Images originally provided by SearsAllStateRiders.com
For those in the US, the first thing that springs to mind when Sears is mentioned is furniture and home appliances.
But did you know that they also sold motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds at one point? Because they did.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Sears imported two-wheelers and sold them through their catalog lineup.
But that’s not very interesting.
What IS interesting, however, is that these motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds wore the Sears (or, in some cases, the Allstate) badge rather than the badge of the original manufacturer.
One of these manufacturers was the Austria-based Puch, but Sears also rebadged some scooters from the Italian scooter giant Piaggio.
While we can’t cover all rebadges, we can cover some of the most noteworthy ones and also show you how you can identify whether you’ve got one of these rebadges.
5 Puchs That Were Rebranded as Sears or Allstate
Allstate Compact DS
Original image provided by SearsAllstateRiders.com
The Allstate/Sears Compact DS is a rebadged Puch DS 50 (did you notice the “DS” in both names?).
Although the design is near-identical, the Compact DS differs in that it has a slightly more powerful 60cc engine than the 50cc one the DS 50 had.
Allstate Twingle
Original image by Gede-commonswiki on Wikipedia
Quite the name, isn’t it? A lot more eye-catching than the Puch SGS250.
Whether you call it the SGS250 or the Twingle, this split-cylinder motorcycle had a 248 cc engine and a top speed of 110 km/h (or 68 mph).
Why Sears decided on the quirky name remains a mystery, however.
Allstate Mo-Ped & Campus
Original image provided by SearsAllstateRiders.com
Original image provided by SearsAllstateRiders.com
The Mo-Ped & Campus models were both rebadges of the popular Puch MV50 (known in Sweden as the “Puch Florida”).
The main difference between the two seems to be that some Campus models (shown on the right) have a more extended seat, while the Mo-Ped (shown on the left) always retains a “bicycle-style” seat.
Aside from that, the Campus had a 3-speed gearbox instead of the 2-speed one the Mo-Ped had.
Sears Sabre
Original image provided by SearsAllstateRiders.com
If you think that the Sabre looks like a Puch VZ50 (or “Puch Dakota” in Sweden), there’s a reason for that – it’s the same model.
Either way, this is a 50cc street motorcycle (although some consider it a moped) intended to replace the earlier Compact model.
In one of their own catalogues, Sears marketed the Sabre with the headline “For the independents who don’t want to follow the leader”:
Original image provided by SearsAllstateRiders.com
Are you curious to discover more about the original Sabre? The one named Puch VZ50? Check out the Specs & Stats post here on The Dual Wheel Journey.
Sears Free Spirit
Original image provided by SearsAllstateRiders.com
Unlike the previous ones, the Sears Free Spirit is harder to determine which Puch model it is a rebadge of.
If you just take a quick gander at it, it might fool you that it’s Puch Maxi, although the fuel tank is bulgier than the Maxi’s rectangular-shaped one.
The closest match would be the Puch X-30.
Interestingly, during the 1970s moped craze in America, the exact same Puch model was sold by JCPenny, who dubbed it the “JC Pinto.”
How Can I Identify a Sears Puch Rebadge?
The easiest way to verify whether you have a rebadged Puch is by looking at the VIN.
All Allstate and Sears motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds that Puch originally made have serial numbers that begin with either “810” or “817.”
For example, the VIN for the Free Spirit[hyperlink] starts with “817,” while the VIN for the “Mo-Ped” and the “Campus” models both begin with “810.”
And What About Piaggio?
Not too surprisingly, the Piaggio scooters that Sears rebadged belonged to the Vespa model.
This decision isn’t too much of a surprise, given how popular the Vespa was, especially around that time.
Anyway, the Vespas that were sold through Sears became known as the “Cruisaire” and “Super Cruisaire” and were available with both 125cc and 150cc engines.”
Original image provided by SearsAllstateRiders.com
How can I tell if I’ve got one of these Sears Vespas?
Just like the Puch rebadges, the telltale sign is the serial number.
Both the Cruisaire and the Super Cruisaire scooters have serial numbers that starts with “788,” such as “788.100” or “788.94360.”
Want to discover more about Sears rebadges?
Searsallstateriders.com has more extensive information about all the different Puch and Piaggio models that received either a Sears or Allstate badge.
They even have manuals for these models (and many more) available for purchase through their store.
If you’re interested in discovering more about the Allstate brand, head over to Sears Archive.com for more information.
