Puch Literature

Since old Ako got around to scanning some of his stuff, I thought I'd at least take some pictures of some of the stuff I have. Here is a Puch brochure featuring the AD.


If Puch was still available in the US, I'd have at least two new Maxis. One to ride and one to time capsule. I've thought it would be fun to take a restored moped, seal it up, and bury it, and then give a map to an enthusiast in 50 years and let them dig one up.

Motion Left, GR, TBS, MF, Guns & Bandits

This past weekend was certainly fun. Andrea and I took a ride in the Bratmobile over to Goshen. It's about a 120 mile drive through the countryside of Indiana. Goshen is the nicest little town to ever be taken over by a moped gang. It is also a geographical oddity, because you sure as heck cant get there via any interstate. I hope you like little towns and Amish buggies because you will be slowing down for them frequently. Fortunately, I like both. Devin decided to have a get together at his shop and honored me by hosting the party in my honor. A mini-rally it could be called, with only one moped ride, where only 3 people participated. We mostly just spent Saturday in the shop, playing ping pong, excite bike, dancing, yelling, laughing, drinking and fixing mopeds or porting engines. In this photo, you can see Gangles diligently adapting his Polini for a Dio intake, and Bengry porting his fingernails. It was great fun. We also enjoyed the fair weather and after Wads and I mastered the tall bike, we tried to double team the super tall bike, with limited success. Those nice guys from Motion Left (and friends) made me a banner. It has been pointed out that my name shouldn't have an H, but most people spell my real name wrong as well, so I'm used to it. The pictures are slightly doctored ones of me doing responsible things. I've never had a banner made of me before, I'll try to not let it go to my head. I also spent the weekend trying to hard sell Gangles into buying a Subaru Brat. I've got a line on 3 sweet little rigs all together in one place and we are dreaming up a Brat run involving a 4 Brat convoy down the highway on the way home. The dancing is always fun at Motion Left, but sadly our party was not the most happening thing on the block, as a Quinceanera at the Wagon Wheel Event center next door was PACKED and BUMPING. In table tennis, I learned that it's hard to put a shot over the end of the table against a man with 3 foot long arms, but then again, I was playing Gabe left handed. I did manage to beat Devin several times this weekend, and there is a certain curve which I have plotted here that shows one's skill in table tennis compared to the number of drinks they have had. I'm not sure at which times on the chart I was winning my matches, so it's hard to say who is better. I'll just be sure to play with both eyes open next time and we will find out who is the best.

This is my perspective on the weekend. For a different view, please read Gabe's blog.

Hawaii Mike

As you may recall, when I was in Oahu this fall, I saw a guy riding a maxi, so naturally, I chased him down and followed him home. This is the best way to make friends, because then you already know where they live. Make sure to remind them of this when you greet them. His name was Mike, and he just sent me some pictures of his newest build. He says

"Here are some pictures of the ridgid i am building. I just got a nice rear fender and am waiting on a seat i ordered so i can powdercoat the seat pan and fender then get the seat reupholstered. I just got those spokes and cleaned them up the cool part is that the date on the rims and the date on my frame match thay are both 12/77. Thats a stock repro pipe but i have a nos magnum pipe that i would really like to run on it but i dont have a stock magnum j-pipe."
The people of the island love to sit on the beach and polish everything. Spokes, hardware, cases, everything. I guess if I could sit on the beach all day, I might as well polish something.

The Hawaiians have always had their own moped style. Perhaps its the isolation of the island, or just the endless moped weather, but they have always made sweet bikes.


In Hawaii, you put a bicycle seat on your moped, and take the pedals off. It has always fascinated me how moped customization varies based on location. You can look at a moped and say "That looks super Euro" and people understand what you mean. The variety of bikes popular in certain regions of the US are also entertaining. No one in Texas has ever seen a Sachs. Iowa must have had a law requiring 1 Honda Express for every registered voter. Mopeds could be a fascinating case study for a sociology grad student who liked mopeds and wanted to write a paper on them. For me, they will just keep me awake, dreaming about them, or blasting without a care through the world of the night.

Nashville TN: Deadpeds

Snow Pedding 2011 from Josh Duensing on Vimeo.

Long time blog readers might recall a night last winter or two ago when MF was visited by a Deadped, who rode along with us on the AD and managed to ride safely all night until he attempted to start it to go home. All that fun aside, the Deadpeds are hosting their 2nd rally, and it happens to be the same weekend as another event on the west coast. Since I've relocated, I'll be attending this rally, representing the MF and perhaps crashing a loaner as retribution. JKJK. Lose plans in the works to ride form Lousiville KY to Nashville. Looks like an excellent time, just don't bring a 1 speed bike! I'll be getting the Derbi re-shod with some good knobby tires for Hazard county roads and I am anticipating warm weather again. The forcast for this weekend even calls for high 30s! Huzza!

This is what it's like to ride a moped

Come on. Live a little.