Mobylette 40 / 50V
Over 14 million Mobylettes built from 1949 to 1997. The variator 50V was sold in the US from 1974 to 1980.
Photo: Ulli 2mecs, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Motobécane
The French makers of the Mobylette
// The story
Motobécane was founded in France in 1923 by Charles Benoit and Abel Bardin. In 1949 it launched the Mobylette, and over the next 48 years the company built around 14 million of them. Montgomery Ward even sold them in the US under its Riverside brand.
In the US, the Motobécane 50V family was sold from 1974 to 1980. The V stands for the variator, a pulley system that shifts automatically from low to high as you pick up speed. It's basically an early automatic transmission. Variants included the 50VL and the 50VLX.
The original company went bankrupt in 1981, was bought by Yamaha, and came back in 1984 as MBK, which still builds scooters in Europe.
// The models
Motobécane models
Mobylette AV88
A classic early Mobylette from the bike that made "mob" French slang for any moped.
Photo: Renhour48, CC0
Mobylette AV89
A Mobylette in Motobécane's own museum in Saint-Quentin.
Photo: René Hourdry, CC BY-SA 4.0
Type 51
Grew out of the type 50 with the stronger AV10 engine. It became the MBK 51 after 1985.
Photo: Sebouboune, CC BY-SA 4.0
Cady
A Mobylette with the clutch and magneto both on the left side.
Photo: Steeven Decomble, CC BY-SA 3.0
More Motobécane models and versions (no free photo yet. Got one? DM us)
- 40 / 40T / 40TL / 40TS One-speed. US 1975–79
- 50 L / 50 S One-speed, full suspension. US 1976–77
- 50 V / 50 VL Variator (CVT), solo or long seat. US 1976–80
- 50 VLA CVT with mags
- 50 VLX CVT, solo seat, off-road
- Model 7 One-speed, hard tail. 1977–79
- Le Moped A 50 VLA with extras in black and gold. 1980
- Traveler Same as the 40 TS. 1980
- Sebring Italian-built with a Morini engine. 1978–79
// Printed to order
The Motobécane collection
Every design starts as a photo of a real bike. Tap any item to see sizes and colors on Etsy.