General Should 50cc Mopeds Exist?

I've not watched your vid yet as not got time right now, but will take a gander later when I get the chance :-)
I think there is def a place for 50cc bikes, they give 16yr olds and town commuters and elderly an ability to get around, they can do the speed limit in town so technically should not hold any traffic up, they are incredibly fuel efficient so cheap to run and better for the environment. They are very small so take up less room. They are a gateway to motorcycling for younger people.
 
In the 1970's and 80's we learned how to tune our 50cc bikes by filing a mm at a time off the top of the hole in the exhaust port, taking the baffles out of the exhausts, putting bigger jets in the carburettor and sometimes replacing head gaskets with kelloggs cornflake pack cardboard to increase compression, and therefore speed, plus experimenting with a whole load of different sprocket sizes. Bizarrely none of it worked apart from down hill with a small rear sprocket. I holed a few pistons in my time. Suffice to say my early biking was utterly EPIC. Great times wasting money and having an absolute blast. So YES they should exist. It's an apprenticeship in biking.
 
I was a touch too late for Fizzy's. Great shame. We were on X1 Suzuki's, Kawasaki AR50's, Honda MT5's & if you were lucky Daddy bought you an Yam RD50 .... not that I'm bitter ;-) ..... I'm off to Google image to reminisce on youth :-D
 
For towns and local commuting, absolutely should 50cc's be a thing. For actual transport out of town, nah, get a 125 or bigger. And this is mainly because 50cc in it's legal configuration is pretty much suicidal. I have had a few geared mopeds in my time such as a Suzuki TSX, Husky WR50 and a Yamaha TZR. All of them fun in small doses but the moment i got out of town it was scary to stay within the EU mandated 45km/h limit. Both the Husky and Yammie was modified to reach at least 80kph so I wouldn't be too exposed in normal traffic.
 
Is this thread arguing over mopeds or 50cc Scooters? There's a big difference. If scooters, I'm in favor of them existing. They're great for those who live in big cities or small towns, and can't afford a car or to pay for parking. They allow those who only have a driver's license (depending on the state or country where you live) to ride now without a MC endorsement, especially as a means of transportation while learning riding skills and confidence that may allow them to try larger size bikes in the future. Scooters have more cargo space the average motorcycle off the deanship floor, cheaper insurance and better gas milage. The can give a rider more for a lower price.

Mopeds have pedals and generally have engines smaller than a 50cc size. Calling a scooter a moped is like calling a jeep a golf cart.

In some places the names are interchangeable, so which are we discussing here?

- Wolf
 
scooterwuf said:
Is this thread arguing over mopeds or 50cc Scooters? There's a big difference. If scooters, I'm in favor of them existing. They're great for those who live in big cities or small towns, and can't afford a car or to pay for parking. They allow those who only have a driver's license (depending on the state or country where you live) to ride now without a MC endorsement, especially as a means of transportation while learning riding skills and confidence that may allow them to try larger size bikes in the future. Scooters have more cargo space the average motorcycle off the deanship floor, cheaper insurance and better gas milage. The can give a rider more for a lower price.

Mopeds have pedals and generally have engines smaller than a 50cc size. Calling a scooter a moped is like calling a jeep a golf cart.

In some places the names are interchangeable, so which are we discussing here?

- Wolf
Click to expand...

In the UK 50cc bikes are called mopeds be they a scooter type or a geared motorcycle type and generally don't have pedals anymore! :)
 
It probably comes down to cultural (and policy) difference. In the US there are still a number of mopeds on the road and a good community of riders. Some scooter riders take offense to having their bikes called Mopeds (and visa-versa in some cases).
 
Here in Florida if it's under 50cc then you don't need a driver's license. Therefore if you get your license suspended for a DUI, unpaid tickets, street racing, etc. you can still get around on a scooter. This also adds to why scooters are considered so uncool here(unless you're in the Keys). If you see a grown man on a scooter you assume he got a DUI.
 
I’ve heard of that stigma before, but I guess it varies from place to place. Where I live you can ride a scooter without a license if it’s under 50cc too, but a lot of people have them to get around in the city, so they’re part of the urban landscape.
 
My only problem with the policy is it creates a situation where there are a number of unlicensed/skill-less riders who really don’t know how to protect themselves when on the road. I’ve seen a lot 50cc riders who follow too close behind buses, trucks and SUVs, wear heels or flip flops when riding, ride in the bike lane (illegal in some US cities), and more. Perhaps worse they keep applying for a permit when it expires with no plans to get a full license. Either Philadelphia, or PA just changed this policy forcing riders holders to let their permits expire, or apply for a license.

That’s a step in the right direction.

- Wolf
 
scooterwuf said:
Is this thread arguing over mopeds or 50cc Scooters? There's a big difference. If scooters, I'm in favor of them existing. They're great for those who live in big cities or small towns, and can't afford a car or to pay for parking. They allow those who only have a driver's license (depending on the state or country where you live) to ride now without a MC endorsement, especially as a means of transportation while learning riding skills and confidence that may allow them to try larger size bikes in the future. Scooters have more cargo space the average motorcycle off the deanship floor, cheaper insurance and better gas milage. The can give a rider more for a lower price.

Mopeds have pedals and generally have engines smaller than a 50cc size. Calling a scooter a moped is like calling a jeep a golf cart.

In some places the names are interchangeable, so which are we discussing here?

- Wolf
Click to expand...
Lmfao so true bud, I hate my scoot being called a ped more than Americans hate trump
 
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