MOPED ARMY

buy a good used moped from Alain; he's in Montreal, too and knows his stuff. He had a Peugeot 103 and a Flandria last time I looked. I was going to buy a Tomos Targa new from a dealer untilI saw the 2-stroke oiled pooled under it. They are assembled in Slovenia, btw. Maybe the new Puchs are being sold in Quebec; that would be my first choice.

Samarkand,

The best thing you can do with ANY new bike is make sure the dealer preps it good. Make sure they inspect it at least 3 times, going over every inch of the bike before you take it home.

Tomos makes good stuff, and as long as it is prepped by the dealer properly, you'll be very happy.

Thanks, guys. I was just nervous--especially with the bad comments I've heard. I am still a little hesitant--for the same as a Tomos with Biturbo I could get another Vino, or a Zuma. Only reason is that the step-thru model looks so portable.

Actually, which do you guys prefer? The basic Tomos A35/Sprint stepthru frame, or the Targa LX motorcycle-replica look. Have to admit, the Targa looks pretty sharp. But the Sprint does seem more portable.

BTW--I always see "CDI electronic ignition". That's just internal, right? The only actual starting method is with a kick/pedal. There isn't a new model with a starter button, right?

Not precisely, you can take the baffle out to help prevent clogging and for a "boomy" more aggresive exhaust note, but the performance difference is fairly negligable.

If you wanna go cheap, you can put an A3 exhaust on an A5(A35) Motor, and probably steal a bit of performance that way, since the A5(A35) exhaust is unneccesarily restrictive.

Best bang-for-buck is the BiTurbo pipe however, it's really well worth the investment performance-wise, try to get the 2-piece if you can, becase you can slide that one longer for more takeoff, or shorter for a higher topspeed.

The manufacturers break in period is ridiculously long, about 75-90 miles running a pre-mix at 32:1 ratio will accomplish break-in quite effectively, just vary your speed at times to get a more even ring seating - for reference, 32:1 is 4oz of oil to 1 gallon of gas.

After that, just fill the injector and don't worry about premixing any more.

Possible ? perhaps, plausible or easy ? probably not.

Moped electrical systems are really strange, mixing AC and DC current in some truly bizarre ways, so most devices should be run from gel-cell batteries, Wayne can be more helpful on that front.

Truthfully they weigh about the same, and I'd say there's little difference.

Most folks prefer the "classic" step-thru look, for asthetic reasons, but I prefer the top-tank, not because of asthetics or that wanna-be-motorcycle look, but rather for the significantly extended range of the larger fuel tank.

The top-tank also balances differently since the fuel supply is mounted higher on the frame, and handles in a heavier, more cycle-like fashion, which is easier for beginners moving from cycle to moped - the step-thru design is slightly more agile, but the handling is tricksy and takes a little bit of time to learn.

Yes, that's internal, and it means you don't have to bother with cleaning or setting points, is all, it starts just the same, and keep in mind Tomos are apparently the only mopeds you kick backwards* on the pedal to start.

Make VERY sure that the CDI Unit on the moped is a Bosch or an Iskra, some early model Targa and Sprint models were released with a faulty IDM Brand CDI unit noted for failure to fire, and that is completely incompatible with Bosch or Iskra parts.

If it still gives spark tho, it's probably not an IDM, since by now all of those should be dead, but check just in case.

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Now, to ownership...first things first, shake that puppy down real good, check the transmission fluid, tire pressure and wheel alignment, brakes and the like, basic shakedown stuff, obviously.

The main (and very rightful) bitch of Tomos owners is getting the carb out, since it's in a place where you practically have to dismantle the 'ped to get at it, but if you're going to get a service contract with your purchase, you should be ok on that front for a good long while.

There is also a ton of previously-posted useful information on this forum about Tomos, and some specific tomos related info under a post titled "tomos boatload" - use the forums SEARCH function to find it and read through it.

And, of course... you have any problem, howl on the forum, and if it's a difficult problem, ask for me, and I'll get to ya shortly.

-R