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Mopeds and Scooter Addicts

Are you a Moped or scooter lover?

A place to discuss Mopeds and Scooters.Ask questions.....tell stories.......
What is a moped really and where does it come from?
To answer this question, one needs to go back to the early days of the bicycle and the invention that revolutionised the 20th century - the internal combustion engine. Put one of these into a coach and you have an automobile; mount it on a bicycle and presto, you have a moped (MOtor PEDals), the precursor of ALL motorcycles. The pedals were omnipresent on all, used both as a starter device and as emergency fallback on human power. As engine sizes got bigger and bigger, it looked as if the half-bicycle-half motorcycle mopeds were just a short-lived early development phase (like a tadpole) that progress simply left behind. History however proved it otherwise.
The moped's evolution can be broken down into 4 distinct periods: from the very beginning to the end of the first world war, the period between the two wars, the phase after WWII to the early '80s and finally today. We also have to define what do we call a moped: a cross between a human-powered bicycle and an engine powered motorcycle, equipped with a (usually) under-50cc gasoline engine (although some early models used 98cc displacements as well).
After the end of WWI, with Europe's map completely redrawn, the short period until the Great Depression of the '30s was not conducive to the developemnt of the moped. While motorcycle manufacturing boomed, largely fuelled by the rapid re-armament needs on all sides, it seemed that the low-cubic, low-speed moped would become extinct forever.
Except nobody factored in WWII. After the war ended in Europe, the demand for simple and economical (read: cheap and affordable), means of transportation skyrocketed. Nobody could afford a car, or even a motorcycle. Most factories were in ruins anyway. In Southern European countries, like Italy and France, people got around on bicycles. This was fertile breeding ground for the rebirth of the moped and also gave us the other Italian cultural icon, the scooter.


created by The decent American

Slow rollers

The decent American's Picture Bluefox's Picture Janie-In-Nautilus [take cover]'s Picture scarpati studio's Picture Chris Danley's Picture Argh's Picture Dee Ray Jay's Picture Triple J's Picture moo's Picture

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Members: 9

Comments: 37

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mopeds


Shoutbox - 31 comments

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The decent American says:

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In Tokyo they are "moddin" them like this.

posted Jul 26

Comment replies (1)


WoozyChain says:

now that's cool as hell!

posted Jul 26


WoozyChain says:

i'm really diggin the vespas.

i think i'll save for one next spring.

posted Jul 26

Comment replies (1)


The decent American says:

sweeeet!

posted Jul 26


The decent American says:

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Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

posted Jul 21

Comment replies (1)


moo says:

haha - I love the second picture (and I recognise that signpost as somewhere not too far from where I live; it's in Wales)

posted Jul 21


moo says:

Not got a scooter or moped - though I would love one - but I wanted to join the group!
Hi John, Woozy and Janie (the ones I know) and hi to the others who I suspect aren't even reading...

posted Jul 20

Comment replies (5)


The decent American says:

hey moo.....hop on!.......we can catch Hol...( in about 5 hours) hahah!

posted Jul 20


moo says:

hey John - forget Hol! ;-) let's go somewhere exciting...(you got those beers stashed under the seat?)

posted Jul 20


moo says:

tell me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't this have tipped up if she was sitting on it like this?

posted Jul 20


The decent American says:

they have "airbrushed out" the kickstand in this picture.

posted Jul 21


moo says:

how silly!!

posted Jul 21


WoozyChain says:

with gas prices, and the realization that it would be wise to find new ways to conserve, i have been searching ebay and researching the whole scooter/moped thing. i have always wanted one, but i lean more towards the vintage side of things as of now. i like this renewed interest and from what i am seeing so far, modern even is starting to appeal to me.

that white one with the red racing stripe is sick. could you help steer me in the right direction DA?

posted Jul 17


WoozyChain says:

ha ha ha...scrolling through groups and ran across this one...

how did i know you'd be the one that created this group?

posted Jul 7

Comment replies (1)


The decent American says:

haha!.....glad yer here.

posted Jul 20


The decent American says:

my ride.......looks like hell...runs like heaven.......derbi atlantis 2003 which means it has the piaggio engine ( as opposed to the spanish one).....
just hit 14,000 miles on it.......had it for 4 years now.....
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ps-----laundry mat around the corner! LOL

posted May 3


scarpati studio says:

Whoo Hoo! Its scooter weather again!!!

posted Mar 22


Dee Ray Jay says:

Anyone still out there in this group?

I rock a Buddy 125 in the Seattle area...just looking for other scooter peeps to converse with

posted Mar 21

Comment replies (1)


The decent American says:

sorry to be so long in responding! I had given up the ghost on the group here!...post away!

posted May 3


The decent American says:

Welcome Argh..........post away brother!

posted Sep 28


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