Mobylette AV88 Upgrades : KAFFE 88
Engine:
• Original Motobecane AV10 Engine Case
• Malossi 70cc 45.4mm Cylinder
• RRD 45mm Cylinder Head High Compression for 70cc Kit
• Motobecane Le Partie 12V CDI Ignition Box
• Doppler ER3 Variator
• Doppler ER2 Clutch Pulley
• Doppler Fiber Reinforced Belt
• Dell’orto 17.5mm Carburetor
• Polini 19mm Intake Manifold with membrane
• K&N High Flow Air Filter
• Doppler Motor Mount with Stiff Motor Spring
• Doppler ER1 Exhaust
Frame and Suspension:
• Original AV88 Mobylette Frame
• EBR Aluminium Hydraulic BMK51 Black Racing Fork (28mm dia. tubes)
with Stabilizer + Adjustable Preload Fork Caps
• Complete Cafe Racer Ltd. Aluminium Clip-on Bars
• TUN’R Throttle Grip “Targa“ black
• Tomos mc36 Black Coil 220mm Monoshocks
• MBK Magmun XR Racing Swingarm – painted Black
• TUN’R Footpegs knurled black
• Kickstarter Cafe Racer Seat: black
• Headlight Fairing Windshield Retro Cafe Racing Style : black
• JANUS lowlight bracket for EBR Forks – painted black
• Headlight Puch Maxi : black with chrome rim
• “STOP“ Tail Light with black license plate bracket
Wheels, Brakes and Drive:
• Bernardi 17“ Five Star Mag. wheel set (12mm sealed bearings)
• Hutchinson GP1 Tire 2.5“x17“ TT Front & Rear
• 66 Heroes freewheel covers: CNC Alum. black anodized
• GOLD Front Disc Caliper
• Tomahawk 220mm Disc Brake Rotor (98mm ID)
• Tomahawk Disc Brake Caliper Bracket
• Tomos steel braided hydraulic brake line
• IRIS 415 Gold Racing Chain
• Front Sprocket: 11: black
• Rear Sprocket 98mm: 56: silver
Electrical:
• SIGMA MC10 Speedometer
• CGN Booster Horn
“KAFFE 88“
First (eBay) Build from the Ground Up
I am from Bermuda, but currently live in Croatia, and I am not used to being shut in all winter and I needed something to keep my hands busy.
One day I saw an old Mobylette AV88 frame for sale on eBay Germany and I bought it. (no forks, swingarm, shocks or fenders) Then I needed an engine to suit, which I also saw on eBay.de that had a 70cc kit with a race clutch & pipe, so I bought it.
Motobecane “Mobylettes“ are French mopeds, they were very popular in Bermuda for renting to Tourists in the 60’s & 70’s. I used to have a Mobylette when I was a teenager and scrambled it around the yard.
I had seen a few pictures on the internet of custom mopeds that looked like mini Cafe Racers and knew I wanted to try to build mine in that style. So, I began collecting parts from all over the Internet. I only had a bag of tools and no workshop, so I emptied the small Garden Shed of everything I could and moved in a workbench. I had never build a bike from the ground-up before, but that didn’t phase me as I grew up around Mopeds, so I just went at it and what I didn’t know I looked up on the Internet. I bought a drill & a vice about half way through the build and I now own a disc grinder.
As Croatia is now part of the EU it is relatively simple to order parts. I sourced after market Race Forks, Lower Shocks, Magnesium sealed bearing wheels (so had to get high speed tires), Front Disc Brake assembly, Front fairing and a Cafe Seat. The racing square swingarm is from a later MBK 51 model, but fit perfectly, and has a side stand. I went to a 12v CDI system and bought a new Doppler ER2 Clutch Pulley, which lets the engine variator & belt spin in place, so no pedals required. I had also never wired a bike before, so this was a first.
I did get some outside help; I sent the frame, swingarm and a few bits to a professional for final paint and a mechanic friend got the wheel and disc spacers made, to my measurements, and had an aluminium manifold extension made so the carb didn’t hit the frame when it variated. I did test everything out before paint, at a local track parking-lot with a different pipe, and got it up to 80km/hr before I ran out of space.
This was about an 18 month build and it eventually evolved into what you see today.
I like that I am a BERMUDIAN that built a FRENCH bike in CROATIA all from the Internet!
I named it “Kaffe 88“ as a nod to its German (eBay) origin.