Does anyone here own a moped? Mr. stargazer and I have only one car, so I take the bus to work. We’re thinking of getting a moped for him to take to work, since it’s not very far and he never has stuff to carry. Does anyone know what a good brand would be? What we should look for? If it’s a good idea or if we’re just smoking crack?
Thanks!
Moped Shmoped. For about the same money you could get a good used motorcycle. If it’s small you’re after, how about the Honda Nighthawk 250? Just as easy to ride as a moped, but easier to manuver in traffic. Also, a moped limits you to exactly what type of roads you can travel on, while the 250 doesn’t.
A small motorcycle is much better than a moped, trust me.
why not get a Segway? 
Yeah, get a motorcycle! A big, shiny Harley, or maybe a Honda, with lots of chrome, and a carrier bag for your briefcase…
drool
Darnit, I want my motorcycle license now!
I third the motorcycle suggestion…but you want what you want, and there are some fairly cool scooters and mopeds out there–eBay has them in their motor/motorcycle/other makes section, and craigslist seattle has some scooter listings. I do think a motorcycle is more fun, more versatile and can be safer than a scooter/moped. Plus, you’ll be in good company with the online motoDopers, purty nice people, as this thread witnesses.
Though I just learned you can’t lane split in WA. Too bad.
And like Magick I can’t wait to be out there without my clunky “steel bubble.”
Maybe you guys could take a MSF class together, it could be fun.
I drive a 50 cc Yamaha BWS. It’s a two-seater scooter-- great for city commuting.
It’s got a max speed of about 65 km, although I’ve had it up to 75 once – going down a big hill without any traffic for several blocks.
A friend of mine drives the Honda Dio-- gets slightly better fuel efficiency, except when the roads are wet.
I also know a bus driver who takes a scooter to work.
You can always buy a helmet box to go on the rear rack (or make do with the old standby-- a milk crate).
In the 50 cc range all new scooters, no matter who makes 'em, are very reliable. The only real difference from year-to-year is some styling.
You will have to break in the engine on a new 2-wheeler though, which is perfect for someone learning how to ride. “I can’t go fast, I’m breaking the engine!” 
I like my scooter because a) it is easy to drive around. It’s exactly like a fast bicycle.
b) no clutching. Just twist that throttle and go!
c) Gas and insurance are super super cheap.
That being said, I have two caveats.
If you’re seriously considering getting on the roads on two wheels, I recommend you do it on a bicycle first, just so you can get into the correct mental mindspace.
Second, even though you don’t need a specific license to drive a scooter/moped, it can’t hurt to at least read a book about how to handle a motorcycle. Effectively, a scooter is the most underpowered vehicle on the road, and you should know how to drive within those constraints. There is a good manual online at http://www.icbc.com/Licensing/lic_utility_resman_riders.html
The website belongs to BC’s motor vehicle branch, and the manual was produced in conjunction with the Canada Safety Council.
Have fun!
Another vote for a “real” bike. Those scooters, (around here we call 'em “liquor sicles” 'cos the only people that drive ‘em are people who’ve lost their license from a DUI) IMO are dangerous to traffic and the rider. They’re hard enough to see while riding in a regular car, not to mention by all these high riding SUV’s that are so popular these days. Get a big ol’ noisy Harley, a T-shirt like mine that says “Honk if you’ve never seen a gun fired from a moving Harley” on the back. Screw work…I’m going riding.
How about spending even less on gas and taking a bicycle to work?
I understand it always rains in Seattle. I’ve done a lot of riding in the rain, but I never liked it. Don’t spend the rent money on this bike, you may not use it as much as you planned.
Must resist… making… moped joke.
/me struggles with his conscience.
Anyway, gotta go in there as saying the mopeds are very dangerous little things. Practically invisible to traffic.
I’d say go with a real bike.
A vehicle is only as safe as the person driving it.
I am a scooter rider. Not a moped, a scooter (thats another debate ;)). What I would recommend is seeing if anyhere near you sells Piaggio or Lambretta Scooters. You can get 50cc 125 cc 200cc and 220cc engines. They have more weight than the “Sporty” Mopeds that are around at the moment.
they are punchy and can give quite a kick when needed. Visibility to other drivers is only an issue with SUV’s and other large vehicles, so you should check your route to work before you consider it. Even with that in mind, They are a great mode of transport.
A safe head is needed to ride a scooter, but for value and enjoyment they really cannot be beat.
Rain ain’t that much of a problem, as long as you’re dressed for it.
That, and carrying a sponge so you can wipe off your seat before you sit down.
I don’t mind being one with the elements, but I reserve the right to exempt my ass.
Thanks, everyone! We’re thinking about trying to rent one for a couple of weeks, to see if we’re really cut out for it. Neither of us has a long commute (less than 2 miles), but the hills in our area would make a bicycle difficult.
And the rain thing is an issue – while it doesn’t rain heavily very often, it does rain frequently. And Mr. Stargazer (who would be the primary user) is pretty sensitive to cold weather.
FWIW, we’re not planning on taking this thing on the freeway. We’d use the car for that.
Barbarian – how much do accessories cost for these things?
And the most important thing: do they have cupholders? I need my coffee – this is Seattle, after all! 
I used to have a Vespa, and I used to do a lot of surfing on my back while trying to ride in the rain. I’d recommend against getting a scooter and suggest getting something with narrower larger diameter tires, like a moped or small motorcycle.
Oh yeah FWIW, you used to be able to get an extra 10MPH out of the old Yamaha mopeds by drilling a few half inch holes in the inlet side of the airbox…
I owned a moped in High School.[list=1]
[li]They are fun. [/li][li]They are easy to drive.[/li][li]They require zip for maintainence[/li][li]They can be hazardous in traffic, especially near HS age boys in cars–based on a bad experience.[/li][li]They are cheap to run.[/li][li]They are absolutely useless on any type of hill; even the slightest grade of steepness stops them cold.[/li][/list=1]
I’d go with a bicycle or a scooter.
This would be ideal.
http://www.raceshop.org/motorcycle/aprilia/scarabeo/scooter.htm
These little machines have larger wheels than a scooter and so they cope with poor road surfaces better, the tyres last longer as do the wheel bearings.
They hve all the attributes of scooters plus a few of more conventional bikes.
I’m not sure how much accessories cost. Can’t be more than a couple hundred for both a helmet box (on the back rack), and a windshield.
Keep in mind that the windshield will keep some rain off you, but more importantly, it makes you more visible to other drivers.
I don’t actually use either-- I live with rain by wiping off my full-face helmet, and a backpack bungy-corded to the rack has been sufficient for my hauling needs.
As for rain-- well, I live in Vancouver, so I know the conditions you’ll face. You probably already own a Gore-tex jacket, which will probably fit nicely over a leather jacket-- that’s what I wear.
If it looks likely to rain, I grab my rain pants. I use some old army surplus that have been sprayed with silicon, but I could probably use a new pair of rain pants.
Cold can be a factor if you don’t know how to deal with it, even on a short commute.
You’ll need leather gloves (multiple pairs), possibly with liners, and if it’s a flash downpour nothing beats a latex glove under your main gloves, with a waterproof mitt on top.
Cupholders? Ha! You need BOTH hands to drive these things-- and forget about a celphone!
Why don’t you call up some Yamaha or Honda dealers this weekend and go take a look-see? There should also be some rental joints in Seattle where you can take them out by the hour for a test spin.
oh, I wouldn’t think about actually drinking my coffee while driving this thing – it’d still be too hot, anyway! I just make my coffee at home and transport it to work, where it eventually gets cool enough to drink. I could use a thermos, though.
I’ve had time to do a smidge of research online – ordered a couple of brochures, etc. We’re just starting to think about this, so I don’t think we’re at the point yet to go out shopping. We’re also hoping to move in June, so we have to wait to see how that affects our commute. But we definitely will go test drive some machines before renting even.
Any suggestions on what engine size would be good for us? Since I’m just starting to research this, most of what I’ve found is pretty much Greek to me. Any features I should require? What about safety – other than helmets, what gear/features should we look for? And are these things easy to steal? It seems like they would be. Thanks!
I’ve been looking at helmets lately and over and over I’m hearing: “The best helmet is the one that fits.” I would get a full face helmet, because looking cool after a rock gets thrown up by a truck wheel and smashes your face is kind of hard. Plus, there are bugs and debris, it’s just better to spring for the full thing and not a trendy little skull cap, anyway, I digressed: apparently, each helmet company has their own idea of what their average rider head shape is, Shoei is round, Arai is oval, KBC (supposed to be just as good as the others for a lot less) is round too, plus Suomy. They all have there fancy little model names and marketing blurbs, but “everybody” says that what really matters is fit, that it really holds you tight around the forehead and doesn’t slide.
There’s a British magazine called T.W.O. (Two Wheels Only) that is about 2/3 motorbike stuff 1/3 scooter and they have some great info on scooters, but best of all they’ve got all the different models available listed with all the stats for easy comparison. The March issue has a review of the Benelli Adiva which has a little convertible top to help keep the rain off, not to be confused with the BMW C1 which has a fixed roof and is apparently so top heavy it’s a little scary to drive. Anyway, we find TWO at the Berkeley Barnes & Noble, so just call around your local corporate chainstores, you’ll probably be able to find it. I love the Aprilia scooters, but check out the Derbi Predator, it’s very flash.
What does a fat woman and a moped have in common?
They are both fun to ride but you don’t want your friends to see you on one.