I am 17 and would like to buy a moped. I'm intrigued by them and vespas and two-wheeled vehicles in general. I know i sound like a retard, but i don't understand how moped work because they have pedals. Do you just pedal if you want it to be a bicycle or turn the motor on if you want it to be a motorcyle? how does the engine start? just any basic information would be greatly appreciated.
peace,
dimitris
Most mopeds can be ridden as a bicycle or a motorcycle. On most mopeds, you can pedal all you want and then when you want the engine to start, you pull a lever that causes the turning of the rear wheel to turn the engine and start it. Some of them you can pedal slowly, but as soon as the pedals get to a certain speed, it starts the engine, so if you want the engine to stay off, you have to pedal about 3-5 miles per hour. That's how the vespa's are. Then, some tomos mopeds start when pedaled backwards, but ride like a bicyle otherwise.
so when you stop, does the engine turn off, or does it just idle in neutral? are there gears- if so, how many? is there a clutch?
No, the engine doesn't stop running until you hit the kill switch. In order for it to be classed as a moped it cannot have a clutch or manually shifted transmission, although some mopeds have more than one speed, you have no control over it's shift point, it's totally automatic.
Dimitri,
What Brian is trying to tell you is that peds have an automatic clutch. When you rev the engine, the clutch engages and away you go. You can use the pedals to help take off faster but most peds are geared so that pedaling any faster than 5 mph is impossible, at least my legs won't turn that fast.
Ron
Ron--
When I disengage the engine on my Kinetic Magnum moped, it can be pedaled like a bicycle. But the pedals turn so fast that I can't ride it that way. When I read about others who "pedal home" it makes me wonder how they can do that.??
peggy, same here... i just have to pedal slowly... usually i sit on it and kind of run... it seems to get me there faster w/o as much work as pedalling.
-Mike
Peggy,
I'm with Mike, slowly is the only way. Although I do pedal.
Ron
I have a Batavus and since they have 2 chains (1 for engine & 1 for peddles) the peddles are geared differently and makes it easier to peddle
I just got a Kinetic TFR and the engine makes a funny ringing sound at 16 mph that sounds like it's coming from the fuel tank area. It doesn't make the sound above or below this speed. Does anyone have any ideas about why this might be happening? I'd be grateful for any advice. Thanks!
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