IAB fan Vivek Muniyappa is an avid motorcyclist and a collector. His garage comprises of unique two-wheelers such as the Lamby 150, Kelvinator Avanti 50 and the Yamaha RX100 to name a few. Among his prized possesions is a 2000 Hero Puch StepMatic moped, which Vivek purchased in 2018.
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The moped has a modest 64 cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke engine with 43.5mm bore x 43.0mm stroke that features automatic centrifugal clutch. The engine is tuned to deliver 4.2 PS of power at 5,500 rpm, and it comes mated to a two-speed automatic transmission. The engine was claimed to return an audacious 91 km to a litre of fuel. An 80 mm single-leading-shoe drum brake at front and 110 mm single-leading-shoe drum brake at rear perform the anchoring tasks.
The moped was in running condition when Vivek added it in his garage. It did, however, required a minor clutch job and restoration of locksets and necessary service.
Suspension tasks are performed by conventional cartridge forks at the front (Telescopic Fork, 80 mm Stroke Length) and dual hydraulic 50 mm spring-loaded shock absorbers that are adjustable for preload at the rear. The front forks get covers to protect the oil-seal from dust and other elements that could cause damage to the units.
The fuel tank capacity is just three litres while the kerb weight stands at 72 kg. The moped has a wheelbase of 1100 mm and a ground clearance of 130 mm. It rides on 2.25 x 16 4PR tyre at the front and 2.50 x 16 6PR unit at the rear. The tires are wrapped in wire spoke wheels.
There are no visual changes to the Puch, and the moped continues to carry the stock design, colour and graphics. Thus, you would find the factory installed headlight, followed by instrument console. It can take some luggage on the rack between the front and the saddle. There is another rack behind the pillion seat. The saddle appears to be well padded and should accommodate two adults comfortably.
The factory-installed stickers, too, have been retained. The Hero StepMatic badges are placed on either side of the centre panel.
Shah Rukh Khan promotes the Hero Puch StepMatic in an old commercial
Mopeds are a rare sight in cities although you can spot quite a few running in rural areas.
