Would you drive a moped?

[Matt Timion]

I'm considering getting a moped, even though I don't really need it. Guess I should think a little bit more first, eh?

During the spring/summer/most of fall we ride our bikes everywhere. Jenny rides her bike to work, and we ride our bikes to the grocery store, etc. It's great exercise and really cuts down on car costs.

But I'm thinking of getting a moped for those times when I really don't want to ride my bike.

Upon further thought though I realize that I have two cars and my wife has 1. Why can't I just drive one of those?

All of thise aside, would your ride a moped around town, or do you think it's too "girly?"

Would you ride electric or gasoline?

[SVOboy]

Electric, duh, and I'd get one. Make the wife sell the first gen, it's a damn bucket. (Or sell the sedan, but you might need that with chilluns unless you tie them to the roof of the n600).

[MetroMPG]

why don't you convert a bike to either electric or gas? cheaper. easier. stealthier (depending).

i once lived for a couple of months in the cayman islands. i didn't have a car there - just a bicycle, which i used for my commute to work, about 3 or 4 miles each way.

problem was it was so freakin' hot and humid, by the time i got to work, i was usually soaked with sweat. no good (no place to clean up) . for the ride home i didn't care, because after work i always dropped my stuff off at the house and went for a swim in the ocean anyway.

so i ordered a $300 US kit off the net (this was back in 97) and "motorized" my bike with a 35cc 2-stroke motor that ran a wheel on the top of the back tire for propulsion, which you could easily disengage and shut off to ride normally.

it was awesome. i used to motor to work, and pedal home. spent about 25 cents a week on gas. top speed was around 25 mph. cruised nicely between 15-20. plus it was good for escaping a couple of stray dogs that always chased me on the way to my early shift.

3 main drawbacks: it was too loud (probably could have put on an additional or better muffler); it attracted a lot of attention when i motored past people (can be good or bad depending on whether you have time or want to tell them all about it); and it added weight in a weird spot, making the bike a little unstable at low speeds (pretty much like riding with a toddler in a rear seat).

as to your question, would i ride a moped? i already own a metro, so it's not that much of a psychological leap for me.

[Matt Timion]

Good point MetroMPG...

I've seen these kits on Ebay for $160ish shipped.

here is one

here is another

[kickflipjr]

I used to own a moped when i was 14. I would ride it around and hit jumps with it. I wish i still had it. It broke and i gave it to my friend (he tried to install the motor on a bike but lost interest.




Puch Magnum II
mine was a 1979. this one is a 1980. Mine had different wheels and no windsheild. It had a sticker on it "use leaded gas only". I would have to add this stuff called insted-o-lead.

[kickflipjr]

And if you came across a really big/ steep hill a few pedal assists would help. How is that for hybrid power.

[GasSavers_DaX]

I looked into purchasing a bike a few months ago for mileage. I really wanted a Honda CBR 750 F4i, but the guy told me that it would only get about the same mileage I'm getting now [high 30's, low 40's]. He pointed me to a Suzuki GX500, which he said was a great bike that could get about 55 mpg. If I was going to get a two-wheeler, I'd need one that could get on the highway. If I rarely had to get on the highway, I'd definately already have a moped.

[MetroMPG]

i actually owned the "moped" of sport bikes: a kawasaki ninja 250. great first bike [edit: actually, a good bike overall - i didn't feel the urge to 'upgrade' after i learned to ride]. excellent on gas (if you didn't wind it out to its 14000 rpm redline), lightweight (350 lbs), visually nearly indistinguishable from the 500cc ninja.



it was slow by sport bike standards (0-60 in about 5.5 seconds, top speed around 105 mph), but cheap to buy, dirt cheap to insure ($250/6 mos., no collision) compared to bigger displacement bikes, and i could beat 70mpg (US) when i drove it gently (hwy, 55 mph).

also, bikes hold their values much better than cars. i sold it after 2 years for the same amount i paid for it (not counting replacing the tires).

i actually ended up selling it because it was competing with my beater 10-speed bicycle. i live in a small town, and in the summer, i tend to get around on that more than driving. but i found i was taking the ninja instead of the 10-speed, for no other reason than because it was there.

[kickflipjr]

My moped was 69cc and had a top speed of 35. Most have similar top speeds , but faster mopeds are out there.

I would difiently get a moped or a scooter if i lived in the city (easy perking, easy on gas, get through traffic quick). May be a enclosed one like this (or is that too nerdy).

[kickflipjr]

Check this motorcyle out.

http://motorcyclecity.com/bikewatch/Ecomobile/


4.15 l/100km at constant 90 km/h
5,05 l/100km at constant 120 km/h

^
i think that is 56.6 MPG