General Should 50cc Mopeds Exist?

I remember certain subcultures strewn across the US refer to cruiser and touring bikes as their "scooter". Of course, you have to pay attention and know where to find those parts of American society.

50 cc bikes are fine by me. It has less that four wheels and rambles around without a cage. They take up little space. Not needing a license to operate could allow many of us to assume an alias and travel across the US ala Easy Rider but with more chic cafe stops along the way. :cool:
 
My 2 cents. During my CBT I rode a 50cc scooter - I felt truly at risk. They are just too slow - at 30mph roads they struggle to get to flow of the traffic and pulling away is so slow your really not in a great position safety wise.

Switch to a 125 and it's night and day. Still economical and easy to ride but way more power and can cruise up to 60-65 with no bother.

I appreciate that they are a gateway machine for very young riders, but if anything lack of experience makes the lack of speed and power even more dangerous - they are far more likely to be unskilled and put themselves into positions of danger which the bike the won't have the power or torque to get them away from quickly.
 
I see WAY too many people - usually Asian girls for some reason (maybe that's just the scooter demograohic here) - riding tiny scooters, wobbling around with clearly no idea how to actually operate a two wheeled vehicle. They NEVER wear any protective gear aside from a mandatory helmet either. Great combo.. not. Dangerous to themselves and others.

The problem being that anyone with a car licence can ride a 'scooter' under 50cc with no bike licence and therefore generally no skills or experience.
 
jrewillis said:
My 2 cents. During my CBT I rode a 50cc scooter - I felt truly at risk. They are just too slow - at 30mph roads they struggle to get to flow of the traffic and pulling away is so slow your really not in a great position safety wise.

Switch to a 125 and it's night and day. Still economical and easy to ride but way more power and can cruise up to 60-65 with no bother.

I appreciate that they are a gateway machine for very young riders, but if anything lack of experience makes the lack of speed and power even more dangerous - they are far more likely to be unskilled and put themselves into positions of danger which the bike the won't have the power or torque to get them away from quickly.
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I started off with a 50cc, was awesome fun. I was pretty rubbish on it, as I was on the 100cc bike and then 125cc bikes after! :D
 
A 50cc Chinese moped is the worst thing I've ever riden. All the controls were disgusting, the throttle seemed to have a 2 second delay, the fueling was all over the place and the suspension was wretched. However, It was still fun to ride which is all that really matters! I was glad to hand it back after 5 minutes though. :p
 
Again, I’m guessing people mean a scooter - sans pedals, step through design, and stronger engine - when they say moped. They’re really two different things.

It is unfortunate that too may people get a permit, and/or with a driver’s license get a 49cc scooter with little to no idea about how to safely ride a motorized 2-wheeled vehicle, how to ride in traffic, at night, or in high risk conditions.

However, There are really good scooter riders out there who are happy with a small size bike. The ease of use, INCREDIBLE gas mileage (close to, or more than 100 miles per gallon for some brands), cheap insurance and convenient to park nearly anywhere make it an attractive alternative to both a bike and a car.

Given a 49-50cc scooter’s versatility as an everyday commuter and recreational bike, the real sell is why get something bigger, heavier, or more expensive?

- Wolf
 
Pooley said:
9/10 mopeds I see ride like maniacs, and I have a video coming in a few weeks where I goof on one I was behind who must have thought i was a rozzer because he was riding like he was in an action movie... at 28mph of course :D
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Pleanty of them around. We've got 2 16 year olds on the the estate with 2stroke Yamaha Aerox.
 
LandyVlad said:
I see WAY too many people - usually Asian girls for some reason (maybe that's just the scooter demograohic here) - riding tiny scooters, wobbling around with clearly no idea how to actually operate a two wheeled vehicle. They NEVER wear any protective gear aside from a mandatory helmet either. Great combo.. not. Dangerous to themselves and others.

The problem being that anyone with a car licence can ride a 'scooter' under 50cc with no bike licence and therefore generally no skills or experience.
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You had me at Asian girls. Just kidding.

You're right, it is a dangerous combo. I'm surprised AU hasn't introduced a basic training like the UK did.

I started on a Kawasaki AR50 at the age of 16. Not sure having a 125 would have been any safer for me back then! I was an idiot! Whilst still an idiot, I'm a lot more aware of my mortality now days!
 
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