mopeds???

nate1714

nate1714

Joined
Apr 16, 2005
Messages
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So im looking for either an eletric or gas or an eletric/gas moped or motorcycle....i would like some ideas on which ones to get either from anyones resurch or their own purcheses......my main areas i am intrested in is price...looking for under $300 cheaper the better....then milage...then size...i live at college so i need it to stay in my room...if it folds or disasembles some thats cool too.....ill add more if i think of it....thanks all
 
We see a lot of them around campus here, and they are currently quite popular again with the gas prices and all.
There are a lot of these things imported from god-knows-where with limited or no service and parts ordered from lower Slobovia. I'd reccomend getting something from a known manufacturer like Honda or Vespa, or at least going somewhere (like a decent dealer) who will offer parts and service.

The 50cc models can offer reasonable performance.

Years ago, we used to see little Cimmatti or Mondial 50cc motorcycles styled like road racers with clip-on bars, set-back seats, disc brakes (mechanical!) and so forth. The little devils would scoot pretty good if you were not too big.
 
I bought a 49 cc 2-speed Puch moped around 25 years ago when they first became defined as non-motor vehicles in Connecticut (anything under 50 cc). I really bought it as a toy with some money I had won on a trifecta at the jai-alai fronton. It was a lot of fun but I found out that it was fast enough to get you in trouble but not fast enough to get you out. I had a few close calls in traffic but went down hard once when I hit a pothole. I used to use it to run quick errands and just tear around the neighborhood - never really for serious transportation.

The biggest difference between a moped and a real motorcycle is the moped is too light to provide any stability - it doesn't balance itself when moving. The real motorcycle outweighs the rider while the moped is outweighed by the rider. The only advantage is that you can lock up the back wheel and slide sideways like you can on a bicycle without being tossed off as you would on a motorcycle. I'm not advising anyone to try this - just saying that I did it without parting ways with the machine.
 
I haven't seen an actual moped (with the dual pedal or engine power) in a very long time. Scooters are quite popular though. Brand-name scooters start at about $1800 and the "nice" ones are in the $5000 - $9000 range. There are several companies that import lower-priced scooters from India, Taiwan, and China. Perhaps living in Illinois, you can find dealers for them in the Chicagoland area?

When budgeting for a motorcycle/scooter, don't forget to factor in gear (ATGATT - All The Gear All The Time), insurance, and a rider's safety class (free in Illinois, but booked solid months ahead).

You should stop in here, the Scooter section at BeginnerBikers:
http://www.beginnerbikers.org/forumdisplay.php?f=9

Best Wishes,
-Bob

P.S. Where do you go to school in Illinois? I grew up in a small town near Ottawa and graduated from Western Illinois University.
 
Hi All-

Another thing to keep in mind is that gasoline-powered mopeds are horrible for the environment. An inefficient motor like one would find on one of these simple machines spews far more pollutants into the air than a typical car or truck.

For that reason, it's great that Nate1714 is seeking an electric model. Another option might simply be investing that money towards a high-quality bicycle. Both a moped or bicycle would be suitable for the same weather conditions and the bike actually has more flexibility in terms of being able to be taken inside buildings. Ride a bike a few miles back and forth to your destination and it will greatly improve your appearance and physical conditioning as well.

~ Blue Jays ~
 
I am from Western Il U. and well how many miles per gal. does a 50cc get? what else is there...where to buy from?
 
Nate, I think that you need to clarify what you're looking for. A 50cc scooter would probably be sufficient; good luck finding one for 300 bucks that's worth it. If you are looking at putting something in your dorm room, that's going to narrow down your options a ton. A guy near me makes great electric/pedal bicycles, but they're 3k. You may want to invest in a decent bicycle; for 300 bucks, you have a lot of options available to you.
 
Blue Jays said:
Hi All-

Another thing to keep in mind is that gasoline-powered mopeds are horrible for the environment. An inefficient motor like one would find on one of these simple machines spews far more pollutants into the air than a typical car or truck.

For that reason, it's great that Nate1714 is seeking an electric model. Another option might simply be investing that money towards a high-quality bicycle. Both a moped or bicycle would be suitable for the same weather conditions and the bike actually has more flexibility in terms of being able to be taken inside buildings. Ride a bike a few miles back and forth to your destination and it will greatly improve your appearance and physical conditioning as well.

~ Blue Jays ~
Click to expand...

Those little two stroke engines are very efficient but do produce a lot of pollutants because of the oil/gas mixture they burn. This is offset by the couple of hundred miles per gallon in mileage. They definitely spew more pollutants per gallon but I don't believe they spew more per mile driven.
 
OT:
I am from Western Il U.
Click to expand...
Ah, the Good Old Days. Actually I spent a night in Macomb last year while motorcycle touring through the midwest. The campus was almost exactly the same, but the town had really gone down the toilet. A major highway now runs right through the middle of town, destroying the small-town atmosphere and quality of life. I had a heck of time finding a motel away from the noise, and riding though the congestion thoroughly sucked.

Not in the Parks and Rec Dept. are you? Outing Club?

-Bob
 
I forgot, our department has a Vespa 50cc scooter that some alum donated. We thought we could use it for inner campus patrol, but it's too unwieldy in high-pedestrian-traffic areas. Bikes are better.
Then we tried to give it to the guards we hire for patrolling the off-campus housing areas. They were all afraid to drive it on the street....

Cute little thing though, 50cc two-stroke with oil injection. Tip-learn to wrench it yourself. The dealer charged 50 bucks to change a tire!

True mopeds are classified as "motorized bicycles", and for a while had to have workable pedals and such. Missouri expanded the law to include most small-displacement motorcycles, as long as they had the necessary safety equipment.
Lately, we've seen an influx of the many "toy" motor-driven scooters, mini-motorcycles, and so forth. Idiots drive these things on the street, even though they're blatantly illegal. "But I bought it at Costco!"
 
I hear you about wanting it in your room, but you may end up with some gas / oil odors. Why not just take the extra step and buy a smaller used motorcycle. If it's just for riding around campus or for errands you could get away with something small. When I was in school, I owned a Suzuki GT250 street bike just for those reasons. I think I paid $500 for it and it had 3700 miles on it. Except for replacing the back tire, I never had to spend a dime on it.

Razz
 
Nate, ya better watch out... some of them good ol' boys there might use ya for target practice! (it's been awhile since I've been there though... as a visitor)
I've seen things that look like a skate board with a little motor on the back end and a handle bar... that would definately fit in your room. It might be a struggle to get an actual moped into your room.
 
If you're going to get something like a scooter or small motorcycle, don't try to save money, get one from a known quality maker like Honda, or Vespa. Something that will hold up to lots of use, not fold up by its second year of service. Both Honda and Vespa have financing that is very good for students. I've been fooling with Vespa scooters for years now and the quality is first rate. If you get a 50cc machine most states do not require licence on them. Have the 70cc piston kit put in, and go with a Sito plus exhaust and rejet the carb. You can have a scoot that will do 70mph with very little effort. How close are you to Chicago? Check with Scooterworks for rebuilt Vespa's or check out a local Dealer.

A new Vespa LX50 or a Honda Elite 80 is a great college get around tool. Gas milage will be around 80mpg.
 
I plan on picking up a Tomos moped this year. I've ridden them before and they are fun, yet great utility vehicles. Mileage is supposed to be around 150mpg.

Insurance should be lower than a scooter. In PA, registration is required but not inspection. Helmet laws are relaxed for them as well (before the entire helmet law was done away with, that is...but it'll probably be back). Yeah, they can only do 30mph, but I really don't need to go faster than that.

Moped all the way.

Mark
 
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