Sears-Allstate Puch 125

Akastus

Been Around the Block
Hey everyone!

This past sunday (April 26th) was the 6th annual Tucson Vintage Motorcycle Riders (TVMR) vintage bike show and swap meet. I work at Cycle Gear here in Tucson, and we were one of the sponsors. We like to help out with what we can because the TVMR guys are a great bunch of dudes!

My friend Nick shows up in the morning with his truck and we load up a bunch of our leftover parts from the builds we have done and a few of our CT90 rollers in order to sell at the show. Once there we set up and get to selling. There are a few others selling their wares and parts in the swap meet part of the show and I wander for a bit. There is a guy selling a BEAUTIFUL Honda S90 that is in incredible shape! As I wander some more I notice a single older motorcycle at the end of the row. It has a little cardboard sign on it that says $750.00. There's nothing else around the bike, it is just hanging out there.

About halfway through the show, an older, thin gentleman comes up and starts inquiring about the CT90's. Once he learns that I'm the one that worked on them, he asks if I'm familiar with Puch. Curious, we walk over to the lone bike at the end of the row.

The man's name is Lou and he lives in California. He is in his 80's and travels to Georgia to race go carts, seriously! Between CA and GA he stops in Tucson to volunteer at the Old Pueblo Trolley Co. He picked up the Puch when he lived in NY from a woman that contracted Lupis, and couldnt ride anymore. A mechanic previously looked at the bike and supposedly got it running off of a battery (where they it hooked it up is beyond me). At the end of our conversation he asked me if i would like to buy it.

I couldn't buy it, however, I did offer to do a light restoration to it if it didn't sell by the end of the show. He liked that idea and agreed.

By the end of the show I was loading it up in the back of the truck and taking it home.

But enough of that, heres the pictures!

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Fixed with brass
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Something tells me that is not the stock control

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On the side it says, add three cups per one gallon of gas

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Ive got some work ahead of me. Its going to go real slow as i have a GT550 im currently working on as well
 
Re: Sears-Allstate Puch 125... a novelette

The owner included some paperwork from some prior work. It appears that he had a mechanic replace all of the engine seals back in 2005. Since then, he has never ridden it. I pull the plug (which is brand new) and kick the engine a few times. No spark.

First item of business: get spark!

I remove the tank, and seat.
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The moment the tank comes off I see the single coil has its ground wire just dangling there. Easy enough, i hook it back onto a ground, give the bike a few kicks, and voila! it has spark now.

Feeling pretty good about things, i squirt some starter fluid in, and listen for a pop while i kick it over.

...Nothing...

I pull the sparkplug, and test the compression. 30psi. Whoa! way low!

Ordered some piston rings, and a speedo. Now we wait
 
Re: Sears-Allstate Puch 125... a novelette

These piston rings are stuck! Anyone have any tricks for dislodging the piston rings from their grooves? They've been soaking in PB blaster for a couple days now.
 
Re: Sears-Allstate Puch 125... a novelette

Add some redneck ultrasonic to the mix, if you have a buzz sander you can make an ultrasonic dip tank, not this big but here's the idea:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EH6atYydBc
 
Re: Sears-Allstate Puch 125... a novelette

Ended up gently tapping it out with a small flat bladed screwdriver. I'm ok with little delicate work like that. :)
 
Re: Sears-Allstate Puch 125... a novelette

I ordered some stock replacement piston rings in. Once they arrived I quickly discovered that the piston that is in the bike is NOT the stock piston... hmmmmmmm. Did some measurements and it measures at the same diameter as the stock piston, its definitely a 2 stroke piston, but the ring slots are about half the size as stock.

Time to do some experimenting! I found some CT90 piston rings and they fit in the slot (but are too small for the piston diameter) so that answers that question. Ordered in some 55mm x 1mm thick rings and voila!

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Going to hook some stuff up and see if I can put put around the neighborhood later this week.
 
Re: Sears-Allstate Puch 125... a novelette

Nice job... brakes are always a good next step after you hear it run 8)
 
Re: Sears-Allstate Puch 125... a novelette

they are on the list! Granted, its a pretty short list...

I got to talk to the owner yesterday. He is VERY excited about the prospect of riding this little bike. I dont think hes ever ridden it
 
Well, I was out of town for a month or so for work. Now that im back, I fiddeled with the bike a little bit, and took it for a couple spins around the block. After I was satisfied that it was running solidly, I began the teardown!

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First up will be dropping the seat off to the upholsterer, and the chrome bits to the plating shop
 
Started cleaning up the triple trees:

Halfway through
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First step done:
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Horn Before:
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Horn after:
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Still pretty pitted

Jumping on this next
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The chrome on the wheels is pretty bad. Dunno what im going to do about that
 
Puch was huge in sweden back in the day! Mostly 50cc though, i dont recall having ever seen a 125 in traffic here. Nice find!
 
Thanks Datadavid! Its a neat little bike for sure.

Just finished polishing the side covers and painting the jug. Will have pictures later this evening of the engine back together.
 
front end put together for a photo op. Still have a few more coats to go for the bucket, and still need to hit the fender. As always, my phone does the paint no justice!

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Same bike - a '69 Sears/Puch SR125; different take. The ONLY nonstock items are the 'bars, badging and color.
 

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thanks guys! I had to take some time off for a couple months, but I'm back at it! Will be dropping the frame off to get stripped, and I have already dropped off the seat to my upholsterer. getting close :)
 
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