Puch Maxi

// The story

Puch introduced the Maxi in 1969, and it became the company's most successful product ever, with about 1.8 million built. Moped people call it the Volkswagen of mopeds: simple, tough, easy to fix, and it barely changed for years.

Most US Maxis ran the single-speed E50 engine, tuned to 1, 1.5 or 2 horsepower to match state speed limits of 20, 25 or 30 mph. The tank holds under a gallon, and the whole bike weighs about 86 pounds.

There's a Maxi for everybody: the basic Maxi S commuter, the Maxi Luxe with a high-torque head, the Maxi Sport MKII with suspension, mags and a two-speed ZA50, the pinstriped Newport line, and the stripped-down Maxi N. In Canada they were even sold under the Bombardier name.