Canadian Survivor: 1968 Motobecane SP 94 TT

Canadian = French Canadian in the case of this rarely-seen-in-the-U.S. Motobecane, as in, made in France but located in Canada. I have never seen this model before, and I know it isn’t a big, burly, manly Sturgis-bound motorcycle, but I think it’s interesting to see unusual vehicles. This 1968 Motobecane SP94TT is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in beautiful Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, and the seller is asking $1,100 Canadian, which equates to $775 U.S. dollars. Here is the original listing, et merci à TomV pour l’astuce! (thanks for the tip, TomV!)

Small motorcycles sometimes get a bad rap, but they can be and often are incredibly useful in some areas, especially in other countries. Not everything is made for American freeways, but it’s easy to forget that sometimes. Especially when it’s a French motorcycle, or moped, in the case of this “Speciale Sports” version of this otherwise step-through bike. It’s a bit of a mash-up as well with the off-road tires, which usually means it can be used off pavement as well. The tires are a bit more aggressive than what would have been on there originally, I believe. Maybe some of you have experience with Motobecanes? It’s almost impossible to see, but there’s a mesh headlight cover for off-road use. The seller provided a video of this bike moving, and you can just barely see it there, otherwise there’s no photo of the front at all.

In 1923, what would grow to become France’s biggest maker of motorcycles came out with the first effort of founders Charles Benoit and Abel Bardin. Motobecane was a powerhouse before WWII, and after the war, they helped get people back on the roads again with inexpensive transportation. The company also made bicycles, and in the late-70s, Motobecane was reportedly the first French bicycle company to use Japanese “drive” parts, such as cranks and derailleurs. The company went bankrupt in 1981 and was bought out by none other than Yamaha, and the company continues to operate today. This model was first offered in 1968, and the seller included several photos of the original VIN tag, which is great.

This example reminds me of a few “sport” models of Honda’s “Custom Group” step-through motorcycle that we’ve seen here on Barn Finds, with clear bones of a moped or step-through, but with a longer seat connecting to a bigger gas tank to give the appearance of a motorcycle. The engine is a rebuilt “square-barrel AV89 motor with 9:1 compression head” – a 49.9-cc single with 2.5 horsepower. They aren’t made for speed, but I would love to have this one if it weren’t in Canada. Have any of you owned a Motobecane?