On September 18, I picked up a classic, circa 1967 Bianchi moped from a friend’s barn in Fenton. It appeared to be in decent shape, although it hasn’t run in decades. It’s a Bianchi Avanti Sport, a 50 cc moped with a folding frame. The pictures below were taken after unloading the moped from the car.
Aside from 3 decades of dust, it’s in relatively good condition. I immediately started on the tear-down, removing everything down to every nut and bolt. All parts will be cleaned, some will be replaced, then the moped will be reassembled.
The odometer shows 234 miles, so this moped wasn’t heavily used. The fuel tank label says it holds 2 liters of 2-cycle mix, at 5%. I’ll assume that 5% refers to the oil-gasoline ratio, so that would be a 20:1 mix. Sounds a bit rich, so I’ll do more research before mixing that first batch of fuel.
Unfortunately, there is very little data available for this machine, and most of these models were sold in Europe, as the Bianchi Aquilotto.
I’ve set up a permanent page here to post updates as progress is made. Check back periodically. This should be fun to clean up and restore, and assuming it runs again, drive around the streets of Alden.
I have one of those with missing parts
Would love to compare to see what it is mine is missing
susan
(phone number and email removed from this comment to ensure privacy – Kevin)
Susan,
Parts availability depends on whether you’re looking for proprietary Bianchi parts, such as the engine or body panels. The tires, tubes, and rims are standard bicycle components for 20″ wheels, although the rims use 28 spokes, which are not common.
I’ll send you an email reply.
-Kevin
I have just found a 1977 Bianchi Eagle – its in rough sape but most of the parts appear to be there. Is there any chance of getting parts, such as a carburetor – mine looks cracked – where would I start looking?
Thanlks.
Wayne, thanks for the comment. You might have more luck with your ’77, since it most likely uses a Morini Franco Motori engine. My ’67 uses an older Bianchi-made engine. If you haven’t done so already, you might want to create an account on mopedarmy.com and search for owners of a similar moped. I’ve never found a source for parts for my ’67, aside from the Dellorto carburetor, but you might have a better chance with yours, given the shared engine. If you need body parts, the best source would likely be an older bike being sold for parts.
we have one of these in need of restoration any info would be grateful
I wish I had some information to offer, but I found no information about these mopeds. I did see a few “parts bikes” available on eBay. Using a donor machine is likely the only way to get proprietary Bianchi parts for the body, engine, etc. Some parts are standard bicycle parts, such as the wheels, tires, brakes, etc.
I was fortunate to get a bike that was mostly intact. I only had to replace wheels, tires, brake pads and pedals.
Simply outstanding! What an odd find–a folding moped?! And so rewarding–the finished bike looks great. Good work there, and thank you for sharing.
I have one of these motor bikes for sale, may be of interest to someone?
write, answer your questions and send you the photos.
paolo_massaia@virgilio.it