Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Who Rides a Moped?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Who Rides a Moped?

    Why? What kind? How fast? What would you recommend?

    Reason why I ask is I just picked one up for $50. An 03 Geely. Come to find out, it's not exaclty a popular brand of moped, on the mainland and parts are vitually impossible to find locally or online. I got it running and it runs fairly well and seems to be running solid, if not a bit slow. Also learned that the Chinese mopeds don't go faster than around 28 mph on the flats. It's alright, for now. Contemplating getting a "name brand" that has an availability of aftermarket parts.

  • #2
    Re: Who Rides a Moped?

    Originally posted by Da Rolling Eye
    Why? What kind? How fast? What would you recommend?

    Reason why I ask is I just picked one up for $50. An 03 Geely. Come to find out, it's not exaclty a popular brand of moped, on the mainland and parts are vitually impossible to find locally or online. I got it running and it runs fairly well and seems to be running solid, if not a bit slow. Also learned that the Chinese mopeds don't go faster than around 28 mph on the flats. It's alright, for now. Contemplating getting a "name brand" that has an availability of aftermarket parts.
    putt putt.....ahhh sputter...

    hope you wear a helmet! (I think you got a good deal)

    Find out how many miles you get out of the thing before it dies...then find out how much the local taxi service would have charged you for those same miles....

    Deal...or No Deal?

    (can't even pick a decent used bicycle for $50.00 right now on craigslist)

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Who Rides a Moped?

      Originally posted by Da Rolling Eye
      Contemplating getting a "name brand" that has an availability of aftermarket parts.
      These would be, however, the most common moped (or Mo-Ped, for you old-school J editors!) models targeted for theft. There might be an upside to a less-than-common brand.

      $50 for a working moped is a pretty decent start in the world of un-car transportation. Being able to fill your tank for a few bucks and drive all week will also be a good feeling. I'd say you're exactly where you should be, as you size up whether moped travel is for you.

      And yeah, be safe. Get a helmet, no matter how dorky you think you look. Even if an accident isn't your fault, you'll always lose.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Who Rides a Moped?

        There was a recent announcment by Italian manufacturer PIAGGIO and their 3-wheeled MP3 SCOOTER.
        The cambering wheel concept brings to mind the radical Tomahawk V-10 Superbike.

        Before "Quads", there were 3-wheeled ATV's, which were short-lived because of their proven tendency to flip over. But that design had a traditional tricycle setup of 1 wheel in front and 2 in back on a solid axle.

        The MP3's design makes more dynamic sense. As for the choice of name... hardly suprising. It's rumored to cost $5-6K.

        I remember the days of the PUCH.
        Last edited by Pomai; May 16, 2006, 02:50 AM.
        sigpic The Tasty Island

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Who Rides a Moped?

          No worries, got da helmet. Went into Hawaii Rides in Wahiawa and was looking at the $50 half helmet. Da guy said it's good if my head is worth $50. Went with a $130 Scorpion 3/4 helmet. I feel better. Full face helmets were too enclosed and cut out much of my peripheral vision.

          Funny thing. Back in the early 70's Honda came out with their nifty thrifty Honda fifty, of course with a 50cc engine and was highway rated. Nowdays, you get a moped with a 50cc motor and it can't do over 30mph on the flats. I know some brands come with "governors" to limit the speed, but even removing these limiters won't yield highway speeds. Still, there are mopeds out there with aftermarket performance parts doing up to 65 mph.

          I got a "warning" today from an officer at a road constuction site that closed one lane going into Wahiawa at the Wailua side bridge. I bypassed all the stopped cars to get to the head of the line. Basically he told me to ride like any other vehicle on the road. I know he was refering to my leap frogging but couldn't help buy think that due to mopeds' inherent lack of performance, riding like other vehicles on the road is impossible.

          I stopped in at a local motorcycle/moped parts store and got condolences for the brand I bought.

          Despite it's shortcomings, it's turned out to be a good deal. I got the thang running and the ride to Whitmore isn't too bad.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Who Rides a Moped?

            I had a Mako. It was 50ccs, which is the most powerful you can get without needing insurance. The guy that sold it to me removed the o-ring from the inside of the muffler so that it would go up to 40 Miles per hour, which is pretty good given that I am not a light guy. They are very popular So popular that mine was stolen right out of my garage.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Who Rides a Moped?

              Originally posted by haole_pupule
              I had a Mako. It was 50ccs, which is the most powerful you can get without needing insurance. The guy that sold it to me removed the o-ring from the inside of the muffler so that it would go up to 40 Miles per hour, which is pretty good given that I am not a light guy. They are very popular So popular that mine was stolen right out of my garage.
              Without needing insurance AND a motorcycle license.

              Sorry your's got stolen. I've been seeing some come up for sale without their engines. The sellers claim that they were stolen. The motor is probably one of the easy ones to modify making it popular with these guys who like to tinker for speed. It doesn't take much by way of parts and only a small investment.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Who Rides a Moped?

                Originally posted by Da Rolling Eye
                I got a "warning" today from an officer at a road constuction site that closed one lane going into Wahiawa at the Wailua side bridge. I bypassed all the stopped cars to get to the head of the line. Basically he told me to ride like any other vehicle on the road. I know he was refering to my leap frogging but couldn't help buy think that due to mopeds' inherent lack of performance, riding like other vehicles on the road is impossible.
                It's not impossible, and the cop should have given you a ticket. Pulling that kind of stuff irritates a lot of drivers, and has gotten more than a few moped riders hurt.

                I've owned a couple of mopeds, but they all got stolen. And that's even with one of those HUGE chains attached to the frame.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Who Rides a Moped?

                  Originally posted by pzarquon
                  And yeah, be safe. Get a helmet, no matter how dorky you think you look. Even if an accident isn't your fault, you'll always lose.
                  Nah, I never gave it much though on how I'd look. I'm an old fart. Who am I going to try and "impress"? <LOL>

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Who Rides a Moped?

                    I'll never own a Moped. Those things are darned dangerous. Too slow for vehicular speeds on the roads, too small for visibility.

                    Because of that, you tend to have to ride on the shoulders where you are typically in the blind spot of most automobiles turning right.

                    A moped also goes fast enough to make falling off of one a critical or even fatal injury unlike a bicycle where falling off isn't so typically tragic.

                    Now the question? Do Mopeds still have pedals? Wasn't that a requirement to get away from the Motorized licensing restrictions and place it under a Bicycle permit?
                    Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Who Rides a Moped?

                      Originally posted by Palolo Joe
                      It's not impossible, and the cop should have given you a ticket. Pulling that kind of stuff irritates a lot of drivers, and has gotten more than a few moped riders hurt.
                      He was on special duty.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Who Rides a Moped?

                        I thought about getting a bike, but the bike lanes here are horrible.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Who Rides a Moped?

                          Originally posted by Da Rolling Eye
                          He was on special duty.
                          And? That doesn't mean they can't cite.

                          Mopeds are like any other vehicle on the road. The people riding them need to obey the driving laws just like the rest of us do.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Who Rides a Moped?

                            Half the reason that I had originally bought mine was so that I could split through traffic on Nimitz. It is actually legal for them to ride in the bike lane, and I thought that it used to be legal to split lanes at speeds under 5 mph. It went back to the days of the old air cooled motorcycles. The engine blocks would overheat in traffic.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Who Rides a Moped?

                              Originally posted by haole_pupule
                              Half the reason that I had originally bought mine was so that I could split through traffic on Nimitz. It is actually legal for them to ride in the bike lane, and I thought that it used to be legal to split lanes at speeds under 5 mph. It went back to the days of the old air cooled motorcycles. The engine blocks would overheat in traffic.
                              Lane-splitting is not allowed in Hawaii.

                              Bike lanes are fine... what gets me is the donkeys on mopeds (and motorcycles) who think they can weave in and out of multiple lanes of traffic. Or the ones who jump ahead to the front of the line at a stoplight, then proceed to go 25 mph in a 35 zone.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X