seem to ever put a spanner where their mouths are. And although we have our fair share of those types around theses here parts, I'm pretty damn proud to say that we also have guys like “Revdub”, a.k.a. Jeremy Dubish. He's not only one of our top commenters, but he's also a bastion of civility, positivity and constructive criticism. Now, while we are pretty thankful for him just showing up each day, we are uber stoked to be able to present a bike of his as well. Here's his very sweet little “General Mayhem” Puch moped.

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Webb's Classic Motorcycle Auction

It's that time of year again when Webb's auction off some of the worlds most beautiful vintage and collectable motorcycles. With a catalogue that is sure to make Billy Joel and Jay Leno weak at the knees – although looking at some of the price guides, you don't have to be a celebrity to afford them. Judging by last years results their will be a few bargains to be had. Here's how Webb's describe the collection:

"The machines offered in this catalogue continue to reflect Webb's passion for things well made. From the humble to the extraordinary, all are designed for the motorcycle pilot. The collection is significant because it offers a select pedigree of race machines that have been conceived by the very best minds in their fields." 

If you have some spare coin and room in your garage, the auction takes place on October 5 in New Zealand and overseas bidders are more than welcome. There's also a diamond motorcycle chain which would make the perfect gift for the fussiest woman. [Thanks Deus]

Puch Magnum

Most people probably don't know much about Puch Motorcycles but they happen to be one of the oldest manufacturers on the planet. Founded in 1889 in Austria they didn't start producing motorcycles until the early 1900's. Then 100 years after it was founded the Puch motorcycle company was sold to Piaggio, maker of the Vespa, who apparently still produce bikes under the name "Puch". The pictured bike is technically a moped but there's no denying it has some really nice cafe racer aesthetics. I first spotted this beautifully restored 1978 Puch Magnum XK on Flickr and was kindly sent some information by it's owner, Puch enthuisiast Jeremy from Kentucky. He told us "this 1978 was the first year and model of the Magnum released by Puch. It was the same year that Puch had record sales upwards of 275,000 mopeds and motorcycles. Of course, most riders have probably heard of the Puch Twingle, not as many have heard of or seen the Puch Magnum. In the late 70's and early 80's, mopeds were quite popular for getting around without having to spend a lot of money on petrol. The appeal of the Magnum is, in my opinion, obvious. Clean lines, cafe racer-type styling, and the classic Puch e50 moped engine made the Magnum an easy sell. I bought my XK as a part of a three bike deal. I hadn't actually seen any of the mopeds before buying them. All three were in rough shape. When I got the Magnum home though, I immediately saw its potential. Although, this might have been difficult for others to see; the engine was plastered in dark mud, every bit of chrome was rusted out, and the cylinder and piston had been in a tight lovers' grip for many years. It took several days in a lubricant bath to get them to separate. The bike was taken down to the frame and every tab was chopped, smoothed, and prepped for paint. All unwanted/unnecessary pieces were removed. The engine was rebuilt using new quality performance parts, readily available seeing that Puch mopeds have been around for such a long time. The Magnum has been rebuilt from the ground up. I have spent countless hours on both cosmetic work and engine tuning to get the bike to where it is today. For the money I have put into this mini cafe racer, I probably could have bought an already modified vintage motorcycle. But I wouldn't trade the Magnum or the experience I've had making it my own for anything. Most importantly, it is a lot of damn fun to ride!". This bike obviously wont appeal to everyone, especially those who love their horsepower - but it has to be one of the best looking mopeds around. Check out more shots of this mad moped at Jeremy's Flickr page.