Patina Perfection: Franco-Japanese Commuter Scooter from Seb’s Atelier x Objet Marcant…
In the late 1920s, three brothers — René, Robert, and Roger Bernardet — began manufacturing sidecars in a small workshop in Bourg-la-Reine south of Paris, showcasing a high level of expertise in sheetmetal shaping. Their sidecars were featured in the Paris, Berlin, and Geneva shows, and they raced and successfully marketed civilian, military, and government models up until the start of World War II.
After an unsuccessful attempt to build automobiles after the war, the “Bernardet Frères” turned to motor scooters, producing 15 different models from 1947 to 1959. The scooters mainly used engines from Ydral and Marcel Violet, although Bernardet themselves produced some of the 125cc and 250cc powerplants.
Today, Bernardet scooters are rarer than most of their Italian counterparts (Vespa, Lambretta, etc.) and have a 1950s French flair all their own. While the body designs have aged amazingly well, the old powerplants have not. Spares are tough to find for many of the original engines, and even in top trim, these scooters weren’t built for the speeds of modern roads.
Fortunately, there are French fabricators and enthusiasts like Sebastien Ledis of Seb’s Atelier and Marc-Antoine Giorgi of Objet Marcant with the creativity and know-how to take a machine like this 1952 Bernardet C50 into the modern world. This model originally came with a Ydral 125cc 2-stroke engine with three speeds, and Seb says it was only capable of ~50 km/h (31 mph). It had been sitting in his workshop for years.
Over a few cold beers, Seb and Marc-Antoine hatched a wild idea for an engine swap. They decided on the motor from a ’97 Honda NX125 — a 125cc Honda single-cylinder four-stroke engine with six-speed gearbox. The same displacement as the original, but more powerful, reliable, and easier to fix.
“The goal was not to make a dragster, but a scooter with the same cylinder capacity to be able to drive discreetly every day.”
As you might imagine, swapping a 90s Japanese engine into a 72-year-old French scooter was no walk in the park. The chassis had to be heavily modified to accept the engine, and they used the 12-volt harness from the Honda to wire the bike and adapt modern LED lighting.
Other modifications include a new fuel tank, a Suzuki carburetor matched with an air intake from an old Manurhin SM75 scooter, custom exhaust system, VW Beetle gear selection mechanism (!), Kawasaki GPz500 side stand, red polycarbonate windshield, various vintage Vespa and Lambretta parts, and more.
The resulting “Bernhonda” is nearly twice as fast as the original, and it draws some surprising looks on the road!
“Riding this bike is quite an experience. Originally limited to 50 km/h, it now reaches 100 km/h effortlessly. The free-flowing exhaust resonates beautifully, adding character with every acceleration. It’s truly satisfying to surprise people with this vintage machine and easily pass them on the road…”
Below is our full interview with Sebastien and Marc-Antoine about their “Bernhonda,” and you can follow them for more vintage projects at Seb’s Atelier and Objet Marcant.
Bernardet C50 Restomod: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
I have been in business since 2018, I made myself known by doing custom motorcycles and “cafe racer” projects.
We have been talking about implementing a technical inspection in France for motorcycles for several years. Little by little, a little over three years ago, I moved towards the restoration of classic motorcycles, mainly from the 50s, 60s, 70s. Everything from English bikes like Norton, BSA, Triumph to European motorcycles like Ducati and BMW to American Harley-Davidson or Japanese bikes like Honda. And recently, I started using old scooters.
Hence this collaboration with Marc-Antoine Giorgi of Objet Marcant.
Marc-Antoine speaking: “Three years ago, I launched Objet Marcant. With a passion for vintage vehicles and all things quirky, I decided to dive headfirst into this venture. At Wheels and Waves, I met Seb from the workshop. We instantly hit it off and decided to collaborate on a swap project: fitting a modern motorcycle engine into an old scooter.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
The base is a 1952 Bernardet C50 scooter and the donor bike is a 1997 Honda NX 125cc. We also incorporated a Vespa fender and ventilation vents sourced from the rear of a Manurhin scooter, adding unique elements to the overall design.
• Why was this bike built?
This project sprung from a meeting between Seb Atelier (Sébastien Ledis) and Objet Marcant (Marc-Antoine Giorgi), sparked by a vintage scooter chassis that had been sitting in my workshop for years. Over a cold beer, a wild idea was born. We embarked on this build to ride with style every day and, above all, to have an absolute blast!
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
The design concept for this project was to transform the chassis of the 1952 Bernardet C50 scooter into a machine that blends retro charm with modern functionality. The idea was to retain the vintage appeal of the scooter while incorporating the performance and reliability of a modern motorcycle.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
We made a series of custom modifications to make this bike truly stand out: we modified the chassis, installed the motorcycle’s wiring harness, added a new fuel tank, and adapted an LED headlight.
To enhance performance, we fine-tuned the carburetor sourced from a Suzuki and fitted a fuel pump. The custom exhaust system ensures a sleek look from the outside. A flat track handlebar and aesthetic enhancements complete the unique style of the bike.
Additionally, we added a custom red polycarbonate windshield for a distinctive touch.
- 12v LED lighting
- Kawasaki GPZ500 side stand
- Air intake from old Manurhin SM75 scooter
- Vintage VW Beetle gear selection mechanism
- There are also parts from old Vespa and Lambretta scooters
• Does the bike have a nickname?
Its nickname is “Bernhonda.”
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?
Riding this bike is quite an experience. Originally limited to 50 km/h, it now reaches 100 km/h effortlessly.
The free-flowing exhaust resonates beautifully, adding character with every acceleration. It’s truly satisfying to surprise people with this vintage machine and easily pass them on the road.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
Yes, I’m particularly proud of the chassis modifications. It took a lot of effort to fit the engine into the frame, but the end result was definitely worth it.
More Build Videos
Follow the Builders
Objet Marcant
Web: www.objetmarcant.com
Instagram: @m.a.r.c.a.n.t.o.1
Seb’s Atelier
Web: www.seb-s-atelier.fr
Instagram: @seb_s_atelier
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That is SOO ugly! It’s brilliant 🙂
“Patina”, “Too lazy to paint your rig”.
“Toe-may-toe”, “toe-mah-toe”.