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2215
PEUGEOT
SC 80 -1983
A new class of scooter for Europe
At the beginning of
the 1980s, Peugeot managed to persuade the French government to introduce a major
reform of the driving license, enabling those who had passed the automobile test
to drive 80cc motorcycles with automatic transmissions. This opened the way to the
development of a new type of urban vehicle.
Engines from Japan
Curiously, Peugeot
did not make a suitable power unit, so it had to approach Honda. Peugeot supplied
engines in considerable numbers for the cyclemotors made in Belgium by Honda.
The Japanese constructor provided engines and transmissions from its Lead scooter
for Peugeot to install in a frame and bodyshell of its own manufacture.
Components such as
the electrics were also imported from Japan.
Remarkable Success
The venture was a total
success: the SC 80 and its little sister, the SC 50, precisely suited the needs
of the French market and were also widely sold in other European markets. The SC
80 became far and away France's bestselling motorcycle (more than 8500 units annually)
and was exported in large numbers, particularly to Spain, where it did not suffer
from the quotas then imposed on the Japanese. Peugeot, which had been badly affected
by the slump in cyclemotor sales, rode out the 1980s as market leader with an enlarged
range of 50-125cc scooters, still Honda-based, but gradually reducing its dependence
on the Japanese giant for components and equipment.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: 79.6cc (48x44mm)
air-cooled singlecylinder
Power Rating: 6.5 hp
@ 6500 rpm
Valves:
two-stroke; automatic intake valves
Fuel System: carburetor
Transmission: continuously
variable
automatic; gear
final .d1ive
Suspension: swinging
fork (front & rear)
Brakes: drum
(front & rear)
Wheels: 3.50x10 inch
(front & rear)
Weight: 172 lb
Maximum Speed: 47 mph
Despite its japanese heart, the SC80 had a
very French personality and headed Peugeot's drive for supremacy in the scooter
market.