This was a hard one to pin down as Sears Allstate offered many different models of the Puch motorcycle line. Thankfully, the seller included a photo of the model number and got back to me with a serial number! Not to mention providing fantatsic photos of this beautiful 1963 Sears Allstate DeLuxe SR175. They have it posted here on craigslist in Longmont, Colorado and they’re asking $3,200. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Nevadahalfrack for the tip!
What a beautiful design. The pressed-steel frame, the graceful lines, and the maroon color all go together to make this one a winner. The seller says it has 11,520 miles and was stored for years in an airplane hanger, and it’s all original. The tires appear to be new and I believe the seat vinyl would have originally had white piping and possibly a white SEARS logo on the back of it, but it looks like it would be a show-winner as it sits now.
Two exhaust pipes for a single cylinder?! These unusual motorcycles are sometimes known as Twingles, as in twin-singles, as they have a split cylinder with two pistons. Built by the Austrian company Puch, Sears distributed these motorcycles under the Allstate brand in catalogs and stores, and they made this design in 125, 175, and 250 models. This example looks almost like new and that’s amazing if it’s as original as the seller says. Speaking of the exhaust pipes, the ends are removable so you can clean out the carbon.
It’s also said to have been owned by one person and if that’s the seller, that’s amazing as this one is over six decades old now. The model number shows this one to be a 1963 Allstate DeLuxe in “Lustrous Maroon”, the only color offered for this model for that year, according to the SearsAllstateRiders.com website. Earlier versions had either a single seat or two single seats, one perched on top of the rear fender, and they really looked cool with a single seat.
Here’s the unusual 175-cc two-stroke, sleeved, two-piston “single-cylinder” with 10 horsepower. There is a “spare” spark plug port next to the plug in case an owner wants to have a spare, or sometimes a hotter plug for a different riding need. They tended to get fouled up not being used so it’s rare to see an unused spark plug installed. This one sends power through a foot-shifted four-speed manual and it’s said that everything works down to the lights and horn. Have any of you heard of this motorcycle?
Unfortunately I knew nothing about these. That is, until now, that being said, I know more now thanks to this beautiful find and write up. I know I’ve said it like 68.372 times before in here but I always learn something new on Barnfinds. Its so funny how the other week so many were talking about Sears Bikes from our childhood, how Sears sold practically everything. And now, here we are looking at this Allstate. Its in beautiful condition. I’ve heard of “Twingles” but never seen one in person. This is so well preserved, even if the seat was redone. It looks like they did a nice job.
You are way too kind as always, sir, thanks! I’m embarrassed to not have known a lot about these bikes either until I started this one yesterday. I spent probably too much time trying to decipher the year and model from old lists of Sears Allstate motorcycles. This one looks like a prize winner, and being a one-owner original example is amazing. The price isn’t bad either for how nice it is and given how many people would be looking at it at vintage motorcycle shows.
Man, that would look sweet in your collection Scotty!
Scotty, I always appreciate the time you all spend when researching and writing your articles up. I know it takes time, and effort, and its nice to learn new things and have all this information right there for us to learn about it in one article. And I know it’s not just me, but I’m sure many people here who read these appreciate the hard work you folks put into your articles.
Looks like a classy well built bike. I remember looking at them in the SEARS catalog while sitting on the ‘ throne ‘.
Sears had everything,,,apparently. Right up there with the Allstate/Henry J. Marketing is a funny thing. As a Puch, it was unheard of, but slap a good old American name like “Allstate”, and watch the sales soar,,,well, almost. I do remember a couple of these, again trailed by a cloud of smoke, never heard of a “Twingle” until many years later. Still sounds a bit erotic. Going after the Benly/Dream crowd, it couldn’t compete. Typically, I read Sears sold about 5,000/year, when Honda sold 100,000. To be honest, I never cared for the pressed frame thing. Too Honda 50ish. Puch would come back years later as mopeds, but the Allstate never had a chance.
I miss Sears and Wards. Life was so easy. Before Amazon, you pulled out a phonebook sized catalog (that they sent you in the mail without asking, or maybe snuck a peak at a sales flyer that popped into that box regularly) found what you needed in the index, then decided what color, what size, how many. Got on the phone and talked to a nice lady who could for some reason speak English perfectly. You read her the number listed next to what you wanted, she read it back to you to confirm and a week or so later, you jumped in the 59 Chevy and headed to your local store to pick it up. Sometimes if you were a big spender, you might opt for it to be mailed to you, but why do that when gas was 21 cents a gallon, driving was your life’s biggest pleasure (well, maybe not number one, if you get my drift) and once in town it was great to grab a burger and a cold root beer and ogle all the girls hanging out there. Man, do I miss the days of my youth. Young people today have no idea how great it was, simpler, but oh so much better.
My parents used to buy all of our clothes and most of everything else from Sears. Our jeans so stiff they would stand up on their own ( No stone/acid washed ) and the first couple times you wore them your legs would turn blue from the dye. My dad owned a Sears Allstate moped. Good times !
We called the exh aust pipe crud mung.
Humblebrag here, I have several of these bikes. For whatever reason, they sold like hotcakes around these parts, and they are very affordable. This is a fair price for that bike in that condition, but I am not sure that the taillight is original for that year.
Funny story – I bought 2 1966 175s that were probably “his and hers”, two summers ago at a rummage sale. Turns out that they were last registered in 1971, and they were owed by the same person. One has like 1700 miles, the other about 1500. The one with the lower milage looked like it was in a low speed accident, nothing major at all, but I suspect that soured one of the riders, and they were just “put away wet” in 1971.
They are really well engineered machines, very interesting. The 175 you have to pre-mix the gas and oil, but the 250 has a separate oil tank within the fuel tank, and will automatically mix.
The mufflers were designed to be disassembled and cleaned out. If you look at the pictures, you’ll see the rear cone at the end of each muffler. They are removable, and you remove the baffle and clean it out.
Believe it or not, parts are pretty much available. There’s a lot on Ebay, and Motor West can get you new parts for everything else.
Kid down the rode from me had one these. His dad gave it to him. He tried to ride it on the local MX track once just for fun on a non race day. We made him mad as we would lap him just playing around. All a sudden I looked around to see where he was and he hit a jump real fast and hit hard ! Seat battery and himself flew out across the track. It was still running laying on the ground on top of him.
Thus was the summer of 1973.
I am resurrecting a 1962 Sears Allstate 60cc scooter. It is a Puch as well. I also have a 1964 Montgomery Ward Riverside 49cc moped made by Motobecane. As mentioned previously parts are available.
100% what Curt said!!
My 250 ‘Twingle’ came into my life in a trade, my labor to rebuild a customers bike. It was dropped off at the shop at Cycle Werks in St. Petersburg Fl, been sitting over a decade, In 20min. I put the carb back together, filed the points, gas, a 6v battery charger connected to a very old battery. Push in the key and the neutral light did it’s thing, held the primer down on the carb til it overflows, rotate the carb cover to ‘choke’ it. On the 2nd kick, KAPOW! Then a smooth boogety-boogety, all alone that morning I said to no one ‘You ain’t supposed to do that. You should make me push you up and down the alley until I’m about to wear my legs out!’ That was 40yrs ago, it still only takes two kicks no matter how long she waits. As you sit on the bike the pistons are inline one behind the other, 2 spark plugs with a common combustion chamber. 84mph, right hand in the breeze, left hand holding the front fork, chest on the tank. Grin like your gonna live forever. Yamaha synthetic 2 stroke oil is your best friend. My Twingle doesn’t have a price.
This brings back a lot of memories. I only saw a couple of these in my lifetime but they were available and, from what I understand, quite reliable.
I did some studying on the “Twingle” setup. It was nothing new to Steyr-Daimler-Puch. I got a service manual on an early 50s 250 and the engine looks very similar to this one, just a little bigger.
As far as mail-order bikes are concerned, I’m wondering if any of you remember the Mojave 360 that was sold through Montgomery-Wards? That one had some nice styling. I believe it was built by Benelli. Here’s a link to Cycle World’s test on it…https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1968/8/1/mojave-360
Geomechs, thanks, had never heard of the 360 Mojave.
You’re welcome, JoeBob.
Montgomery-Wards sold several models of Benellis, both two and four strokes. The 250 was probably the most sold of the four strokes, or at least I’ve seen/owned more of the former. In the 1970s they seemed to be lying around in garages all over, showing few miles, probably because the Japanese bike invasion caused folks to buy a Wards when they happened to see one in the stores, then quickly lost interest. I had several near as new, once getting two at once (a blue and a black) with less than 500 miles on each, for 125USD each. They were/are pretty decent bikes.
The 350 street bike is a gorgeous thing, with lots of shiny bits adjacent to candy red paint.
https://cybermotorcycle.com/gallery/wards-riverside/images/Wards-Riverside-Benelli-Ireland-1.jpg
The Mojave was indeed a 360, with a sporty body cover that included the tank.
http://www.benelli-bauer.com/WebRoot/Store8/Shops/15039762/668B/F8B8/DED6/2EF0/6C5A/0A0C/6D12/51E9/Mojave_360_11_m.jpg
The two pistons in the engine are different sizes. The main piston is on a connecting rod, driven the normal way by the crankshaft. The second smaller piston is on its own little tiny connecting rod driven by a small gudgeon pen, which is mounted on the main connecting rod, so it stroke is slightly staggered from the main piston, which is an unusual set up
Cityspike! I believe the dia. of the pistons are the same. Is the rear piston’s skirt a different length than the front or maybe wrist pin location different? I’ve looked and looked and can’t find an answer. A radial aircraft engine is a weird set up also as far as the master connecting rod is concerned. Cheers, Bobby in Tn.
I believe that the pistons are the same; they are staggered, so that there’s one piston that gets the brunt of the bang, so to speak, and the second helps with scavenging.
My older brother bought the 175 (single seat) model which I drove all around before I was old enough to get a drivers license. Wasn’t fast enough to get a ticket. Loved it. Created bad habits. Now I have two Harleys, two Yamahas, three Triumphs and a Ducati 1098. Darn Allstate.
I had a Sears Moped back around 68′ and had a lot of fun with it. Don’t recall the motor size but you had to peddle it to start it. I was only 12 at the time and it was enough power for me and my friends. Paid $50.00 and sold it a year later for the same. A lot of fun for zero money. Did have to clean the carb out when I bought it.
I thumbed up a couple comments because they are right on about learning new things on this site and pointing out how much I miss Montgomery Ward and Sears. As soon as I saw this bike’s picture I knew I had to know more about it.
I have never owned a Puch but my first ever motorcycle in 1954 was a Jawa 350cc twin which looked very much like this Sears Allstate. I swapped my racing bicycle for it as the owner didn’t know how to keep it running on two cylinders. After owning it for about 6 weeks I also couldn’t get it to run on both cylinders for more than about 3 days at a time as the points would slip, so I swapped it for a 1941 Chrysler Windsor which gave me much pleasure. As for the twin pistons in one cylinder and two exhaust pipes I restored a 1933 Calthorpe Ivory Major 500cc single cylinder (which was known as a “twin port”) which also had two exhaust pipes. Great bike and very rare both here in UK, and even more rare in South Africa, where I found and restored it.
tfirst glance I thought it was a Jawa. Being a Twingle adds to the flar. I think many of thr Montgomery Wards bikes were Benellis’
I believe in 1965 they switched from Motobecane.
My first bike was a Jawa 175 and though my memory may be fading, it looked just like this bike. Is it possible Puch made the same bike for Jawa?
Had the 250 back in high school in the early 60s had the meanest first gears of any of the m/c’s l’ve owned from a Cushman Eagle, BSA Lightning 650, HD Sportster, Honda K750, GL1100, Honda Sabre and Honda 6cyl 1000. None l believe could hang with that Allstate 250 for the first 100 feet. That’s my story & l’m sticking to it.
My brother had a twingle and I thought the smaller piston was for compression and didn’t have a spark plug. At least his was like that, puch was at the time way ahead of everybody’s else.
It’s a pet peeve, but these engines are a “Split-Single” as noted several places here, but they are not a “Twingle.” A Twingle is a normal twin set up to run as a single; combustion on both cylinders simultaneously. The latter can, famously (I suppose) be done with ease to Honda SOHC 250/305 twins of the 1960s by re-aligning the two-piece camshafts.
Here’s a few items I’ve written about the Puch/Allstate machines some years ago.
https://cybermotorcycle.com/archives/troyce/
https://www.antiquemotorcycle.org/content.aspx?page_id=5&club_id=327323&item_id=54179
https://cybermotorcycle.com/marques/sears-allstate/sears-allstate-troyce.htm
Yo Troyce! Hahaha, you and I need to hook up. I read the 2nd web page you posted and we both have similar stories! In 7th grade there was a guy that had failed so many times he had chest hair growing out of his T-Shirt and had his Lucky Strikes rolled up in his sleeve. NO ONE talked to this guy, he’d kick his Mustang M/C over, glare at all of us and leave 10ft of rubber leaving. He scared the crap out of us. But changing the cam timing won’t make a twingle out of a Honda Twin its pistons would still be 180 degrees out. The only bike I ever heard of being able to change piston timing (with you hands BTW) was a 500cc Yankee dirt bike. One could pull it down, remove the crankshaft and position the pistons to be 180* out or have them reciprocate together. https://motocrossactionmag.com/classic-motocross-iron-1971-yankee-500-twin/ As I go to Fl a lot, we need to hook up and have some laughs. http://www.mckahans.com I go by Bobby Cheers
Hey Bobby, You are certainly right regarding about half of the 1960s Honda twins, the CB72/CB77 and CL72/77; they use a 180° crank. Had I been thinking when I wrote that, I would have noted it’s specifically the C72/C77 (or CA72/CA77 in the USA market) that have the 360° crankshafts.
I reside in eastern TN, near Greeneville.
Still a twinkle to me.
Engine
A four-stroke twin-cylinder engine with a modified firing order to produce power pulses similar to a single-cylinder engine. The name comes from “twin single” because the intake and exhaust ports are in the same cylinder. The Puch 250 SGS, sold in the United States as the “Allstate 250” or “Twingle”, used a split-single engine
National Motorcycle Museum
Many of Sears offerings were of European manufacture and two-strokes, the big Allstate 250 a “twingle” by design. It’s easy to think of the “twingle” two-stroke engine design as similar to a split piston; a pair of pistons in two cylinders in place of one piston in one cylinder, but as shown in the photo below, the engineering is much more complex! In fact in the twingle design one is piston behind the other and each piston is used for different functions. One is bringing fresh fuel to the combustion chamber from the crankcase, while the other is expelling the burned charge out the exhaust. One connecting rod operates both pistons, with the secondary connecting rod forked off the main rod. The design** has many variants and is over 100 years old, with the designs by the Austrian manufacturer Puch dating to 1923.
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