Think back to the last time you had a moped under you; was it summer fun or a day’s rental in Spain or Greece? Remember dodging the potholes, the sea, the sun, the pedal starter to get the hair drier going? The last time I was even on a bike, it was a Kawasaki 125 - an old heavy donkey of a bike, not a proper motorbike as any aficionado will tell you, but not quite a moped either. I’d been to a birthday party, I was wearing nothing but my jeans, and it was a beautiful starry night.
Anyway, back to reality. What about mopeds as the ultimate get-around utility vehicle? The little gadget that saves you a lot of money - you know, insurance, tax, petrol, parking, time - just about everything, really.
As we know, the vast majority of mopeds today come in the shape of scooters (the original Vespa design barely changed since the good old ’60’s) but that doesn’t make any of the new bikes ‘retro’; if anything, they get more and more beefier and powerful as time goes by. So, let’s start at the ‘toy’ end, like the electric scooters made by ‘razor’.
Before you laugh, think about it - zero emissions, so no restrictions in your travel on ‘zero car days’ some cities are having now, and less road tax. Secondly, no hair dryer (it’s electric) and no trips to the petrol station. This equals more time for what you want - and more money in your pocket to do it. And yes, if you splash out, you’ll see some change from 190 pounds.
It all sounds too good to be true, but then these vehicles are literally only for city streets and short runs; thirty miles being the distance and thirty miles per hour the speed limit, so examine all the lifestyle applications before you buy.
The next step is a 49/50 cc . Take a Katana AY50, for instance. I’m not brand pushing, it’s just that these have been around since 1997 so there’s a good chance you’ve seen one. Hair dryer? Well maybe. There is a liquid cooled version as well, so that’s up to you.
Will you be lugging around a helmet when you reach your destination? Again that’s up to you. There is a storage area beneath the seat. Cheap to run? Well, you’re talking about a six litre tank, approx. 1.5 gallons , so a nice range of 120 miles or so. What I would call a gallon-a-week ride.
Nearly all the information I have put here is fairly standard (irrespective of the brand name you buy) so choice, as with many things, boils down to price and reliability - and what you are happy to be seen driving.
You will save money. Even a chimpanzee recognises this, but as a homosapien wanting wheels, you might as well be cheap. You’re more likely to be able to afford those sun kissed moped rides as a result, and you’re doing something positive for the environment also.
Bikesure are a leading specialist Moped Insurance broker, specialising in Motorcycle Insurance of all types.
