70 MPH not MPG Moped...

[keyman512us]

Just couldn't resist this one..." A Normal Sunday afternoon in G-Vegas"...

As Sundays go... they can be rather interesting...today was no exception.

This Sunday I was headed towards Elks' neighborhood to help out around his homestead with everything he has going on... I figured it would be good to do...

So I venture over towards 'gasoline alley' tostop over to the Hess station for fuel and some food for the ride...

Then I hear the cashiers laughing as I'm filling up my 64 oz. fountain drink.

With fuel prices being a tad bit high... Old things are becoming new again, like mopeds.

Walking back to the car I somehow got into a conversation with the guy... "Only thing on wheels that you have to 'squeeze' 3 bucks into huh???"

The he mumbles something about "Not bad for seventy though" to whicjh I replied "Get 70 MPG with that thing huh??? No wonder you like driving it..." Now I was not ready for the reply... "Naggh...It does 70 MPH... bought it off a 'gear head' that tweaked it to do 70MPH...thing gets about 30-35 MPG though"...

He started mumbling a bunch of different things...and I quickly tried to walk away because I thought to myself... "I'm talking with a dead man".

Crazy Yeah...I might be, but not as much as either the guy that builds...or 'pilots' a moped to go 70MPH...

Whether or not this guy was pulling my leg... I'll shake my head and sum it up "Yup...Only in America"

 

[fespo]

I have a Honda reflex that I drive to and from work and gets 60 to 65 mpg. It will do a good 75 mph. It is a maxi scooter, I call it a fun ride to work.

 

[webbie]

I looked hard at some small scooters - but considering the weight - about 1/8 that of a car fully loaded, the MPG is not that incredible - take the safety (or lack of it) aspect into account, and it seems best suited for urban and short solo rides. Makes you appreciate a hybrid car that can get almost the same mileage for 6 to 10x the loaded weight!

Instead, I bought another bike - a used Trek Mountain model....this thing can ride where mopeds can't - on the sidewalk, through the field, etc.

I do like the idea of an electric bike, though.

 

[Burn-1]

I do like the idea of an electric bike, though.

If you've got the money, here are two great electric bikes.

Optibike
Their upper level bikes will get you a 50 mile range at better than 20 mph based on a 175 lb rider. This could easily be a great commuter option for some.

Folding electric mountain bike

I have been saving for one of Montague's non-electric folding mountain bikes but I just might save some more for this one.


Also coming out in 2008 is a small two stroke wheel mounted engine for bike power assist.

(broken link removed)

Original designs called for ~200 mpg but the listed over 100 mpg claim is still not too shabby but the two stroke power plant is probably not so eco-friendly despite their claims. It does have a neat stop/start feature like hybrids so it won't idle.

 

[northwinds]

Which mopeds/scooters give the best bang for the buck?

5k-8k for an electric bike is not an option for me.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Nike or New Balance...

Matt

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I looked hard at some small scooters - but considering the weight - about 1/8 that of a car fully loaded, the MPG is not that incredible - take the safety (or lack of it) aspect into account, and it seems best suited for urban and short solo rides. Makes you appreciate a hybrid car that can get almost the same mileage for 6 to 10x the loaded weight!

Instead, I bought another bike - a used Trek Mountain model....this thing can ride where mopeds can't - on the sidewalk, through the field, etc.

I do like the idea of an electric bike, though.

I bought another bike too - a Bacchetta Giro 26. Recumbent bike and it is fantastic. I've rode bikes for many years but as of late it got to where I couldn't ride without pain. Finally broke down and bought the recumbent and absolutely love it. I can ride without pain! Fun ride too.

 

[fespo]

Northwinds just stay AWAY from the cheap Chinnese no name Maxi scooters. There very hard to get parts and dealer support. I bought my Honda used but like new. Only 366 miles on an 04. I love my maxi scooter. Its fun to drive back and forth to work. I would not take it on the highway but people do everyday. I just like to ride and have fun, it's not an HD or made to be one. There are alot Yahoo groups for maxi scooters and one just for Honda reflex, check some of them out. have fun looking and be safe. Fespo

 

[wg_bent]

I looked hard at some small scooters - but considering the weight - about 1/8 that of a car fully loaded, the MPG is not that incredible - take the safety (or lack of it) aspect into account, and it seems best suited for urban and short solo rides. Makes you appreciate a hybrid car that can get almost the same mileage for 6 to 10x the loaded weight!

Instead, I bought another bike - a used Trek Mountain model....this thing can ride where mopeds can't - on the sidewalk, through the field, etc.

I do like the idea of an electric bike, though.

I bought another bike too - a Bacchetta Giro 26. Recumbent bike and it is fantastic. I've rode bikes for many years but as of late it got to where I couldn't ride without pain. Finally broke down and bought the recumbent and absolutely love it. I can ride without pain! Fun ride too.

COOL!! Nice bike. I Ride a Rans Rocket! Bents are the best!
Warren (aka wg_bent in other forums)

 

[kdiman]

I will stick with my Harley it gets 50 mpg. And it is fuel injected with cruise and am/fm cd player.

Kelly

 

[keyman512us]

Nike or New Balance...

Matt

I'm partial to Boks' (Reebok) myself...lol

 

[karl]

I have a 250cc Ninja. It's the smallest Ninja they make. 0-60 in about 5 seconds, top speed 105. and 65-70 MPG, and that's riding it like an idiot. Handles better than a scooter too.

 

[smirnov3]

Which mopeds/scooters give the best bang for the buck?

depends on how fast the SUV that hits you was going.

Seriously, when you ride your bike, don't get carried away. Most guys on motercycles ride responsibly, but every once in a while, I see a guy who assumes that since his cycle CAN weave in and out of traffic like it was standing still, he SHOULD.

And I know he will be a statistic soon.

 

[northwinds]

Which mopeds/scooters give the best bang for the buck?

depends on how fast the SUV that hits you was going.

Seriously, when you ride your bike, don't get carried away. Most guys on motercycles ride responsibly, but every once in a while, I see a guy who assumes that since his cycle CAN weave in and out of traffic like it was standing still, he SHOULD.

And I know he will be a statistic soon.

I think maybe my question was too ambiguous. I'm not interested in going really fast. My days of "hair flying in the wind" are pretty much over. Where I live, I'm more likely to run into the back of a tractor or combine than get run over by an SUV. Is there such a thing as an inexpensive scooter/moped with good range and mileage, and reasonable speed? In my area, there are many good used motorcycles that get decent gas mileage. Kdiman makes a good point about his Harley.

Trek makes great bicycles. I still have my touring bike from 1983, and the guys who work on it at the Trek shop are often younger than my bike.

 

[DiscoInferno]

Instead, I bought another bike - a used Trek Mountain model....this thing can ride where mopeds can't - on the sidewalk, through the field, etc.

When I was 15 I and a few friends had Honda Elites that looked suspiciously like keyman's photo there. 50cc, one gear, top speed of around 30mph. We did in fact drive them through fields and the woods and worse, and probably on the occasional sidewalk to boot. So we weren't exactly risk-adverse, but 70mph? That's nuts.

 

[TedNH]

Prior to purchasing my home in 04 I had a Honda Metropolitian. Not to be confused with the slower Metropolitan II.
its a 50cc scooter. with my fat a$$ on it I could hit 40 on flat ground.
I loved it.
I live up a pretty good hill so it would slow down to around 20. And I looked goofy on it.
It was fun.

its like the old saying.

Mopeds and Ugly Girls. Fun to ride until your friends see you.

 

[wg_bent]

I will stick with my Harley it gets 50 mpg. And it is fuel injected with cruise and am/fm cd player.

Kelly

I'd love to know how you can hear a CD player on a Harley.
I know many people love their Harley's, but I find them to be obnoxious. If I can't hear my car radio with the windows up and it turned up to insane volume when there's a Harley in front of me... it's wayy to loud. When rock climbing in the Gunks the Harley cruise up and down Rt 44 and it's dangerous to the climbers who can't hear each other. When a Harley goes rumbling past my house on a Sunday morning and hit's the gas for no reason at all just to make it go Blat Blat Blat and wake me up... it's too loud.

If my car were that loud, I'd be given a ticket. I think those things should be made to be quieter.

o.k. o.k. This was Ash can material Sorry Craig.

 

[webbie]

Yamaha has a new C3 50cc scooter that gets about 115 miles per gallon.
4-stroke engine, fuel injection and cat converter (clean)...

They have bigger scooters also (Vino) if you want to go faster.

 

[kdiman]

I will stick with my Harley it gets 50 mpg. And it is fuel injected with cruise and am/fm cd player.

Kelly

I'd love to know how you can hear a CD player on a Harley.
I know many people love their Harley's, but I find them to be obnoxious. If I can't hear my car radio with the windows up and it turned up to insane volume when there's a Harley in front of me... it's wayy to loud. When rock climbing in the Gunks the Harley cruise up and down Rt 44 and it's dangerous to the climbers who can't hear each other. When a Harley goes rumbling past my house on a Sunday morning and hit's the gas for no reason at all just to make it go Blat Blat Blat and wake me up... it's too loud.

If my car were that loud, I'd be given a ticket. I think those things should be made to be quieter.

o.k. o.k. This was Ash can material Sorry Craig.

My Harley is not that loud. I don't want it that load i can't stand to follow a really load bike.

 

[Mike Wilson]

So I was up in Newport for the past 5 days, sailing in the Swan Nationals at NYYC, and they had the Newport Boat Show going on. Saw this (broken link removed to http://www.vectrix.com/Portal/1/Language/47/Page/1/Home.aspx). It can't do 70MPH, but it can do 62... and has a range of 68 miles. They had a few of them set up on a test track in the parking lot of the Harbor Hotel... rides great! The only catch is that its apparently as expensive as a new Hyundai... 11 grand. Oh, and it weighs in at about 450 pounds.

-- Mike

 

[keyman512us]

...Well I guess with fuel prices being what they are more folks are going to be on the road with them. Yesterday while out with friends we came across this one scooter that was quite colorfull (somebody went a little nuts with stickers) we all couldn't help but laugh...