gas mopeds

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1. Mopeds are a class of low-powered (under 50cc displacement) motorized vehicle. generally two-wheeled. A Moped is driven in an upright position with the rider s back perpendicular to the seat . From a practical point of view. in most jurisdictions mopeds can be ridden without requiring a motorcycle license (a car license is sufficient). They may be speed limited by design. but even if they aren t. the small engine size usually limits then to a top speed under 40mph (maybe 45mph downhill with a tail wind). In the United States the definition and regulation of mopeds differs from state to state.

   Comment by Tony — 05/12/2010 @ 3:15 pm

2. Legal terms and definitions of low-powered cycles vary from state to state and may or may not include Moped.Motorcycle. Motorized Bicycle. Motorscooter. scooter. Goped. Motor-Driven Cycle. and or others. A moped s speed generally may not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h) on level ground. even if it is capable of going faster.

   Comment by Alfie — 05/12/2010 @ 3:15 pm

3. Well, the smaller the wheel the more maneuverable the scooter can be. The smaller wheel has less of a gyroscopic effect making it somewhat easier to turn (though this also depends a lot on steering geometry). So in general, scooters are more maneuverable than motorcycles (which have larger wheels). The converse of this is that larger wheels may give better stability at speed.

   The downside of smaller wheels is that they don’t roll over obstructions in the road as well. Just think of a pothole in the road. If it’s a large hole and a small wheel, the wheel could fall into it! Even if it’s a raised obstruction like a tree branch or a curb, a larger wheel will roll over it with less effort than a small wheel. That’s one reason why off-road trucks often have monster wheels. When you’re driving over rocks a big wheel makes life easier. Similarly, if you’re riding over roads filled with potholes (for example New York City!), you’ll value larger wheels.

   While a few scooters have 16″ wheels (e.g. MC_X1507) and a few have 10″ wheels (e.g. MC-U1504), most scooters have a 12″ or 13″ wheel which is a reasonable compromise between maneuverability and stability.

   Scooter tires come in all sizes of course, with a typical 13″ wheel scooter tire having a designation something like “130/60-13″. The “13″ refers to the wheel rim diameter. The “130/60″ part indicates that the width of the tread is 130mm (5.1″) and that the tire has an aspect ratio of 0.60 (or 60%), which means that the sidewall height is 60% of the width of the tire. Some tires are designed for front wheel use, some for rear wheel use and some can be used on either wheel. Though most tires today are tubeless, there may still be a few tires which require an inner tube, especially on older scooters.

   The tread pattern may be directional, meaning that it has to be mounted the correct way around to perform properly and there should be an arrow on the sidewall which shows which way the tire should rotate. You may also see a speed designation on some tires between the “130/60″ and “13″. This is a letter which runs from “J” to “Y”. “J” indicates the tire is safe to use up to 62mph, “L” is up to 75mph, “N” is up to 87mph, “P” is up to 93mph and “S” is up to 103mph. You probably won’t be going any faster than that on a scooter. However there is a “W” designation shows the tire is safe up to 168mph. As far as I know there are no “W” rated scooter tires! Most scooter tires will be priced in the $55-$85 region.

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   What is a Scooter?

   Well, here’s what Wikipedia has to say:

   A scooter is a style of two-wheeled motor vehicle traditionally defined by characteristics such as a step-through frame, wheels less than 16″ in diameter, and an engine located below the rider and to the rear.

   That pretty much sums it up. Motorcycles have an engine mounted in the middle of the frame with a gas tank above it. The rider sits astride the engine with the gas tank right in front of them. Motorcycle wheels are also typically larger (over 16″ diameter) than those on a scooter. Another major difference is that the engine of a motorcycle is attached to the frame, while on a scooter it is usually part of the rear suspension. So when a motorcycle rear wheel goes up and down, the engine remains stationary, while when the rear wheel of a motor scooter goes up and down, the whole engine and transmission moves up and down with it.

   These days, 99% of scooters have a “twist and go” automatic (CVT) transmission, which means you don’t have a clutch to control and you don’t have to change gears, while 99% or motorcycles have a manual clutch and you have to shift gears manually (with your left foot). This also means that on 99% of motor scooters you apply the rear brake with your left hand, while on 99% of motorcycles you apply the rear brake with your right foot. While there are still a few manual scooters and there are a few automatic motorcycles, both are very much the exception rather than the rule.

   These differences result in a motorcycle usually having better acceleration high speed handling characteristics, but a motor scooter is often more maneuverable at low speed and is easier to ride, especially for novices.

   Scooters usually have a small engine, from 50cc to 250cc, though there are 400cc and even 800cc scooters, so engine size doesn’t define them. While most are limited in speed, scooters with a larger engine can exceed 100mph and cruise easily at freeway speeds, so speed isn’t a defining characteristic either.

   So what is a moped then? That’s a little trickier, but the working definition for most DMVs is a motorized two wheeled vehicle with an engine of less than 50cc capacity. It used to be that a moped was a Motorized pedal cycle, i.e. basically a bicycle with a small engine, but some jurisdictions don’t require pedals. Again we can also look at Wikipedia for a definition:
   Mopeds are a class of low-powered (under 50cc displacement) motorized vehicle, generally two-wheeled. A Moped is driven in an upright position with the rider’s back perpendicular to the seat . From a practical point of view, in most jurisdictions mopeds can be ridden without requiring a motorcycle license (a car license is sufficient). They may be speed limited by design, but even if they aren’t, the small engine size usually limits then to a top speed under 40mph (maybe 45mph downhill with a tail wind). In the United States the definition and regulation of mopeds differs from state to state. Again calling on Wikipedia:

   Legal terms and definitions of low-powered cycles vary from state to state and may or may not include “Moped,” “Motorcycle,” “Motorized Bicycle,” “Motorscooter,” “Goped,” “Motor-Driven Cycle,” and or others. A moped’s speed generally may not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h) on level ground, even if it is capable of going faster. In a few states this number is 20 or 25 mph (32 or 40 km/h), and in most states, the maximum engine capacity is 50 cc. However, Kansas (“Motorized Bicycle” K.S.A. 8-126, 8-1439a) allows up to 130 cc[13]. Some states, like California, require pedals, while others do not. Virginia allows mopeds to operate at up to 35 mph (56 km/h). Some states, like North Carolina, require there to be no external gear-shifting mechanism.

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