As fer the Catapult thing, y'all should get the sticker I have on my old helmet - it's a picture of a guy sailing headfirst over his handlebars with the logo "Over the bars club" around the edge.
Yer just not moped manly till you've taken at least one trip in that direction, according to some.
As fer wrecks, in Aug 1992 I wound up taking the front end of a largish car to the right side of my ped at a combined-speed 70mph T-bone collision, best that can be said is that both me and the ped survived in somewhat modified form, and Doc Frankenstein woulda been proud of the work on either one.
Before that I had the master link of a Puch Austro break, and the chain wrapped around the rear sprocket instead of flying off cause it was an enclosed chain box...32-to-0 instantly, catapult city indeed.
I'd always worn a helmet, tho somewhat ambivalent in attitude towards it till that day, you see, I happened to be makin an illegal U-turn across a median strip at the time, and landed headfirst into a rock - leaving a nice gouge in the helmet, instead of my head..one of lifes little lessons, there.
That winter I was the first time I went down on ice too, a bit overconfident and runnin full out on pack ice cause the lower ground pressure gives a moped MUCH better traction, and tried to make a right turn that became a lonnnng slide - she went down and slid quite a ways, hitting the opposite curb tires-first and bouncing right back across the street, and my hardheaded self along for the ride cause I refused to let go.
(which is, actually, the smarter thing to do, let go, that is.)
Picked it back up, Grinned kinda sheepishly and drove off, a bit more cautiously that time, no damage save my pride.
My old Tomos now....did about the same thing when my cables froze cause it was so cold, throttle stuck wide open and brakes too frozen to use, dump and slide, as above...Tomos will cut off if you lay it over on it's side, a Puch Austro wont.
Funniest wreck was after the "big one" and coming into work on the hangdog frankenbike it was after I rebuilt it, damn salt-thrower truck passed on the opposite side and didn't have the courtesy to turn his damn gadget off - it got under my wheels and caused me to slide, while simultaneously knocking me silly...them salt-throwers throw that stuff HARD, man.
No damage there, and tho it wasn't funny at the time, is damn hilarious now....imagine the scene it made.
The important part to remember, is to keep the vehicle in the upright and locked position at all times, eh ?
-Ree