[funkykar]

Flashback - Sometime in 2018

This dates back a couple of years ago in 2018. This was the time around when I started having a bit of an issue with car parking. This was also a time when I had many cars. A Palio, an Innova, Ambassador, Padmini, and a Padmini S1. I was already looking to trim and dispose of a couple of cars. Suddenly one day, Arun1100 called me and said an elderly gentleman wanted to sell his Fiat 1100 Delight. He had stopped using it and did not have much desire in driving any further due to his age.

Despite having many cars and issues with Parking, I couldn't say no to a Delight and expressed my willingness to buy. Very soon we reached his place in Indiranagar, we asked what he was expecting and paid in full without any haggling. The issue was the car was stopped 1 year ago and did not even have a battery. The owner was confident it will not start simply by pouring fuel and jump-starting. I and Arun were fully confident and we carried several spares, spare battery and managed to start the car the next day.

This thread is definitely not about the Fiat 1100 Delight. It's about how 'delighted' we were to see a 1980 Suvega tucked behind the Fiat car which we couldn't notice until we fixed the Fiat, and took it out of the garage. I and Arun were startled to see this barn find. Our eyes couldn't believe it. We were like how could it be so neat and nice even after 25+ years of non-usage. Everything seemed original, including the paint from the factory. For several minutes, we were drooling and gently moved it and saw every part of it in admiration. One of the best sights of our lives undoubtedly!

The first sight!


We quickly asked the old gentleman what he was planning to do of the Suvega. He just said it's of no use. He stopped using it in the early 90's itself. It has been lying there ever since. He did not remember anything more about it. He agreed to part with it. I couldn't control my joy and literally had goosebumps. I was too excited about this. Honestly even during childhood, I don't remember seeing a running Suvega. All I remember is seeing Suvegas in neighborhood homes decaying while growing up. I have a lot of nostalgia with mopeds as my Dad had the very old 70's Luna. The one without shocks and single-seater, many call it duck Luna, not sure why. While a kid (4th or 5th class can't remember), I used to ride it under parental supervision. Yes, those were such days . Unfortunately, it was scrapped in the late 90's. Dad had got a Bajaj scooter and did not see any value in reviving and maintaining the Luna which was more like a toy for me.

Anyway, without wasting any time we quickly finished formalities and took the car home, and visited the next day to fetch the Suvega. We used my very helpful Innova to transport the Suvega. After purchase, Fiat was first priority as it was easy to deal with it. On another hand, the Suvega would require a mechanic, probably several parts and restoration. I knew it was going to be a long one. Hence, it sat inside the Innova for maybe 3 weeks. Later on, I moved it to Arun1100's home who was kind enough to hold the Suvega for a while.

Pics before Arun1100 archived it for a while:

The front


Front wheel


Side profile


Its a deluxe


The puny engine


The rear


Mopeds were too new for me and I honestly did not know where to start. I had all the interest to get it running again and ready to spend whatever it took to restore. I checked with several friends and did not get any good contacts of mechanics. I wanted someone who is not only good but trustworthy, down-to-earth and matches my wavelength. I wanted to be part of the restoration if time permits. Time also was a big constraint for me as I had a toddler at home and she needed a lot of my time. Hence, there on, I started collecting all the necessary parts. Some I could know was needed, and some I anyway purchased. As time went by in 2019, I left it at a mechanic near Arun's home and told him to free up the engine and get it started. All my plans of watching the restoration etc went down the drain due to lack of time. The mechanic was not really a classic repair guy but was very keen to work on the Suvega as he said he learned his work on Suvega's in the initial days. With a few strict conditions, we left it there. We strictly had told, he has to tell us before doing anything and all parts should be kept carefully. He agreed. The Suvega was there for a few weeks. He opened up the engine, freed it and he took a lot of time for this. Mainly he would work on this when he doesn't have any other work of modern-day vehicle repairs. After the engine was put together, he realized that the carburetor was beyond repair. He asked me to arrange a different one. Couldn't find it after trying several contacts. We took back the Suvega and archived it again due to lack of time.

Unfortunately, I have very little meaningful photos on the failed and incomplete attempt to get the Suvega to start:

Mechanic Fahim working


Work in progress


Work in progress


Work in progress. CD100 belongs to a friend, Suvega being worked in the background


After many weeks of search and I didn't find the original carburetor. I was hell-bent on getting the original. Later a few of my moped enthusiasts (Yogesh Acharya) suggested I use an aftermarket carburetor. He clearly said if you find used original, good chances are it won't be in good shape. At max, you will be able to get the Suvega to start, the performance, etc will be bad.

Bhpian Ilango once told me to send the Suvega to Chennai. He will restore it himself and send it back to me. Being a great friend (of course acquainted through Team-bhp) since ~2008, I felt extremely happy by his offer. The transportation was extremely expensive and both of us were not sure if it's prone to damage. Hence, I told him I will look for other means to send to him. However, somehow it just dint fall in place also because of the pandemic and he moved to his hometown for a reasonable period time.

[funkykar]

A little about the Suvega:

Mopeds were extremely popular in 70's and 80's as they were inexpensive and very easy on the pocket. Those were the times there was no rush, very little traffic and quite relaxed of times.

Mopeds India Limited was the company that manufactured and sold the Suvega Mopeds. The engine displacement was about 50cc. They were produced in collaboration with Motobecane of France. All the manufacturing was happening in a plant in Tirupathi. Its first model was sold in India, not sure of the name but is referred to by a lot of enthusiasts as France model. The last of their models was this Deluxe.

Couple of brochures I had saved on my computer(credit to whoever had posted):





One of the movie songs I noticed Suvega used in a Kannada movie named Bell Bottom. I happened to see it after purchasing the Suvega. Around 04:30 onwards

https://youtu.be/aorAeMA06i0?t=270

[funkykar]

2020 - The Pandemic

After a long lull period came 2020. The Pandemic. During the anxious and frustrating times, I got the idea of getting the Suvega started with the carburetor I had sourced. Over the months, I had identified a new mechanic named Raju near my home. The shop I buy spares for my host of scooters, referred me to a nearby mechanic for Suvega. The shop had a good lot of parts which were sold to someone a year ago. My bad. The shop owner referred me to Raju and told me he is my best bet. No one else can repair it anywhere else. He also warned me that Raju is erratic in coming to the garage and suddenly for many days he won't come without any communication etc. When I asked them how reliable his work was, they said no worries about that. Even the moped will be safe in the garage while his juniors working at the garage also respect him a lot and any customer vehicle is safely kept even if Raju is not there. I was relieved and decided to go with him. Quickly met up with him and discussed. Although he repaired Luna's recently and does all the modern vehicles, it had been a while since he worked on a Suvega. He in the past has worked on 10's of Suvegas. He told me to get the vehicle and he will install the new carburetor and get it started. He was actually keen and excited. At this point, I was thinking the earlier mechanic had done everything and only the carburetor was an issue. Little did I know it will turn out to be a very good mechanical restoration .

I then spoke to Arun about the plan. He was very glad that the Suvega will get a new lease of life. By now, I had already parted my Innova. Hence, I borrowed my friend Gypsy to get the Suvega to my home and eventually take it to the mechanic.

Arun had safely stored the Suvega


Seeing light of day after long time


Arun was kind enough to get it cleaned


Nice n clean!


Ready to be taken to my home


After it rested at my home for few days. Before I took it to the mechanic, clicked these 2 pics for later comparison purposes.

The Suvega in front of my home.


Me on the Suvega

Raju - The chief mechanic henceforth

I finally took the Suvega to the mechanic. I pushed it to the garage. Over 10 people asked it if was for sale or scrap Once I reached the garage, I was relieved as I was drawing too much attention. Spoke to Raju and he had a good look at the Suvega. I could see the happiness in his eyes. He was quite surprised to see such a clean and stock Suvega. He says the last he saw such was probably in the early 90s. Most of them he repaired some 5-6 years back were in poor condition and several parts changed etc. I knew the mechanic would do justice to this Suvega. I insisted he work on the vehicle only under my presence and he duly agreed. Since he was working on something else he asked me to come post-lunch that day.

Pics when I left the moped at the garage:

Raju checking if engine rotating


Front tyre and rusty rim


Rear tyre and rim


Suvega parked at make shift parking

[funkykar]

A surprise awaited me

I went back to the garage in the evening and was shocked!! To my dismay, there was no engine on the Suvega . Raju also was missing. To find out why he removed the engine, I called him several times him and he wouldn't pick. Others in the garage had no idea as they are not involved with the Suvega. They said he has gone out and don't know when he will be back. I left home and got a hold of him only the next day. He then said, he couldn't control himself and couldn't wait for me to come and opened up the engine as soon as he becomes free the previous day. He gave the excuse that he did not have my phone number. I asked him why he opened the engine while the only carburetor was to be put in newly. He said he wasn't happy with the work done by the previous mechanic and he wanted to see how things are. Then he showed me the crankshaft and needs to be reset. I was happy to know work is progressing and he knows his stuff.

The Crank


Said it needs reset


HE showing me the crank:

https://youtu.be/aedBOrQJtdQ

The never-ending delay

He said he will get the reset done at the lathe and get back in a day or two. Things got delayed from here on. Over a week, no updates. Even Raju wouldn't come regularly to the garage. He would hardly pick the phone. I got very frustrated not knowing what to do. Just a consolation that the moped was pretty safe at the garage. I did not know which lathe shop he had given the crank for reset. After a week, I took things to myself and visited the known lathe shops in our area to trace the shop. I had a gut feeling about a particular shop. I happen to know them a bit as my scooter mechanic used to visit this place and some of my scooters have visited here for works. I went and enquired, the owner quickly came to me and started conversing. Oh, this Suvega crank we received is yours he exclaimed! He was happy too and said the last he worked on this was over a couple of decades ago. He said they were unable to get the pin, one other part. Due to Covid restrictions in some parts of the city, he wasn't able to go and see if it's available. He then asked me if I can arrange for Connecting Rod half hit. I enquired with a lot of people to no avail. All the dealers of classic parts did not have it and at best they offered a used crank, but wouldn't give any guarantee. Moreover, the prices they quoted were exorbitant. This went on for over a month. Then I re-checked with a dealer who gave me several spares in past. He then asked me what the problem is. Then he said, just get the crank and leave it with him and he will get it overhauled. HE sounded very promising. Hence I gave him the crank. In a weeks time, he got it overhauled and was in perfect shape

The refreshed crank


Refreshed crank


The refreshed crank


Here is the carburetor that I had sourced. Raju checked and confirmed beforehand it can be made compatible.


Compatible for most mopeds they say


The Carburetor

[funkykar]

Engine and bore assembly

A day later, owing to a lot of office work, I could visit only in the evening. By then Raju had already started to assemble the engine.

Here are some pics of the assembled engine:

Raju assembling the bore


Work in progress


Work in progress


Work in progress


Completion in hyperlapse

https://youtu.be/UFzzvOOSVyE

Temporarily kept in bucket full of other spares


Now Raju proceeded to fit the engine back, set the wiring, and then fix all the other mechanicals for making the moped run.

The silensor


This is the new cab to be fitted


Work in progress


Work in progress


The engine


After carb is fitted


Its now ready


Engine fitted to moped in hyperlapse

https://youtu.be/fplKhROvPg4

The silensor being fitted

https://youtu.be/Y7eGwgtePDI

The carburetor being fitted

https://youtu.be/p5Rjl7hmnZA

Engine after being mounted, Raju started working on the rear wheel to change the sprocket, chain and clean the drum and shoes.

The wheel is off


Working on the rear wheel


New sprocket


Cleaning rear brake shoe


Refitting the rear wheel


The new chain was not suitable. Retained old one


Oiling the chain after fitting the wheel

https://youtu.be/mJUPUbK1nn0

[funkykar]

Cleaning Fuel Tank

Meanwhile, I got the petrol tank cleaned at a nearby water wash center. It had a fine coat of rust accumulated over 2.5 decades. The petrol tap also was found not to be working and Raju repaired it.

The tank removed


Without tank. One can see how clean and original the moped is


Round 1 - Very satisfying to see the muck come out

https://youtu.be/xJ5dFb_z_kE

Round 2 - Petrol Tank being cleaned at water wash

https://youtu.be/Jc0hpZ5l4e4

Raju pouring petrol


Tap was found not to work, later Raju repaired it

https://youtu.be/9ENQnITUpss

Time to start her for first time in decades

Then finally came that moment to try and fire her up after easily 25+ years, if not more. I was very nervy and Raju was very excited and curious. It has been over 2 years since I got this machine and spent a very long time scouring for parts and whatnot.

As the tap was not working, he injected the fuel using a small hole made in a bottle. This is how fuel injection systems were invented

https://youtu.be/u6NkvWJDWOw

Then Raju tried to fire her up. The process failed:

https://youtu.be/QB23T2pMLoo

The moment of truth

He checked few things, adjusted few things and tried again.

https://youtu.be/4XQOBchvnV8

Music to my ears . One of the happiest moments in one of the most challenging Covid times.

Raju fine-tuning the carburetor:

https://youtu.be/9ykBN-nwgx0

I already started thinking ahead in time and was worried about the tube and tires, the condition of the rims etc. The chain, the sprocket, and many parts would need refreshing. Here are the parts I arranged parallelly:

• Clutch and clutch bell
• Chain
• Sprocket
• Cables
• New aftermarket Carburettor
• Points
• Horn
• bulbs
• New tubes
• New tires
• Belt
• Accelerator Slide
• Off Slide
• Brake shoes

[funkykar]

Lets buff/chrome

With me feeling relieved that the Moped is capable to run, I wanted to make it look better. Since it was on company paint and in good shape, repainting was out of the window. I took the decision to buff all aluminium parts, re-chrome the rest of the parts, and install new tubes and tires. The age-old tires were good for nothing. Before Raju could continue any further, I instructed him to remove all the parts that need to be buffed and chromed. In a couple of hours, all the necessary parts were removed and handed over to me. Around the same time, I was also restoring a 68 Vespa 150 which had some components to be buffed and chromed too. I took all of it along and dropped it at a shop that does this work.

The components needing rechrome/buffing


The components at the shop

Frustrating delay

Once I left the components for buffing and chroming, there was a downpour and the entire facility that does this work was flooded with 3 feet of water. Luckily none of the parts got missed/damaged. They took a while to get operational. Then came some riots in Bangalore and this entire area was under section 144 and got delayed by few more days. After a very long wait period, the components were ready:

Received it after chrome/buffing


New spokes, tubes, and tires needed to be fit. I took it to one experienced guy who has been doing just this for many decades. I myself have been his customer since 2001 when I first visited him to install a Yezdi rim on my 2001 RX Yamaha 135 (I undid that and made it stock last month).



Rim being fit


Work in progress


Work in progress. Magical hand these!

https://youtu.be/yGb6TFyMZyM

Ready wheel


Ready wheel


Meanwhile, I got the rear shock absorbers serviced at a shop near Navrang.

https://youtu.be/Cj7D6118dss

Ready for final assembly

With the buffed parts, re-chromed parts, and ready wheels, it was time to take the moped back to Raju. It was the business end of the restoration. I was nervously excited. Once again, it took 2 weeks to get hold of Raju. It was a frustrating wait. I literally had to beg for him to come to the garage . Then it all fell in place once he started coming regularly. The assembly of all the components, let the pictures and videos do the talking.

Raju inspecting the zinc plated items


Getting ready for assembly


Some spares


The frame - ready for fitment


Rear wheel fitting and adjustment

https://youtu.be/Ua_B1hZJErI

Rear shocks and wheel fit


Cleaning the front


Front almost ready


Except handle rest ready


The original speedo and original reading


Handle being fit


Handle being fit

https://youtu.be/EnQ1ZUHVpR4

Components on handle being fitted


Components on handle being fitted

https://youtu.be/9-2bKpFZs3E

Cable work in progress

https://youtu.be/QUlan6Yk23I

Cabling

https://youtu.be/4q81t6fHUjI

Front looks so much better after chrome and buffing works


Electrical work in progress


Work in progress on points


First pic after assembly


First pic after assembly

https://youtu.be/Q_SW4mvCunk

I let Raju do the trial. Up to now, I still have not rode the Suvega

https://youtu.be/cyytt7tscW8

Just before delivery


Just before delivery

HAPPY HAPPY FINALLY HAPPY

With great satisfaction, I rode the moped happily home. It has come out so well that I did not have to visit the garage for any follow-up works. Its been close to 8 months now and runs beautifully. Of course, I don't use the moped and get it to the roads occasionally for a joy ride. This for me has been the most satisfying experience and I cherish every moment of this. All this, yes, luck by chance!

[funkykar]

Let's get it under the lens

A week later, I and my close buddy Chethan rode the Suvega to Vidhana Soudha and Windsor Manor bridge to create some memories. This has been a norm with any and every vehicle of mine

In front of my home after restoration


My dot was very excited but disappointed she cant ride along like in a Scooter


The rear


In front of my home, side pose


High Court as background


Vidhana Soudha, the pride of Bangalore


Vidhana Soudha, from the side


Thats yours truly


Chethan, fondly called as Gaddappa with Suvega


Just a pose


Just the handle


Side view at Windsor Manor


At Windsor Manor


At Windsor Manor


Me riding the Suvega at a good speed while Chethan sitting at the rear filmed this video. I just love this video.

https://youtu.be/KyrTbJhq_i8

Credits

• Bhpian Arun1100 - First and foremost I got the Suvega only by his reference. Various times in the last 3 years, he kept reminding me I have Suvega and needs to be restored. It was a great motivation
• Venkatesh from GB automobiles, commercial street - Was helped by a few parts
• Pradeep, near Mavalli, Bangalore - Most parts he sourced for me including the critical crucial crank reset and connecting rod kit. Greatly indebted to him
• Fahim - Though things dint fall in place, he tried his best
• Bhpian Ilango - Greatly inspired me and guided me on a few occasions and also connected me with few people who helped with several things in this restoration.
• Yogesh Acharya, Pune - Ilango's friend. He gave me a lot of tips and he convinced me to use an aftermarket carburetor which fired the restoration.
• Shreeram Parulekar, Pune - Helped me with some components related to shocks.
• Narendran, Vintage Spare Parts Online - Helped me with several parts including tires and tubes. An extremely honest and nice gentleman. Again was Ilango's reference long ago.
• Prasad from Srinivasa Automobiles, link road, Bangalore - He is the person who referred me to mechanic Raju. Extremely grateful for him.
• Raju, the chief mechanic - He did everything and the sole reason the Suvega got a new lease of life. Words cant thank all his great work. He was extremely patient and gentle. Did not do any trial and error nor any jugaads. He had to redo several works many times and did it patiently. Even though the last Suvega he had worked on was over a decade ago, he still managed to pull it off. 100/100 to Raju.

Yours Truly,
Karthik Makam

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Beautiful thread once again Karthik! I'm guessing a Suvega in 2021 might be drawing a lot of attention on Bangalore roads! Nicely restored. Congrats.

[V.Narayan]

Hearty congratulations on this wonderful piece of restoration of our indigenous auto legacy of yore. I am not a 2-wheeler buff but I can sense the love and joy pouring out from your writings. All the best. May you preserve this moped till your little one can ride it. :-)

Back in the 1970s and 1980s the moped was a very real & affordable alternative available off the shelf versus the years long wait for the Bajaj products.

PS: do you intend to paint it new or you prefer this original look.

[gkveda]

This Suvega brings back lots and loads of memory to me along with tears in my eyes.

My uncle used to ride this moped with me in front when I was 1-2 years old back in 1971-72. I used to ask for Parry's peppermint chocolate whenever he used to take me out.

When I was in high school, My father used to ride this moped to temple where he was priest. (5-6 kms away from home). Whenever someone offered kadubu garland to God, I used to carry the kadubus from home to temple by walk.

Once kadubus are handed over to dad, I used to come back home by riding this moped. This was the only motivation for me to walk for 5-6 kms.

When I was in 2nd PUC, I had to walk to college every day from home. There were days when lab used to get over by 5pm. On those days my dad used to give me chance to take the moped to college. Those were the happiest moments of life. Reaching home within 8-10 mins by moped as compared to 1 hour of walk is a feeling that I never get today even while driving fortuner.

The tank capacity was 1.5 litres. To fill that tank to brim, we used to struggle for 5-6 days sometimes.

Recapitulation of those memories make me think poverty is the best teacher to learn life's greatest lessons.

About vehicle, my father's moped that I used to ride, I could overtake even TVS Champs on road with ease. But after reaching home, there was a permanent issue of petrol leakage. The balance petrol in the tank used to get leaked and I used to get beating for rash driving.

Finally, we sold that moped to a dump yard in 1988 and my father got a good amount of 800 Rupees.

[Emvi]

Congratulations on your latest acquisition. Restoring a classic is never easy. While time, money and effort involved is substantial, patience is of paramount importance and generally immeasurable. Your patience very Rahul Dravid like is what I can safely say

[arun1100]

Yet another great thread, Karthik. A very different moped this time - Suvega!
Frankly, I wasn't aware of the Suvega before we saw this one. In the garage when I first saw this Suvega, what awestruck me was the originality. Original paint with all stickers intact along with all cosmetics like meter, pedals, fuel tank caps, mirror, lights. At first, I thought we can atleast pedal and use it even if the engine is not in usable condition! Close to a year with me at home, I ensured this Suvega was safe and didn't allow a bit to deteriorate. Glad that you could revive it back to its former glory days. While I have seen this Suvega personally post the restoration, I am yet to ride it!!
Like the Vespa thread,this thread is so well documented which will surely help other Suvega owners. Congratulations!!

Here is another original Suvega from Bangalore. All original and under good care. Owned by a FB friend - Jaisimha Besadi. He says, its a 1974 model, bought in 2006 from a ex-military servicemen who had purchased from military allotment.

One of the unique feature of Suvega are the Up Side Down (USD) forks!!

[srh]

Wonderful. It takes real effort and motivation to pull through something like this. You are also lucky to be able to find the 'artists' like Raju.

[Fiestaboy]

Superb thread Karthik.

I am a lover of 1990-2000 cars & bikes, esp because of their higher Mechanical parts & very less Electronic parts.

As an enthusiast, we can easily acknowledge what's wrong in the car/bike, without taking it to a dealer. I found my humble 2002 Zen giving that pride to me, but it is not now with me.

After this thread, I am really inclined towards a Suvega. Let me see whether i can buy one from my native.