Your guide to finding Cheap Mopeds and Scooters on the Internet

My name is Iain Mackay of the Internets Moped.Com. I understand the business of selling mopeds and scooters on the Internet, and I know all the best places to find cheap mopeds on the web. I have put this site up because my web stats tell me that lots people of arrive at my sites after searching for "cheap mopeds", this site will better enable me to target those visitors. I use my web presence to promote the moped vehicle. My mission is to get more people out of cars, and onto mopeds, scooters, motorcycles, and bicycles. I believe that every time a four wheel journey is replaced with a two wheel journey, the world is better off, congestion is eased, less fuel is used, and less carbon dioxide is released into the environment. Offering ways to find cheap mopeds is going to help my mission because more people are going to buy a moped if it costs only $100 rather than $1000, and its not hard to find a usable moped for only $100 if you know where to look, when to look, and what type of moped to look for.

Your Needs

People buy mopeds and scooters for lots of different reasons, some people need a moped to get to work or study, some people want a moped for fun, and some people want a moped because they can't afford to buy a car, or aren't old enough to drive a car. The first question you have to ask is why do you want a moped? and what kind of moped do you have in mind. Maybe you just need a cheap moped or scooter to zip around town on, if it doesn't start and you're a bit late is that going to be a problem? If you need a moped or scooter to get to work or school on, you'll need something that is reliable and won't let you down, the boss isn't going to be too impressed if you turn up late because "my moped wouldn't start". Maybe you want to find a cheap moped as a restoration project, there is much satisfaction in squeezing more life out of something that others have given up on. I place myself in this category, before I bought moped.com, I would buy cheap mopeds and scooters locally, clean them up a bit and get them running sweet, then I'd sell them to for a profit. I did the same thing with motorcycles where I would buy insurance wrecks at auction or by tender, the price for a wrecked bike with only cosmetic damage was cheap. I soon found that mopeds and scooters were much easier to find and cheaper to fix up. Think about it, one cylinder, one spark plug, belt primary drive, gear or chain secondary drive, a simple chassis, and a couple of wheels, mopeds aren't rocket science. Mopeds are designed to get their user from A to B in an economical and efficient manner for a cheap price, and in this regard even brand new mopeds offer great value for money.

What kind of Moped?

Ah the age old question, moped or scooter?, well the answer is simple really because in most states they're the same thing, legally anyway, all you have do do is check out the moped and motorized bicycle rules in your area. In most places the only thing you need to worry about is engine size, if its 49 cc or smaller its a moped, if its engine is bigger than 49 cc its a motorcycle and you'll need to get a special license, insurance, registration, riding gear etc.

Pedal Mopeds - Have larger wheels which makes them more stable with  predictable handling, are good on rougher roads, they have a motorcycle riding style suited to the open road, but offer little or no weather protection or storage. Pedal mopeds have a very simple transmission that uses a belt primary drive off an engine mounted centrifugal clutch, then a chain or gear secondary drive to the rear wheel,  this gives poor acceleration and with no gears hills can be a problem. To overcome this they have a set of bicycle pedals which can be used to assist accelerating the moped, or on steep hills when the engine can't cope on its own, pedal mopeds can also be ridden without the engine like a bicycle. If you live in an area with few hills and a warm sunny climate, then I would go for a pedal moped, everyday I search through eBay and post bargain and collectable pedal mopeds on moped.com.

Scooter Mopeds - Have smaller wheels, great weather protection, good storage usually under the seat, nimble handling so they are good around town, and they usually have a twist and go C.V.T or continuously variable transmission, which gives them good acceleration and hill climbing ability. If you want to get up town in rush hour, maybe in the rain, and you have a few hills to go over, then a scooter moped is the best choice, models to look for are the Honda Spree, and Elite, or the Yamaha Jog. On moped.com I offer links to all the scooters on eBay, and there is a huge selection, with many Chinese made scooters selling new for just over $500. Most of the Japanese brands like Honda and Suzuki are more expensive and are usually made in China anyway, but they do have better parts and service  back up through their motorcycle dealers, and they will retain their value.

Nopeds - Are a clever combination of moped and scooter. They usually have a minimal chassis design and larger wheels like a moped, with a modern enclosed engine/transmission that moves in unit with the rear suspension like a scooter. Nopeds have no pedals so hills and acceleration can be a problem, but as we're talking about cheap mopeds, they are often the cheapest mopeds available on eBay. The models to look for are the Suzuki FA50, and Yamaha QT50, or the Honda Express and particularly the Honda Urban Express 50's are cool, and comfortable. Their big brands mean parts are easy to get new from the dealers or second hand from a bike wrecker. If cheap mopeds are what you're looking for then nopeds in my experience are the models to go for.

Old School Mopeds - Are the mostly European and Japanese made classics that came into the US in huge numbers during the oil crisis of the 1970's. To me these mopeds are the real bargains, and I have been posting them and watching them sell on eBay since 2001, they rarely sell for more than $500, and often between $100 and $200. Mopeds were made during this era by some well known motorcycle brands such as Moto Guzzi which offered its beautiful Robin Moped, and in the US the Indian marque released a number of mopeds including the Indian Chief, even Harley Davidson sold a moped under its then AMF parent, the AMF Roadmaster.  Other US brands included Califfo, Murray, Trac, and Sebring. Many mopeds sold during the 1970's were from European manufacturers, brands like Puch, Batavus, Jawa, Motobecane, Peugeot, Piaggio, Kreidler, Garelli, Gilera, and Raleigh, were all well represented, and from Japan of course Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, and the less well known Bridgestone all offered mopeds in their line up. From experience 1970's classic mopeds often come up in mint condition with only a few hundred miles logged since new, but they have usually been sitting and need a bit of TLC to get them going again. Mopeds from this era have a retro cool style, and were made from steel and chrome, not plastic, one day I hope to open a moped museum to display these works of art, design treasures from a simpler time. See these cheap mopeds on moped.com.

Antique Mopeds - These mopeds were sold new during the 1950's and 1960's, many by the giant Sears Roebuck Corporation who sold mopeds under their Allstate brand by mail order. Sears mopeds were actually made by Puch in Germany and Steyr Daimler in Austria, these were very high quality bikes which explains why many Sears Allstate mopeds are still running today. In the mid 1960's Harley Davidson released its M50 moped along with a number of small motorcycles after it merged with Aermacchi, the M50 has rightly come to be prized by collectors and examples in mint condition can sell for over $1000 at auction. Antique mopeds are sitting in basements and garages all over the country and often turn up on eBay when their owners move house or have a clean out, common examples still around today are the Wards Riverside moped, and many older French Motobecane mopeds, more collectable finds include mopeds by Benelli, MV Augusta, and Lambretta, all cheap mopeds that will increase in value with age.

Step-thru Mopeds - These are not strictly mopeds rather small motorcycles, having gears and a chain drive to the rear wheel, they did however have a 49 cc engine and were made in vast numbers especially by Honda with their famous 4 stroke C50 Cub, but also by Suzuki and Yamaha whose bikes were powered by 49 cc 2 stroke engines.  Over 50 million C50 & C90 step-thrus were sold making them the most successful vehicle ever!, I learnt ride on a 1971 Honda C50 step-thru which is still running today. I also have a 1984 Honda C90 step-thru which goes extremely well, the extra 40 cc makes all the difference around town. Sportier versions came in the form of the Honda SS 50 which are today highly prized by collectors. In many areas 49 cc step-thru's can be registered as mopeds simply because of their small engine size, and as such they are also cheap mopeds. Honda stopped producing these bikes a few years back, but there are still numerous step-thru clones still being made in China and India, these are readily available on eBay.

50 cc Motorcycles - These are real motorcycles and have a remarkable performance for their small capacity. Models have been produced by most of the major marques and are readily available in the aftermarket. In some places these can be registered as mopeds because of their 49 cc engine, in which case these are the most potent cheap mopeds available. Models to look for are the Japanese Suzuki RG 50, Honda NS 50, Yamaha RD and YSR 50, Kawasaki AR 50, or the European made Aprilia RS 50, and Derbi GPR 50. These bikes are pocket rockets, and are fast enough to ride on the highway, I used to have a  water cooled Suzuki RG 50 which could top 105 kph (60 mph), I wish I'd never sold it. Look for the "50 cc Motorcycles" link on moped.com to see these bikes.

Motorized Bicycles - These come in allsorts of configurations and I have a web site dedicated to them called Cyclemotors.com. I have had a few motorized bicycles, and I think they are a great mode of transport, they can be used as a bike until you get to a hill, then just start the engine and coast uphill. In parts of Europe, the rules governing motorized bicycles have been relaxed, and the concept has taken off. But its not a new idea, motorized bikes were in fact the first motorcycles, and the US in particular has a long and proud tradition of bolting engines onto bicycles. The Whizzer is a famous US brand that made motorized bikes for decades, and now they are being made again, I promote them on moped.com. The French Solex or Velosolex is one of the most successful vehicles ever made, and they too are back in production and available in the US, I always post links to Solex' whenever they come up on eBay, and they too are cheap mopeds that have stood the test of time and will last a life time. The laws governing motorized bicycle's are very unclear, so check with the authorities in your area first, here in NZ anything with more than a paltry 200 watts motive power must be registered as a moped, but in parts of Europe motorized bikes can have up to 750 watts or 1 hp. These are cheap mopeds I can thoroughly recommend. 

Electric Bicycles - I like the concept of electric bicycles, and most of them are mopeds in the sense that they use both a motor and pedals to drive the bike, but until someone invents a battery that can store as much energy as a small tank of gasoline, they will have a hard time competing with gas powered mopeds and scooters. Just like electric cars, e-bikes have to haul around a heavy battery, and when it runs out of juice, there are no convenient and quick ways to recharge it. I also find the heavy weight of their hub motor affects the handling on anything but the smoothest surface, their motors are usually only about 350 watts max, so an electric bike will keep you fit if that's your goal. A few years ago China made mopeds illegal in some of their big cities to cut down on pollution, this created a new generation of electric bicycles, but they also put the infrastructure in place, like smooth bike lanes, and charging stations. One thing the e-bikes have in their favor is the approval of the green movement, once they get behind something it usually takes off with the help of subsidy's and relaxation of road rules. Electric bikes are waiting for their time to come, a bit of new battery and motor technology, plus a few tax breaks, and I think they'll be the next big thing, but for now they are also cheap mopeds for you to consider.

Gas Scooters - Are a craze that has been growing ever since their inventor Steve Patmont released the first "Go-Ped" in 1985. This summer gas scooters are set to be the next big Internet product, and they have to be the simplest motorized vehicles around. If you're looking for a bit of cheap fun this summer, then gas powered scooters are a great option, they sell new on eBay as cheap as $200, and unlike electric scooters have plenty of power, the biggest electric scooters have an 800 watt motor and a 20 lb battery on board, gas scooters start at 750 watts and weigh about 20 lbs all up. Gas scooters are just for fun though, and they can't be used on the road, (legally), but they are cheap mopeds of a sort. I have a whole bunch of quality gas and electric scooters for sale on moped.com.

Where to buy?

When it comes to finding and selecting a cheap moped there is no question that eBay is the best starting point for both new and used cheap mopeds and here's why. New and used mopeds are being posted continuously, and a simple search on the word "moped" will fish them out of the millions of other items on sale at any given time. The vendors on eBay whether private sellers or e-merchants, have a far lower cost structure than traditional retailers, new mopeds are often drop shipped direct from the importers warehouse to the buyer cutting out the middle man. Ebay is a very competitive market place,  the same products are offered by many different merchants allowing the buyer to choose which to buy from. Sellers and buyers are rated by peer review, so buying from a seller with a good feedback rating will ensure a successful transaction.

Mopeds are well suited to the needs of students who need to get to class on time, and appreciate the lack of hassle when it comes to finding a park around crowded campus  communities, so good place to look for cheap mopeds is on the notice boards around your local campus, don't be afraid to post a "moped wanted" ad, this might uncover a bargain no longer needed by its owner. Another great place to look is in the local free ads papers, sellers will often post their mopeds in the free ads motorcycles section, and buyers can post a free moped wanted ad there too.

Most motorcycle shops also sell a range of new mopeds and scooters as well as second hand trade in bikes, buying from a bike shop will usually ensure the moped is road worthy and has been checked over by a mechanic. Motorcycle dealers take the mopeds on trade when the previous owner buys a larger motorcycle, so the dealer will usually price their traded in bikes competitively, they should come with warranty.

When to buy?

The moped and scooter business is seasonal, and there-fore the best time to buy a moped is in the low or off season, (winter), when sales are slack. Merchants need to keep their cash flow going, and will sell mopeds cheaper in the low season knowing they'll make it back in the high season when their sales volume goes up. When it comes to used mopeds, they can come up all year round depending on when the seller gets round to cleaning out their garage. The best way to keep an eye on the eBay after market is to visit moped.com often and review the classic moped list that I maintain on the home page, I update the list everyday.

Sellers

As I develop this site I hope to offer a way sellers can advertise their cheap mopeds for free, until then I recommend you post you're bike on , that way I'll find it and if it meets my simple criteria I'll post it on moped.com homepage where it will receive targeted exposure.

Merchants

If you are already selling mopeds and would like highly targeted exposure, I would be happy to promote you're products on moped.com via performance based advertising. Contact Me!

Summary

Your choices and reasons for choosing to buy a moped are as many as the wide variety of mopeds available. Mopeds have been around for almost fifty years, and in that time many millions, perhaps even billions have been sold all over the world. In the US mopeds were a craze in the 1970's and in the years since have become an established part of the transport infrastructure. Whatever you finally end up buying, I hope this page helps you make the best choice for you're needs. Thanks for reading.

Iain Mackay - Moped.Com