Fantasic!! That was my first minibike in 1971~72, when I was six years old outside Cleveland, Ohio! Yes, the clutch was squeezed by the lever to get it to go, but when you got up to speed, you could release the lever. They apparently came with a headlight and taillight too, but mine never had them. It was the start of a lifelong addiction! I've never been without a minibike or motorcycle since!
I'm with you Kirk N. cept my first was Honda 50 like Mustie has had here and then up through the Honda's - Mustie has had a copy of every one I ever had on his channel here - Love it!
@@gatdelporco Same with the old Puch Maxi P(P for Pedals) It too came with a lever to engage engine with gearbox, and you could pushstart it. An old schoolfriend had one, and it went 70-80KM/H 🤣
I believe the little ball thing you used to clean the tiny carb parts in is called a 'tea infuser'. You put a spoon of loose tea in it, hang the hook on the edge of your cup, and pour hot water over it. Steep the tea until it's to your liking and remove from the cup. Amazon sells all sorts of those type things.
Retired from a 26yr Paint Lab Stint, a Paint shaker Should work well for your Small Bike tanks. We actually used them to make small Paint *Grind* samples. Breaking down the colored pigment & fillers for primers with small Porcelain Bebees. A 20min. Shake Cycle was all it took. Us Antique radio restorers Use O-rings to replace the broken or weathered Tuning Belts. For Different sizes Cut Them on a Angle 30* so the glue has More Surface Area to Stick to. Hope these suggestions Help You All.
Riggt on! Paint shaker has proven to be the best, bar none, to clean out old tanks like Honda Mini-Trails and Z-50's. Gets every nook and cranny and does a helluva job on small parts. I've even used sifted beach sand and saved pistachio shells as a medium.
I believe the clutch is working as intended, the clutch lever is to force the clutch to lock up so you can bump start the engine or in other models to pedal start it like the Vespa Ciao. Great video again Mustie1.
Right! Came here to comment as well. Had a moped in Italy in the 80s. Third lever was to pedal start, or push / go down a hill and pull the level to start.
The lever makes a small excentric axle rotate, pushing the plate onto the clutch assembly, effectively linking the crankshaft to the output. Brings back the Puch Maxi vibes for me 👌
I love the fact that you can take something that has died 50 years ago and has been just sitting as junk, and give it a little 💘 and it starts to purr from the Love ya give it! Spiderman ain't the only AMAZING..! Darren is too! Bill, from Tn. 🇺🇸
This little Benelli is as old as me. We were both born in 69. There used to be a Benelli dealer in my town when I was a kid and he was busy all the time with sales and repairs. These little Buzzers used to be buzzing all over the place here in my neighborhood in Pennsylvania.
We had a Benelli when I was a kid and the hand lever underneath the left hand grip is a second gear to go faster. At least that's what it did on the one we had. Ours was blue instead of red and had a headlight and taillight on it. I'm pretty sure it was a 1969 or 1970 model. We got it new and it was one of those two years. Thanks for reviving some great memories Darren. 👍 PS - After that minibike I rode dirt bikes all thru High school. Then in 1978 after I got out of the Navy I started riding Harleys and still do ride to this day. 😃👍
I lived in Italy in the 80’s. My only transport was a 750 virago. Kids were in awe by it as most had mopeds in my town. They called it a Bella grande motochicletta!
Musties evident joy in exploring and fixing these machines is what i enjoy..and the conversing with his audience that seem to be overlooking his shoulder as he works...just a fantastic YTer..my favorite..and never has, and never will ask for patronage..class act..
A neighbor had this one on his sail boat in the early 80s. For the shopping at marinas he visited. When he bought a diblasi foldable it became my first bike. Once you qet going you could let go the clutch. Great to see one back.
Thanks for another awesome trip back in time.. Those were the best of times riding mini bikes and dirt bikes as a kid. First time my dad started teaching me how to work on stuff and keep it running. Take care of yourself and get some rest. Thanks again.
at the end of your video, the "clutch" on the bottom left is called a "starter clutch" and is used to push start this no-ped. On a moped you would pedal and squeeze the starter clutch to start the engine. The starter clutch locks the engine to the rear wheel.
That little bike made my life so much fun it is just like my first bike except mine was blue my dad and uncle had a Benelli dealership I got mine in 1973 for Christmas I was 10 it was used but I loved it I rode it for three years until the clutches gave out and I was to big to ride it good memories
The mineral spirits you used was the environmental friendly version . Notice the milky white color . In my experience it’s completely useless in place of the normal stuff . Great video Mustie !
Yep. In my experience if the label says "green" or "earth friendly" it might as well say "does not work." The "green" carb cleaner is especially worthless. You might as well be spraying the carb with water.
Back in the early 90’s I was buying some engine degreaser. The guy behind the counter said to me, “Don’t use that $#!+ that’s good for the environment. It doesn’t work!” 😂
I remember the original formula chem dip carb cleaner, you could put the filthiest, grungiest carb in that stuff and it would come out pristine. The stuff now won't clean butter
your videos are some of the best to watch whilst having my evening meal. there's no sense urgency, always calm and methodical. i own and wrench on a vw beetle thanks to the confidence your videos gave me over the years.
I Got one of these for Christmas in the 60s . I had over 2000 miles on it when the odometer quit working. It was a 2 speed automatic and you pulled the clutch lever for push starting.
Yep, it was a kick start... my muffler was different also. A small square muffler underneath. It was a street legal bike, my dad had plates on it for an occasional ride through the neighborhood. I'm not sure if they made any variations on the transmission?
They're more fun than regular bikes because they remind us of our youth and the speed and the freedom from pedaling. It's too bad we can't get small like we were back then.
These and the old classic minibikes like Rupp and Bonanza were never originally intended for kids, people keep making that mistake and it's comical. The first mini bikes were designed as pit bikes, to get in and around the pit areas between races at racetracks *where adults raced*. The first go karts were designed for racing in as small a package or footprint as possible and the proper riding position was knees bent, knees in your face and the steering wheel rubbed the inside of your thighs. Maybe it's because people are so morbidly obese that they want to be small again?
@@hcox1111 Scaling up the frame then means it's approaching a regular motorcycle size and a bigger frame means an engine larger than 50cc, but it wouldn't be as fun or as economical as regards to space. These things were designed to be small, nimble and fun and back in the day could be thrown in the trunk of those large American automobiles.. Unfortunately the CC arms race doomed the minibike phenomenon to the trash bin of history as Americans kept wanting more and more power and speed.
A lot of you had a funner youth then I did. My parents never let me have any moped, mini-bike, motorcycle, ATV, gokart. The best I had were video games, back in the day when you were considered a dork for playing them. Now days video games are considered cool, most people play them, and they even do professional championships over them. Now days, I just have a 1990 Craftsman riding mower, that I did a pulley swap on, that makes it go 20-MPH in 6th gear. I put beefy tires on it, sucker could pull a 1-ton truck on pavement easily lol.
I owned a Benelli mini-bike many years ago. When I got it... someone had run straight-gas in it. I totally disassembled engine and rebuilt. It was the quietest 2-stroke engine I ever encountered.
If that clutch is the same as a moped clutch, it looks like it. That clutch is for starting it with the rear tire rolling or pop starting it. Its like an inverted clutch since its an automatic.
I always wanted one of those little bikes to play on as a kid, but my parents couldn't afford it, things were tough in the 1960's and 70's. Today, on a By-pass near to me, I saw a guy on a 1976 Kawasaki 900 4 cylinde 4 stroke potterin along at 40 mph, it was making a little bit of smoke , but looked in immaculate condition.
I remember those things. Back then a lot of them ran 16 to 1 mix. You never had any mosquitoes around running those things. Some where I have what's left of a kit for making your own plug wires. You got boots terminals 50 ft of plug wire and a crimping tool. Great video have fun .
Very rare scooter even in Italy! Mopeds with a maximum displacement of 50 cc were very popular because at the age of 14 you could drive them without a license! I'm talking about the 70s, all the guys obviously replaced the muffler with a louder one and the best ones tried some modifications to have a little more power. This Benelli is really very interesting, good restoration ! 👋👋From 🇮🇹
When I lived in New Hampshire for 30 years I used to ride around Boston on a Mountain bike. You really realize just how small Boston is. I now live in the mountains of New Mexico and really enjoy your videos.
A friend of a friend had one of these when I was a kid back in the late 60s early 70s. It was truly exotic, even back then. Everybody else had Rupp and Fox mini bikes along with a smattering of Honda QA-50's. I remember seeing the guy ride it, and it seemed very foreign. It was.
Benelli Buzzers were sold here in the UK, yip they had head, tail and brake lights. They were perfect for whizzing around London where the traffic is almost at a stop during peak periods. The one I had would occasionally hit back on the kick start for no known reasons when starting it. It always painfully caught you square in the ankle. Herw in the UK, if it's petrol powered we have to road tax, insure and have a tearly MOT tesr (roadworthy test) You are lucky riding without insurance etc. This brought back memories of the Buzzer that was sadly squished by a lorry whilst parked
As a sailor in Europe, in 1973, I needed a "land dinghy" to get to the Immigration Office / Customs Office / get gasoline for my sailboat engine / and get ice. In the Adriatic a normal sunny day is 90 degrees. I found the BENELLI "CITY BIKE" but couldn't buy one in Munich, where we lived. On a yacht delivery trip from Elba to Viareggio, Italy I found a motorcycle store; and Yes, they had a BENELLI City Bike. It had been in a show window in a neighboring town - and being s two cycle engine required an oil / gasoline mixture. Back at the owner's main store and shop in Viareggio, he tried to start it, but the carburetor was clogged. His mechanic removed the carburetor was quickly removed and cleaned; then the mechanic took the elbow that connected the carburetor to the cylinder; took it to his drill press; got s large diameter drill and in seconds was making a pile of aluminum shavings. My wife stand there and watching this was aghast. What's he doing to our new BENELLI? Being and engineer, I knew what he was doing. In Europe, 50 cc vehicles are limited to 30 km on the road. This speed limit was accomplished by having a restriction in the elbow. All the mechanic was doing was enlarging the whole air path to the engine. When it was running again, and I twisted the throttle, - forget the 30 km speed limit - it emitted a roar and was good for at least 70 km/h. The handle bar folds inward, and then downward. The folded BENELLI fitted into my sail locker; could easily be lifted out and lowered into our dinghy. Then at the dock, I unfolded it; fired it up and could then look for ice / get gasoline from the automobile gas station at the edge of town; or get to the Official Offices the easy way. It was a wonderful solution to a sailing problem.
Every time you put a patient on the lift and crank it up, I get a picture in my mind of Dr Frankenstein working on his creature…and I see the moment lightening flashes and you declare “It’s ALIVEEE”…
I really like this little Benelli. Yes when riding a Honda 50 when I was 15 I was coming downhill on a logging road. I was braking as hard as I could for a road washout. As I got right to it the bike slipped out from under me and I slammed to the ground. If that happened now at 75 I would be hurting for 6 months. At the time even though it really hurt, an hour later I felt nothing. So we learn when young and now my big rottweiler changed sides behind me in the park and I never threw the leash over my head in time riding my bike and flopped down and can still feel it when moving something heavy on the floor. Now I keep better track of where he is going and throw the leash over my head sometimes inadvertantly.
I’m watching this on 6-1-23 and I to am working on a Riverside/Benelli but mine is a little bigger being a 250. Started a complete tear down for a total restoration.👍❤️🏍
I am with you on the fun factor of these little things. I've rode them all and for some reason these little mopeds/motorized bikes and even the small 4 wheelers always put a smile on the face.
My neighbor had one of these. We always had to wait on him for some breakdown or another. Most common? Chain slipped off. I had a mini bike from Western Auto, simple but relliable! Great video.
I like to see those videos working with italian moped, The lower left lever is for starting the motor in a different model with the pedal. I have a Benelli Gentleman with the same engine, your model we call Motorella
I’ve had lots of carb gaskets grow when old, but if you give them a couple days to dry they return to normal size. It means there’s no quick carb cleaning but you don’t need parts that may be made of unobtainium. For gas tank rust removal I put in a couple cups of nuts and bolts and strap them to a riding mower wheel for a couple hours.
Mustie, the bottom of the filer cap is the fuel tank breather that can be screwed closed so that no fuel can leak out of the fuel tank if you are transporting the BENELLI in our boat, or in the trunk of a car
31:48 In the shop I worked in before retiring 18 years ago, our O-ring kit, had several extra-large and spool material for making rings, it had a cutter that made diagonal cuts to the ring material and a bottle of Loctite Super Glue. Good work Mustie
I just wanted to let you know I watch All of your videos and they have expired me to go and get my dad's old garden tiller running again after sitting for 20 years
Around here it's e-bikes. I did a conversion a few years ago, that was stolen just this week. Now I'm getting the parts in to convert my Specialized Rockhopper. I ride to work every day during Daylight Savings, it's fun and healthy (I'm the same age as you are).
It's a mechanical clutch with direct drive. You need it with both wheels on the ground kick starting it would just bump you forwards. Pull in clutch kick it over, walk it forward whilst gently letting out clutch and away you go. Clutch also needed when stopping at traffic lights etc.
That's cool you saved that little gem i rember back mid 60's to eatly 70''s the Benelli minibikes were sold out at the JC Penneys auto center at the mall.
Sweet! Love it when there are more episodes of fun project you are working on....which is pretty much every project you work on Mustie. Thx for another fun vid sir.
One trick I did for cleaning a tank was putting a cup of sand and couple of cups of varasol then plug the two openings up. I bungy corded it to my car wheel with car on blocks. Start the engine then stick it in drive. Let it run for 20 minutes at idle. Pull it off and flush it all out. It was sparkling clean.
Yep, mopeds have had that scene for longer than you'd imagine. I got a lot of my old parts/bikes from Kalamazoo Moped Riders and Hot 'N' Readyz out of Chicago. They're really rad people and it's a super cool scene. Rallies usually have a support truck for the inevitable breakdowns hah.
This brings back memories lol my Italian uncle had one of these when i was a kid if I remember right that lever was for starting the bike not shifting. Can't wait to see ya riding it.
Very cool project Mustie I can picture this at one of your shows with all the other cool old bikes and cars. Your starting quite a Rusty Museaum or a Rusteaum, if you will. Love this collection.
Greetings from Sydney, Australia Mustie1. Another success and looking forward to new projects as our winter is just starting and nothing better than a coffee, biscuits and a Mustie1 video! I'd imagine this Benelli Buzzer is fairly rare and you mentioned the 1970 compliance plate and may be a sought after collectable. It's from the era when mini bikes were just taking off and the styling looks like an Italian version of "suitcase" mini bikes where the seat and handlebars could fold down for easy travel and storage. A little beauty and can't wait for the next adventure!
I lived just outside of Naples 76-79 and I had a Benelli 50 but mine was more of a dirt bike frame and much larger. It had two rear sprocket and a piece of extra chain and master link so you could switch from Hi and Low range. Gas stations would have a visible pump like the old days in the US where you would dial in the 2 cycle oil and blend it with however many liters of benzina you were buying and fill your tank.
For cleaning tanks, I've always had the best luck with an alkaline based All Purpose Cleaner/De-greaser. Something like Simple Green, Purple Power, Super Clean, etc. Just mix it with water and fill the tank. It'll eat away the oil and varnish. Then rinse and use an acid like vinegar for the rust. Chemical solvents and thinners don't seem to do much of anything.
Thanks Mustie, always a pleasure. Would definitely like to talk to you one day.
Just another fellow RUclipsr. 😁
Fantasic!! That was my first minibike in 1971~72, when I was six years old outside Cleveland, Ohio! Yes, the clutch was squeezed by the lever to get it to go, but when you got up to speed, you could release the lever. They apparently came with a headlight and taillight too, but mine never had them.
It was the start of a lifelong addiction! I've never been without a minibike or motorcycle since!
edit to add: looking forward to following along on this one!
The clutch is centrifugal, if you squeeze the lever you can push start it, my grandma moped had the same kind of lever
I'm with you Kirk N. cept my first was Honda 50 like Mustie has had here and then up through the Honda's - Mustie has had a copy of every one I ever had on his channel here - Love it!
@@gatdelporco Same with the old Puch Maxi P(P for Pedals) It too came with a lever to engage engine with gearbox, and you could pushstart it. An old schoolfriend had one, and it went 70-80KM/H 🤣
Lucky you. I grew up in the city so I never got one, even though all the other kids had those Coleman trail bikes
I believe the little ball thing you used to clean the tiny carb parts in is called a 'tea infuser'. You put a spoon of loose tea in it, hang the hook on the edge of your cup, and pour hot water over it. Steep the tea until it's to your liking and remove from the cup. Amazon sells all sorts of those type things.
Retired from a 26yr Paint Lab Stint, a Paint shaker Should work well for your Small Bike tanks. We actually used them to make small Paint *Grind* samples. Breaking down the colored pigment & fillers for primers with small Porcelain Bebees. A 20min. Shake Cycle was all it took. Us Antique radio restorers Use O-rings to replace the broken or weathered Tuning Belts. For Different sizes Cut Them on a Angle 30* so the glue has More Surface Area to Stick to. Hope these suggestions Help You All.
Riggt on! Paint shaker has proven to be the best, bar none, to clean out old tanks like Honda Mini-Trails and Z-50's. Gets every nook and cranny and does a helluva job on small parts. I've even used sifted beach sand and saved pistachio shells as a medium.
its not Sunday until Mustie1 publish the video :)
Ok, that Mini bike is truly a MINI! The seat is almost as big as the whole thing. Love the gastank.
I believe the clutch is working as intended, the clutch lever is to force the clutch to lock up so you can bump start the engine or in other models to pedal start it like the Vespa Ciao. Great video again Mustie1.
Right! Came here to comment as well. Had a moped in Italy in the 80s. Third lever was to pedal start, or push / go down a hill and pull the level to start.
Second that on the bump start. Here in Europe the kickstart was usualy an upgrade. The Puch maxi's all have this lever.
It to disengage the clutch
@@catsbyondrepair I think it engages the clutch, linking the back wheel to the crankshaft
The lever makes a small excentric axle rotate, pushing the plate onto the clutch assembly, effectively linking the crankshaft to the output.
Brings back the Puch Maxi vibes for me 👌
I love the fact that you can take something that has died 50 years ago and has been just sitting as junk, and give it a little 💘 and it starts to purr from the Love ya give it! Spiderman ain't the only AMAZING..! Darren is too!
Bill, from Tn. 🇺🇸
This little Benelli is as old as me. We were both born in 69. There used to be a Benelli dealer in my town when I was a kid and he was busy all the time with sales and repairs. These little Buzzers used to be buzzing all over the place here in my neighborhood in Pennsylvania.
We had a Benelli when I was a kid and the hand lever underneath the left hand grip is a second gear to go faster. At least that's what it did on the one we had. Ours was blue instead of red and had a headlight and taillight on it. I'm pretty sure it was a 1969 or 1970 model. We got it new and it was one of those two years. Thanks for reviving some great memories Darren. 👍
PS - After that minibike I rode dirt bikes all thru High school. Then in 1978 after I got out of the Navy I started riding Harleys and still do ride to this day. 😃👍
I lived in Italy in the 80’s. My only transport was a 750 virago. Kids were in awe by it as most had mopeds in my town. They called it a Bella grande motochicletta!
Had an '86 Virago 700. Great bike!
@@shockcoach loved my 82. Put about 40,000 miles on it. Regret ever selling it.
Musties evident joy in exploring and fixing these machines is what i enjoy..and the conversing with his audience that seem to be overlooking his shoulder as he works...just a fantastic YTer..my favorite..and never has, and never will ask for patronage..class act..
Very well said, he is simply the best.
A neighbor had this one on his sail boat in the early 80s. For the shopping at marinas he visited. When he bought a diblasi foldable it became my first bike. Once you qet going you could let go the clutch. Great to see one back.
Neat, that is a perfect application as a small, compact, take along vehicle substantial enough to take you sightseeing and shopping on dry land.
Ever thought about filling those rusty tanks with Evaporust and leaving overnight? That stuff is amazing! Thanks for another great video!
Thanks for another awesome trip back in time.. Those were the best of times riding mini bikes and dirt bikes as a kid. First time my dad started teaching me how to work on stuff and keep it running. Take care of yourself and get some rest. Thanks again.
Thanks for great content, always interesting and different !!!!
Now we can start our Sunday! Good Morning everyone from Peoria AZ
at the end of your video, the "clutch" on the bottom left is called a "starter clutch" and is used to push start this no-ped. On a moped you would pedal and squeeze the starter clutch to start the engine. The starter clutch locks the engine to the rear wheel.
I remember these! Sears sold them. I bought the next size up. It was a 65cc bike with a clutch. What a great little bike!!!
When you were on the gas tank , and said "a bit of a Colestrol problem" I almost fell out of my chair-- busting a gut.
Great videos my friend.
That little bike made my life so much fun it is just like my first bike except mine was blue my dad and uncle had a Benelli dealership I got mine in 1973 for Christmas I was 10 it was used but I loved it I rode it for three years until the clutches gave out and I was to big to ride it good memories
The mineral spirits you used was the environmental friendly version . Notice the milky white color . In my experience it’s completely useless in place of the normal stuff . Great video Mustie !
Yep. In my experience if the label says "green" or "earth friendly" it might as well say "does not work." The "green" carb cleaner is especially worthless. You might as well be spraying the carb with water.
Back in the early 90’s I was buying some engine degreaser. The guy behind the counter said to me, “Don’t use that $#!+ that’s good for the environment. It doesn’t work!” 😂
I remember the original formula chem dip carb cleaner, you could put the filthiest, grungiest carb in that stuff and it would come out pristine. The stuff now won't clean butter
@@dave1135 Mustie's Chem Dip (in his ultrasonic cleaner) disagrees with you. Still pretty darn effective.
Like Phosphate-free TSP
I was stationed a Pease AFB there in NH in '89-'90. Enjoying watching you get this little scooter running.
your videos are some of the best to watch whilst having my evening meal. there's no sense urgency, always calm and methodical. i own and wrench on a vw beetle thanks to the confidence your videos gave me over the years.
I Got one of these for Christmas in the 60s . I had over 2000 miles on it when the odometer quit working. It was a 2 speed automatic and you pulled the clutch lever for push starting.
Is this one also a two speed?
Did yours have the kick starter?
Yep, it was a kick start... my muffler was different also. A small square muffler underneath. It was a street legal bike, my dad had plates on it for an occasional ride through the neighborhood. I'm not sure if they made any variations on the transmission?
They're more fun than regular bikes because they remind us of our youth and the speed and the freedom from pedaling. It's too bad we can't get small like we were back then.
Just scale up a frame to match an adult. There's your million dollar idea- "Dream Bike" relive your childhood.
Reminds me of ((and gives more meaning to)) Steve Martins "Let's Get Small" shtick...
These and the old classic minibikes like Rupp and Bonanza were never originally intended for kids, people keep making that mistake and it's comical. The first mini bikes were designed as pit bikes, to get in and around the pit areas between races at racetracks *where adults raced*. The first go karts were designed for racing in as small a package or footprint as possible and the proper riding position was knees bent, knees in your face and the steering wheel rubbed the inside of your thighs. Maybe it's because people are so morbidly obese that they want to be small again?
@@hcox1111 Scaling up the frame then means it's approaching a regular motorcycle size and a bigger frame means an engine larger than 50cc, but it wouldn't be as fun or as economical as regards to space. These things were designed to be small, nimble and fun and back in the day could be thrown in the trunk of those large American automobiles.. Unfortunately the CC arms race doomed the minibike phenomenon to the trash bin of history as Americans kept wanting more and more power and speed.
A lot of you had a funner youth then I did. My parents never let me have any moped, mini-bike, motorcycle, ATV, gokart. The best I had were video games, back in the day when you were considered a dork for playing them. Now days video games are considered cool, most people play them, and they even do professional championships over them. Now days, I just have a 1990 Craftsman riding mower, that I did a pulley swap on, that makes it go 20-MPH in 6th gear. I put beefy tires on it, sucker could pull a 1-ton truck on pavement easily lol.
I owned a Benelli mini-bike many years ago. When I got it... someone had run straight-gas in it. I totally disassembled engine and rebuilt. It was the quietest 2-stroke engine I ever encountered.
If that clutch is the same as a moped clutch, it looks like it. That clutch is for starting it with the rear tire rolling or pop starting it. Its like an inverted clutch since its an automatic.
50:15 I resemble that remark! We do take pride in our life's journey.
These little bikes bring back a lot of cool memories from when I was a kid in the late 60s and 70s.
I always wanted one of those little bikes to play on as a kid, but my parents couldn't afford it, things were tough in the 1960's and 70's. Today, on a By-pass near to me, I saw a guy on a 1976 Kawasaki 900 4 cylinde 4 stroke potterin along at 40 mph, it was making a little bit of smoke , but looked in immaculate condition.
I remember those things. Back then a lot of them ran 16 to 1 mix. You never had any mosquitoes around running those things. Some where I have what's left of a kit for making your own plug wires. You got boots terminals 50 ft of plug wire and a crimping tool. Great video have fun .
Very rare scooter even in Italy! Mopeds with a maximum displacement of 50 cc were very popular because at the age of 14 you could drive them without a license! I'm talking about the 70s, all the guys obviously replaced the muffler with a louder one and the best ones tried some modifications to have a little more power. This Benelli is really very interesting, good restoration ! 👋👋From 🇮🇹
Moped nation.... I love the little ones too. At one point I had quite a collection of them... Thanks for the vids again.
That model of Dellorto does not like to run without aircleaner assembly if you can’t find the Benelli housing the Vespa Chiao one is readily available
When I lived in New Hampshire for 30 years I used to ride around Boston on a Mountain bike. You really realize just how small Boston is.
I now live in the mountains of New Mexico and really enjoy your videos.
A friend of a friend had one of these when I was a kid back in the late 60s early 70s. It was truly exotic, even back then. Everybody else had Rupp and Fox mini bikes along with a smattering of Honda QA-50's. I remember seeing the guy ride it, and it seemed very foreign. It was.
Benelli Buzzers were sold here in the UK, yip they had head, tail and brake lights.
They were perfect for whizzing around London where the traffic is almost at a stop during peak periods.
The one I had would occasionally hit back on the kick start for no known reasons when starting it.
It always painfully caught you square in the ankle.
Herw in the UK, if it's petrol powered we have to road tax, insure and have a tearly MOT tesr (roadworthy test)
You are lucky riding without insurance etc.
This brought back memories of the Buzzer that was sadly squished by a lorry whilst parked
Mustie on a holiday weekend is always a welcoming sight. Thanks for the content mustie.
Sweet! I received the same bike for my 3rd birthday in 1970.
As a sailor in Europe, in 1973, I needed a "land dinghy" to get to the Immigration Office / Customs Office / get gasoline for my sailboat engine / and get ice. In the Adriatic a normal sunny day is 90 degrees. I found the BENELLI "CITY BIKE" but couldn't buy one in Munich, where we lived. On a yacht delivery trip from Elba to Viareggio, Italy I found a motorcycle store; and Yes, they had a BENELLI City Bike.
It had been in a show window in a neighboring town - and being s two cycle engine required an oil / gasoline mixture.
Back at the owner's main store and shop in Viareggio, he tried to start it, but the carburetor was clogged. His mechanic removed the carburetor was quickly removed and cleaned; then the mechanic took the elbow that connected the carburetor to the cylinder; took it to his drill press; got s large diameter drill and in seconds was making a pile of aluminum shavings.
My wife stand there and watching this was aghast. What's he doing to our new BENELLI? Being and engineer, I knew what he was doing.
In Europe, 50 cc vehicles are limited to 30 km on the road. This speed limit was accomplished by having a restriction in the elbow. All the mechanic was doing was enlarging the whole air path to the engine.
When it was running again, and I twisted the throttle, - forget the 30 km speed limit - it emitted a roar and was good for at least 70 km/h.
The handle bar folds inward, and then downward. The folded BENELLI fitted into my sail locker; could easily be lifted out and lowered into our dinghy. Then at the dock, I unfolded it; fired it up and could then look for ice / get gasoline from the automobile gas station at the edge of town; or get to the Official Offices the easy way. It was a wonderful solution to a sailing problem.
You do a excellent job, it showing and explaining the problem. I enjoy watching. and learning your techniques.
Every time you put a patient on the lift and crank it up, I get a picture in my mind of Dr Frankenstein working on his creature…and I see the moment lightening flashes and you declare “It’s ALIVEEE”…
Always enjoy just about every project you get. THKS
I really like this little Benelli. Yes when riding a Honda 50 when I was 15 I was coming downhill on a logging road. I was braking as hard as I could for a road washout. As I got right to it the bike slipped out from under me and I slammed to the ground. If that happened now at 75 I would be hurting for 6 months. At the time even though it really hurt, an hour later I felt nothing. So we learn when young and now my big rottweiler changed sides behind me in the park and I never threw the leash over my head in time riding my bike and flopped down and can still feel it when moving something heavy on the floor. Now I keep better track of where he is going and throw the leash over my head sometimes inadvertantly.
Always a favorite way to start my Sunday Mornings! Hello from NE Tennessee!
I’m watching this on 6-1-23 and I to am working on a Riverside/Benelli but mine is a little bigger being a 250. Started a complete tear down for a total restoration.👍❤️🏍
Awesome as always.Thanks for sharing and taking us along
He looks like the lil mini bike caricature from Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch! Great content, as always.
My brother and I had a Benelli 65cc growing up, lots of fun.
Always I look forward to your vids. Tho I’m unable to turn a wrench anymore,I still remember th joy i experienced tinkering on old motor stuff.
Good morning from Houston Texas.
Howdy neighbor!
Howdy.
I am with you on the fun factor of these little things. I've rode them all and for some reason these little mopeds/motorized bikes and even the small 4 wheelers always put a smile on the face.
My neighbor had one of these. We always had to wait on him for some breakdown or another. Most common? Chain slipped off. I had a mini bike from Western Auto, simple but relliable! Great video.
Great video! I appreciate your step by step method to figuring thngs out. Thanks for another great project.
I like to see those videos working with italian moped,
The lower left lever is for starting the motor in a different model with the pedal.
I have a Benelli Gentleman with the same engine, your model we call Motorella
I’ve had lots of carb gaskets grow when old, but if you give them a couple days to dry they return to normal size. It means there’s no quick carb cleaning but you don’t need parts that may be made of unobtainium.
For gas tank rust removal I put in a couple cups of nuts and bolts and strap them to a riding mower wheel for a couple hours.
Cool tip on nuts and Riding Mower ... sort of like a "Rock Tumbler".
Love how you clean your hands on literally the dirtiest shop rag ever! Keep it Up Mustie!
Mustie, the bottom of the filer cap is the fuel tank breather that can be screwed closed so that no fuel can leak out of the fuel tank if you are transporting the BENELLI in our boat, or in the trunk of a car
31:48 In the shop I worked in before retiring 18 years ago, our O-ring kit, had several extra-large and spool material for making rings, it had a cutter that made diagonal cuts to the ring material and a bottle of Loctite Super Glue. Good work Mustie
Thanks again for the shop time Mustie1! Look forward to the next episode! Always love your excitement when they fire!
Cute lil guy, hope you have a great memorial weekend Sir
I just wanted to let you know I watch All of your videos and they have expired me to go and get my dad's old garden tiller running again after sitting for 20 years
This has to be the coolest mini bike ever!
So much character wow!!
Nice one, I have one only looking for rings for it to work, it was a gift from my late grandmother
"Buzzerelli" 😂😂😂 You find some gems Mustie!!
Around here it's e-bikes. I did a conversion a few years ago, that was stolen just this week. Now I'm getting the parts in to convert my Specialized Rockhopper. I ride to work every day during Daylight Savings, it's fun and healthy (I'm the same age as you are).
Don't think I've ever seen a head that clean
Tea baskets come in handy. Great job
It's a mechanical clutch with direct drive. You need it with both wheels on the ground kick starting it would just bump you forwards. Pull in clutch kick it over, walk it forward whilst gently letting out clutch and away you go. Clutch also needed when stopping at traffic lights etc.
That's cool you saved that little gem i rember back mid 60's to eatly 70''s the Benelli minibikes were sold out at the JC Penneys auto center at the mall.
This is where I say thank you for sharing with me and the rest of the world!
I can remember back in the 70s make your own fan belts that was cut it to length and Super Glue the ends together
Good morning all from Lincolnshire UK
Massachusetts USA here ! Good morning!
@@Jesselovespinball Hi from Queensland Aus
California girl here. 🥰
Good morning from a London Lad.
Wadley Alabama
the giddiness of finding spark and compression 😁. The Buzzer is awesome !
When I cut and glue o-rings I do it diagonally to increase the area for the glue.
That's the coolest little bike since the suitcase bike. Thanks for sharing
ah, the honda city?
there was a car that had a special spot where you could put the bike
it, like the bike is insanely small
Great little moped.Looking forward to part two.All the best to you.May be you hold it for starting
Sweet! Love it when there are more episodes of fun project you are working on....which is pretty much every project you work on Mustie. Thx for another fun vid sir.
You come up with some of the coolest stuff! I love cool stuff and you got some of the best on RUclips anyway. Thanks for sharing Bob from Virginia USA
That is a neat old machine, definitely needs another video to wrap it all up 👌
Good heavens that bike IS mini!
I started driving a moped to work instead of my car when the weather is nice. It saves me time and money! And its fun 😁
Haha, from Bridgeton, NJ. There are a lot of us Goombahs down here :) That explains the Italian mini-bike.
One trick I did for cleaning a tank was putting a cup of sand and couple of cups of varasol then plug the two openings up. I bungy corded it to my car wheel with car on blocks. Start the engine then stick it in drive. Let it run for 20 minutes at idle. Pull it off and flush it all out. It was sparkling clean.
Yep, mopeds have had that scene for longer than you'd imagine. I got a lot of my old parts/bikes from Kalamazoo Moped Riders and Hot 'N' Readyz out of Chicago. They're really rad people and it's a super cool scene. Rallies usually have a support truck for the inevitable breakdowns hah.
Mustie, you find the coolest stuff. This little gem must be really rare.
I agree, vintage mini bikes are fun and the simpler the better. 👍
This brings back memories lol my Italian uncle had one of these when i was a kid if I remember right that lever was for starting the bike not shifting. Can't wait to see ya riding it.
Good morning from Winnipeg Canada.
was just taking a quick look and now i need to see part two! hopefully we get to see it run!
I've seen some guys use a pressure washer on fuel tanks. Works really well. Thanks again👍👍. That's a cool little bike
That's the greatest motorcycle I've ever seen!!
Very cool project Mustie I can picture this at one of your shows with all the other cool old bikes and cars. Your starting quite a Rusty Museaum or a Rusteaum, if you will. Love this collection.
Greetings from Sydney, Australia Mustie1. Another success and looking forward to new projects as our winter is just starting and nothing better than a coffee, biscuits and a Mustie1 video! I'd imagine this Benelli Buzzer is fairly rare and you mentioned the 1970 compliance plate and may be a sought after collectable. It's from the era when mini bikes were just taking off and the styling looks like an Italian version of "suitcase" mini bikes where the seat and handlebars could fold down for easy travel and storage. A little beauty and can't wait for the next adventure!
Just like most mopeds, that lever engages the freewheeling rear wheel to engage the motor and start it on the fly.
i live near pesaro. these things were also used here, but maybe not as popular as in the US. very cool video mustie, thanks.
Nice, we called those "Pitlane moped". That in year when Jarno "the Baron" Saarinen was the best driver in TT (road racing) 1972.
I lived just outside of Naples 76-79 and I had a Benelli 50 but mine was more of a dirt bike frame and much larger. It had two rear sprocket and a piece of extra chain and master link so you could switch from Hi and Low range. Gas stations would have a visible pump like the old days in the US where you would dial in the 2 cycle oil and blend it with however many liters of benzina you were buying and fill your tank.
For cleaning tanks, I've always had the best luck with an alkaline based All Purpose Cleaner/De-greaser. Something like Simple Green, Purple Power, Super Clean, etc. Just mix it with water and fill the tank. It'll eat away the oil and varnish. Then rinse and use an acid like vinegar for the rust. Chemical solvents and thinners don't seem to do much of anything.
The early 70's were mini-bike heaven in Australia too. Every kid either had one or wanted one.