kevino
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Post by kevino on Sept 21, 2020 7:26:01 GMT -5
How does a 50cc automatic motorcycle differ from my Icebear Vision PMZ50-17 49cc scooter? How does a moped differ? Kinda assume it's got something to do with the lack of clutch and chain? I've seen ads for an 80cc motor that I could mount to my fat-tire bicycle. I wonder if that might be worthwhile.?
TIA,
kevin
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Post by 90GTVert on Sept 21, 2020 7:48:47 GMT -5
Moped vs Scooter
A moped has pedals and doesn't necessarily have a step through chassis. A noped is like a moped, minus the pedals. Scooters have a step through chassis, no pedals, and most commonly the engine/transmission/gearbox are all one assembly. Mopeds tend to have larger tires and look closer to a bicycle.
That said, when you talk legal definitions it gets fuzzy. Many areas lump everything small (usually 50cc and under) into moped status. My small scoots are all registered as mopeds. If I wanted to ride them without a driver's license, I'd have to get a moped permit. The general public often seems to call small scooters mopeds as well. If you say scooter, some people think you mean a kick scooter like a Razor scooter. When I hit a deer on my scooter, I had doctors and nurses laugh at me (while I'm busted up) because they thought I was on a child's kick scooter and hit a deer when I said scooter. I learned that it was just easier to say I hit a deer on a motorcycle so no one was confused.
Some jurisdictions do break things down more to define moped, scooter, motor scooter, motor driven cycle or other terms.
A 50cc automatic motorcycle basically sounds like a moped or scooter to me. Again, depending on jurisdiction and their definitions. Some of the bikes with that description have 139QMB scooter engines in them.
The motorized bicycle kits aren't that impressive to me. Some people like them. They can follow a different set of rules in some areas to make things even more complicated. From what I've seen, they aren't very quick or fast and there aren't many useful upgrades. They can be a really cheap way to gain motorized transportation though.
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kevino
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Post by kevino on Sept 21, 2020 8:29:06 GMT -5
Thanks, not laughing at the deer incident only because I once had a similar situation involving a golden eagle and my Honda XL 250. But what does step through chassis mean?
TIA,
kevin
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claydoh
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Post by claydoh on Sept 21, 2020 9:17:05 GMT -5
Step-through means the frame is similar to a 'girl's' bicycle frame -where you don't have to swing a leg over the frame or seat to get on it, like you do on a 'normal' bicycle or motorcycle.
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Post by aeroxbud on Sept 21, 2020 10:06:57 GMT -5
In Europe it's an easier classification. Before the late 70's mopeds had pedals, and were 50cc. After that any vehicle, with or without pedals, or gears. With a 50cc engine was called a moped. They were also limited after the 70's. So had a restricted top speed of 30mph.
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kevino
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Post by kevino on Sept 21, 2020 11:06:36 GMT -5
I lived in Germany as a kid. I remember mopeds being a motorized bike that you started by pedaling.
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Post by aeroxbud on Sept 21, 2020 15:49:53 GMT -5
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Post by Raizer on Sept 21, 2020 16:11:26 GMT -5
In Europe it's an easier classification. Before the late 70's mopeds had pedals, and were 50cc. After that any vehicle, with or without pedals, or gears. With a 50cc engine was called a moped. They were also limited after the 70's. So had a restricted top speed of 30mph. Much like here in New Zealand, max 49cc, top speed of 50kph or less. Used to have a 2kw power limit, but they got rid of that a few years ago as a lot of scooters are over it from factory.
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Post by aeroxbud on Sept 21, 2020 17:26:50 GMT -5
In Europe it's an easier classification. Before the late 70's mopeds had pedals, and were 50cc. After that any vehicle, with or without pedals, or gears. With a 50cc engine was called a moped. They were also limited after the 70's. So had a restricted top speed of 30mph. Much like here in New Zealand, max 49cc, top speed of 50kph or less. Used to have a 2kw power limit, but they got rid of that a few years ago as a lot of scooters are over it from factory. But you got the cool three wheeler scooters.
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Post by FrankenMech on Sept 21, 2020 18:01:18 GMT -5
My scooter was classified as a 'motorized bicycle' with three wheels and a maximum 'design speed' of 30MPH with an exception being windy days and downhill or 'low power situations' it may go faster. I think they changed the laws a year or so ago though. I haven't investigated the new laws.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2020 19:19:08 GMT -5
It really does change with the locality. Laws here are pretty mcu same as most places. 50cc and under, moped. Over 50, motorcycle.
I still like to think of mopeds having pedals, though. Love the look of the Tomos and Puch mopeds. My mom had a Solex in the late 60s. The motor was mounted over the front wheel. That was a funky little bike.
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Post by FrankenMech on Sept 21, 2020 19:29:12 GMT -5
In reality you must check your local regulations. Kansas even allows <130cc engines. Kansas was so fragmented and confusing I eventually went to my local police department and asked them. An officer went through the laws for me and eventually proclaimed I did not have to register my 'motorized bicycle', could ride it without a motorcycle endorsement even though I had one, did not need insurance, or a license plate. I got insurance anyway with difficulty and I got a plate that said 'nuclear powered motorized tricycle'.
The Kansas highway patrol website said all vehicles have to be registered and have a license plate but failed to mention all the exemptions for farm vehicles and such things as motorized bicycles... Cops like their power trip.
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Post by sevenninesandtens on Sept 22, 2020 8:24:21 GMT -5
My state is doubly fun. 50cc and less is a moped, needs insurance and a license still. However in my city (Philadelphia) the police won't bat an eye if you ride without a license plate. When I lived 2 miles outside the city limits I had to register my pedal start moped, with my Vino in the city there's no such regulations.
I'm still registered, licensed and insured though. Better to be safe than sorry. There's no inspections for "mopeds" either which are anything 50cc and under. So my 70cc Vino shouldn't ever be found to be breaking the rules since no one except me and now all of you know it's over 50cc. Also supposed to have a motorcycle license for over 50cc which honestly doesn't make any sense at all to me, it's still a scooter after all.
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