Mopeds

moodcouple · #1 08/31/05, 06:36 PM

Am thinking about getting a moped to get to and from the store, etc. We will be living on a mountain with 3 miles of dirt road, then seven of paved road to get to the highway. There is a store on the crossroad. Presently it takes nearly a gallon of gas in the PU to get to the store.

I remember in college several friends had mopeds. Seems like they pedaled sometimes and the engine did the hard part. But that was a while ago - okay, in the 60's. I know they are still around because I saw one recently at Sapp Brothers. Does anybody own one or know if it would be reliable enough to go up and down this mountain? Although I'm in pretty good shape for an old guy, I wouldn't want to pedal up the mountain. But I'd sure like to save on gasoline.

Nick53 · #2 08/31/05, 07:21 PM

I've got a yamaha zuma scooter that does me good for trips around town. It's got bigger tires than a regular scooter but probably couldn't handle much more than a gravel road...it's no dirt bike. Gets about 65mpg. Top speed is 40 mph without any mods. Maybe for your use you might want to look into a dual sport motorcycle. Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki all make small (250cc or less) models. These models all go faster than the zuma, get similar or better mileage, and are much more capable off road. The zuma does have an advantage in that it has a generous amount of under seat storage as well as a small rack to tie down stuff.

Nick

mistletoad · #3 08/31/05, 07:41 PM

My aunt has a moped, she saves lots of gas - the moped can't carry much so she gets my mum to drive her to the store. I would cut down on trips before considering purchasing another vehicle, no matter how cheap and efficient it was.

BCR · #4 08/31/05, 07:49 PM

I agree. Cut down on trips and buy in quantity and combine with other errands to make it worth it. Buuying and insuring a moped is an added expense. You already have the truck and insurance. $6 roundtrip to haul a huge amount back beats umpteen trips on a moped doing the same.

moodcouple · #5 09/01/05, 11:02 PM

I don't think y'all understood the point of the question. You were supposed to give a lot of responses that said "go for it, it's a great idea." Then I'd show DW what you experts had to say and she'd let me get one.

jennigrey · #6 09/02/05, 12:43 AM

my sidecar rig gets about 40 mpg and cost me $1900. saddlebags on the bike, big rack on the back of the bike, rack on the back of the sidecar... i take it to costco. i can pack more camping gear on that bike than i can fit in our 4-door honda accord, which gets about 30 mpg on the freeway and 25 mpg around town.

AND it's a total blast to drive, does equally well on gravel and pavement.

riding it for any distance in the cold and wet is a bit miserable, though. some days i gladly pay the extra $$ to be inside, dry and warm.

Beeman · #7 09/02/05, 07:55 AM

In most cases what you can buy in a moped is pretty much a disposable toy. no effort has been put into building anything good and cheap. The money you would spend on one would be lost money as soon as you had a breakdown and you will if you use it for anything more then a toy.
I would get Mistletoads mum to drive you to the store, sounds like the best deal.

Oilpatch197 · #8 09/03/05, 05:52 AM

Where do you buy a Moped? I've always seen people turn bicycles into mopeds, but I can't seem to find a company that sells them, I can find whosse scooters and motorcycles, but where do I look for a moped?

Esteban29304 · #9 09/03/05, 06:55 AM

Tomos is a manufacturer of " probably' the best moped ever made. MY OPINION, though. Pedalling a moped is not much of a reality as they are so much heavier than a bike. Little power to climb hills, or haul a heavy person around.
Some of the newer scooters are better made & get even better mpg than mopeds do. " Aprilia" is one. You can convert a bike for about $150. See Bike motor kits on E Bay.Also, E Bay has complete powered bike for around 3-$400. A lightweight single speed bike with the rear cruise brake is good.Simple to install kit,simple to maintain & repair, good rear brakes, etc.

pcdreams · #10 09/03/05, 07:50 AM

I've got an older (Think its an 86 or 87) yamaha riva 125 scooter. I bought it and then couldn't get the courage up to ride it here in town. It's got a 125 cc engine and will push close to 70 (if you got the guts).

I gots to get a new battery for her but she is up for grabs. If your interested pm me.

I guess I should mention you will need a license for it ($18 for 2 years here) and insurance ($30 a year for me)

PonderosaQ · #11 09/03/05, 12:37 PM

Ok I'll tell you what you want to hear. I've had a moped for several years and love it. There are a few things to consider though. Firstly what are the moped laws in your state? Do you need license, registration and ins? Check Moped2.org to find this out. Check out the classifieds while there. What is a moped in one state is a motorcycle in another. To do hills and your dirt road you'll need a two speed, probably with a biturbo exhaust, not one of the cheap single speeds sold by co's like Northern Equipment in their catalog. These weigh a little over 100lbs. Pedalling can help you if you a can't start it or on flat ground "for fun" but not for actually riding. Check the MopedArmy site too. Cut through all the kids chat that is on there and there are some very knowledgeable people on that site. They have classifieds too plus lots of great pictures of bikes of all makes and models. You can find out who lives in your area and is a member of the site too. There are many mature adults there that use these as their main or only means of transportation. They certainly don't view them as throw away toys when they break down...mine never has by the way. New they run from $800 to about $1500. If you are interested in finding a good buy one way, new or used, look around fast, before other get the same idea. Usually there are some around if you hunt. I've had 3 and never bought a new one, just kept upgrading as I liked them so much. When my 3 sons were teenagers each one had a moped for a couple of years before they got cars. Got them places for fun and to jobs to get the $ for their first cars. They maintained them themselves and it never cost much. I have a nice hard luggage type carrier on the back for shopping and can bungy cord more stuff ontop of that. I've seen people use plastic milk crates and wood boxes on them to carry goods. Yes, I vote for getting and riding MOPEDS!!!!!!

PQ