 | ||
A moped (/ˈmoʊpɛd/ MOH-ped) is a small motorcycle, generally having a less stringent licensing requirement than motorcycles or automobiles because mopeds typically travel about the same speed as bicycles on public roadways. Strictly speaking, mopeds are driven by both an engine and by bicycle pedals, but in common usage and in many jurisdictions the term moped is used for similar vehicles including a scooter, though this is quite erroneous. Mopeds occasionally resemble powered bicycles, more commonly called a motorized bicycle, though since ca. 2006 there has been a glut of engine kits shipped from China (although Tanaka had offered drive kits since the 1960s) designed in theory to transform a standard bicycle into a motor vehicle but lacking the benefit of proper brakes and lighting. In addition, the added stresses can cause the rear rim to warp, and the spokes to break, and if the engine is the least bit out of alignment the drive chain will come off the drive sprocket, causing the rim to warp and the spokes to break, as well as lodging the chain in the chainstay and causing injury to the operator. Some mopeds are of a step-through type design, while others are step-over, or top tank, designs, having a motorcycle-like frame, including a "backbone" and a raised fuel tank (known as a top tank among moped enthusiasts), mounted directly between the saddle and the head tube. Most are similar to a regular motorcycle, only having the addition of pedals, in which the rider can both manually power the vehicle through a bicycle-like crankset in addition to a small displacement engine. Although mopeds usually have two wheels, some regions classify low-powered three- or (rarely) four-wheeled vehicles as a moped. Many(US ?)states have laws on the books that anyone convicted of a DUI cannot legally operate any motor vehicle powered by gasoline for the entire length of their sentence.
Contents
Word origin
The word moped is a portmanteau of "motor" and "pedal", originally coined in Sweden. Like some of the earliest two wheeled motorcycles, all mopeds were once equipped with bicycle pedals. The name "moped" has now been applied by some regional governments to vehicles without pedals, based on criteria of restricted engine displacement, speed, and/or power output. This is a misnomer, as they are no longer "mopeds" at all, and might instead be called a "noped" if they appear to look exactly like a typical moped, but no longer include pedals.
History
The term "moped" now only applies to low-power (often super-economy) vehicles, but pedals were fitted to some early motorcycles, such as the pictured 1912 Douglas. Pedalling away from stationary was a great improvement over "run and jump" and light pedal assistance (LPA) was valuable for climbing hills. Better transmissions with wider ranges, better clutches and much better engine performance made pedals obsolete on most motorcycles by 1918 but the pedals on mopeds remained valuable for their original purposes as late as the 1990s.
The earliest mopeds were bicycles with a helper motor in various locations, for example on top of the front wheel; they were also called cyclemotors. An example of that type is the VéloSoleX brand, which simply has a roller driving the front tire.
A more innovative design was known in the UK as the Cyclemaster. This had a complete powered rear wheel which was simply substituted for the bicycle rear wheel, which originated from a design by two DKW engineers in Germany. Slightly larger machines, commonly with a 98 cc (6.0 cu in) engine were known as autocycles. On the other hand, some mopeds, such as the Czech-made Jawa, were derived from motorcycles.
A further category of low-powered two-wheelers exists today in some jurisdictions for bicycles with helper motors – these are often defined as power-assisted bicycles or motorized bicycles. Other jurisdictions may categorize the same machines as mopeds, creating a certain amount of confusion. In many countries three-wheelers and microcars are classified as mopeds or variations thereof. This practice is not restricted to the third world; France and Belgium classify microcars such as the Aixam similarly or as "light quadricycles". The Ariel 3, a motorised three-wheeler is classed as a moped.
Etymology
The word moped was coined by Swedish journalist Harald Nielsen in 1952, as a portmanteau of motor and pedal. It is however often claimed to be derived from "motor-velocipede. According to Douglas Harper, the Swedish terms originated from "(trampcykel med) mo(tor och) ped(aler)", which means "pedal cycle with engine and pedals" (the earliest versions had auxiliary pedals).
Other terms used for low-powered cycles include motorbicycle, motorized bicycle, motor-driven cycle, and goped (motorized inline skateboard with T-bar). The term noped is sometimes used for mopeds that do not have pedals. Motor scooters are sometimes referred to as mopeds.
Emissions
Mopeds can achieve fuel economy of over 100 mpg‑US (2.4 L/100 km; 120 mpg‑imp). The emissions of mopeds have been the subject of multiple studies. Studies have found that two-stroke 50 cc mopeds, with and without catalytic converters, emit ten to thirty times the hydrocarbons and particulate emissions of the outdated Euro 3 automobile standards. In the same study, four-stroke mopeds, with and without catalytic converters, emitted three to eight times the hydrocarbons and particulate emissions of the Euro 3 automobile standards. Approximate parity with automobiles was achieved with NOx emissions in these studies. Emissions performance was tested on a g/km basis and was unaffected by fuel economy. Currently in the United States, the EPA allows motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds with engine displacements less than 280cc to emit ten times the NOx and six times the CO as the median Tier II bin 5 automobile regulations. An additional air quality challenge can also arise from the use of moped and scooter transportation over automobiles, as a higher density of motorized vehicles can be supported by existing transportation infrastructure.
Racing
The wide availability of previously-used but still functional small motorcycles in western societies enables and encourages cheap forms of racing. Dirt-racing forms of this sport are sometimes staged in the stadiums of agricultural shows, where, unlike football and athletic grounds, the surface is not too important. One popular series uses chicanes consisting of stacked large-diameter tractor tyres and requires a team of riders, each doing ten laps and then pulling into the middle of the ring for change-over. Two heats and a final, each lasting 25 minutes, can be held in one day interspersed with speedway racing and other displays. Another series once held on full-size race-tracks, including Le Mans, ran for 25 hours (typically 3.00pm one day until 4.00pm the next) and was billed as "the longest race in the world".
Safety
Safely riding a moped mostly requires the same considerations as safely riding a motorcycle but the lower speeds, while reducing some dangers, increases others. The biggest danger is that other traffic may not notice the presence of a moped - bright clothes and reflective fittings help. Drivers may even see the moped, recognize it as harmless to them and simply forget it's there, pulling out of side-turnings into its path. Similarly, a car approaching a moped from behind will approach it more quickly than the driver expects, and the driver's attention may be more attuned to other automobile traffic rather than the moped, increasing the likelihood of an accident. This is a particular problem for mopeds used on high-speed roads where they may not be intended to travel.
Mopeds are often illegally tuned for higher speeds, powers or engine displacements than allowed. For this to be legal, such vehicles should be re-registered as motorcycles, and their driver's license requirements, taxes, insurance costs and minimum driver age would be higher. A tuned vehicle, not designed for higher speeds, is not as safe as a purpose-designed motorcycle. A survey of Finnish high school students found that 80% and 70% of their mopeds were tuned, for vocational and gymnasium students, respectively. Only 10% of trade school students had a moped that conformed to legislation. The average maximum speed was 72 km/h, far higher than the legally allowable 45 km/h. Another study reported that of school-age moped owners, 50% of boys and 15% of girls have an illegally tuned moped.
Sports moped
In the United Kingdom during the 1970s, a high performance derivation of the moped concept were developed, aimed at 16-year-olds. It was created in order to circumvent governmental legislation aimed at forcing young motorcycle riders off the road. These new laws, called the "Sixteener Law", were introduced by John Peyton, the then Conservative Party Minister for Transport in 1971. They forbid 16-year-olds from riding motorcycles of a 250 cc capacity as they had done before, and limited them to 50 cc machines until they were 17. The law provoked motorcycle manufacturers to develop new class of motorcycle which were then called "sports mopeds" or, colloquially, "sixteener specials" and was subject to much criticism. The market for these was primarily young males.
Sports mopeds were ostensibly 50 cc motorcycles, capable of doing more than 50 mph in some cases, with bicycle style pedals added to them as an after thought which the law required were capable of propelling the vehicle. Models were produced by Japanese manufacturers Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki, and European companies such as Puch, Fantic, Gilera, Gitane and Garelli from 1972 onwards, the most famous of which was the Yamaha FS1-E. They included roadsters, enduro and motorcrossers, cafe racers and choppers or scooters, and led to a boom interest in motorcycling similar to the early 1960 rocker period. The government responded again by bringing in even more restrictive legislation in 1977 which limited mopeds to a weight of 250 kg and a top speed to 30 mph. The move contributed to the demise of the UK motorcycle market. In Continental Europe no such restrictions existed and such vehicles could be ridden by 14-year-olds.