Puch scooters
The late 1950s saw strong sales of the Puch 125cc two-stroke single motorscooters, which had three gears shifted from the left twistgrip. These machines developed a reputation for reliability and were popular for daily commuting, providing good weather protection and ease of use. In this role their moderate performance, with a top speed of around 45 mph, was not a problem. Later models had a 150cc engine and foot-operation, giving better performance of 6 hp instead of 5 hp but retaining the three gears.
Puch mopeds
Puch produced the Puch Maxi, Puch Newport, and MK mopeds, which were popular from the late 1970s to early 1980s. In Austria and the Netherlands, Puch mopeds played a big role in the 1960s popular culture. Puch mopeds in Sweden were, and still are, very popular despite the company ceasing production of mopeds in 1985. Many of them were named after US states, notable exceptions include the Maxi and the Monza.
Some of the more popular models were:
The oldest mopeds often had a 50 cc fan-cooled engine with a 1- or 2-speeded gearbox (cric-crac) and newer mopeds had many different (always 50cc) engines such as:
- VS50 50 cc 2-speed gearbox
- The Dakota (VZ 50) 50 cc fan-cooled, 3-speed gearbox. In fact, the most popular by far.
- The Florida (MV 50) 50 cc fan-cooled, 3-speed gearbox
- The Alabama (DS 50) 50 cc fan-cooled, 3- or 4-speed gearbox
- Fan-cooled, 3-speed (Dakota, Dakota 3000, Nevada)
- Fan-cooled, 4-speed (Mexico)
- Air-cooled, 3-speed (Arizona, Monza M50, Montana, Monza 3C)
- Air-cooled, 4-speed (Monza 4-speed)
Puch BMX
Puch began making BMX bikes as early as the 1970s. Many different models appeared including the Challenger, Invader and Trak Pro. A short-lived BMX style moped, the Maxi BMX Special was produced in the mid-70s however proved unpopular. Compared to the company's more successful models very few unmolested examples remain. In 1981 they worked with Speed Unlimited in Wayne, New Jersey to manufacture a line of high end BMX race bikes. Speed Unlimited also made bikes for Hutch and their own brand Thruster. The model they made for Puch was the Trak Pro. In 1981 Puch also began sponsoring BMX racers across the United States. The green, black and white uniform was soon showing up at BMX tracks across America, especially in the Northeast. There is a collection of Puchs at the BMX Museum - Puch Collection.[3]
Puch Maxi
The Maxi is one of Puch's most well known machines along with the Magnum and Newport models. The Puch Maxi is a moped fitted with a single cylinder, 50cc, two stroke engine. This engine was also used in a variety of other mopeds sold in the U.S. by Sears and JC Penny.
The engine produced around 2 hp and could propel the rider at speeds of 28 mph (48 km/h).
It was started using the pedals which could be engaged and disengaged from the engine via a starting lever so it could be ridden as a normal bicycle.
Later models did not have pedals, and instead were started with a kick start mechanism.
Puch motorcycle marketed as the "Twingle"
Puch is remembered in the US for importing the SGS 250, the first and last split-single seen there. Marketed by Sears in their catalogue as the "Twingle",[4] it was styled much like a BMW of the 1950s and 60s. The layout had been popular in Europe between the wars because it improved scavenging, and hence fuel consumption, a feature considered less important in the US. New models after World War II had an internal re-arrangement which improved piston lubrication, reducing wear on the most vulnerable part of the engine, while an early system of pumping the two-stroke oil, along with the twin spark-plug ignition, greatly improved day-to-day reliability. Despite the racing heritage and performance potential of the split-single engine, this particular Puch model, with a top speed around 110 km/h, was at a disadvantage against the loop-scavenged two-strokes that arrived in the late 1960s. A total of 38,584 of Puch 250 SGS motorcycles were produced between 1953 and 1970.[5]
Puch 500
The Puch 500 was a city car produced by Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Graz under license from Fiat. Based on the Fiat 500, it was manufactured from 1957 until 1975.
