Contemporary moped with old-school looks?

July 9, 2008 10:51 AM

What is the closest thing now in production to old mopeds like this?

I like the functional, minimalist look of the old ones. I know nothing about motorbikes or scooters. Does anyone make "moped" looking mopeds any more? Or are they all kind of scooter-looking now?

posted by everichon to travel & transportation (11 comments total)

I work in the motorcycle industry. I haven't seen anything like an old-school moped in a dealership since I was in high school (1980s). There may be some Chinese mopeds coming in, though I don't remember seeing any at the Indianapolis dealer expo, either. Consider anything Chinese to be disposable; spare parts and technical repair information are not available.

Two-stroke motors are on their way out. Most all 50cc engines are four-strokes now. Honda and Yamaha both make 50cc scooters, as do the Italian companies Piaggio and Aprilia. These scooters all have step-through frames, though, so they're definitely not mopeds.
posted by workerant at 11:08 AM on July 9, 2008

I see people riding electric bikes that look like the old mopeds (with the bonus that the e-bikes are zero emissions).
posted by Staggering Jack at 11:12 AM on July 9, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Here is an LA Times review of the Tomos moped.

Until recently you could mailorder mopeds (with free shipping!) from Northern Tool; you can get a surprising number of new and used models from specialty shops Steve's Mopeds and Myron's Mopeds. The forums at Moped Army will have other suggestions, too.
posted by Forktine at 11:15 AM on July 9, 2008

Make that "specialty shops like Steve's..."
posted by Forktine at 11:16 AM on July 9, 2008

Sachs Madass? Link goes to 125cc, but I'm pretty sure they come in 50cc too. Motorcycle-Type shift too, if that's your thing.
posted by piedmont at 11:28 AM on July 9, 2008

The only models that really look like that are the Tomos (like the Arrow) and the Sachs Madass (and there definitely is a 50 cc Madass), the Sachs aren't too common in the US. If you don't care for it looking like a moped and want a scooter that looks a bit different, you may want to check the Honda Ruckus or the Yamaha C3.
posted by Challahtronix at 12:25 PM on July 9, 2008

They don't sell them in the USA, but Honda is still making some very old-school scooters that resemble that moped, such as the Super Cub.
posted by adamrice at 12:55 PM on July 9, 2008

Dammit, adamrice, that is exactly what I would want. The Madass is kind of intriguing, too, though.
posted by everichon at 1:05 PM on July 9, 2008

There are a lot of rumors that SYM is going to start importing the Wowow to the US -- it is a pretty straightforward copy of the Honda Supercub, and if the price is right would be a really nice addition to the scooter choices in the US.

(As a pedantic quibble, "moped" usually refers to things like the Tomos, which have both motors and pedals; "moped" is also a category in many states' vehicle licensing laws, referring to a small and underpowered contraption, usually with a maximum speed of under 35mph, regardless of having pedals or not; and then to confuse things a lot of people use the word "moped" interchangeably with "scooter." So you may want to clarify whether you are looking for a moped-meaning-pedaled-motorcycle, or moped-meaning-small-scooter, as well as the question of whether whatever you buy needs to meet your state's definition of "moped," to avoid getting well-meant but not very helpful advice.)
posted by Forktine at 1:13 PM on July 9, 2008

In Australia, many postal deliveries are done on a similar bike: the Honda CT110. You can buy one second-hand for about AUD$1300.
posted by Kerasia at 2:44 PM on July 9, 2008

In Australia, many postal deliveries are done on a similar bike: the Honda CT110. You can buy one second-hand for about AUD$1300.

Sadly, those haven't been sold in the US since perhaps the early or mid 1980s; you will pay about that much for a 25-year old one here.
posted by Forktine at 4:29 PM on July 9, 2008