Welcome - This web site is dedicated to the
wonderful Moped, it's long history has seen an evolution in design that
has made the moped one of the most numerous and successful motorized
vehicles on the planet!. The moped's design evolution began out of
necessity during the resource starved years immediately after World War
2. The war had devastated the countries of Europe and Asia, and because
many
roads, bridges, and railway lines had been destroyed in the war, often
the only form
of mass transport left was the bicycle. It didn't take long for
enterprising businesses and individuals to figure out that selling a
small engine to power the millions of bicycles would cater to a largely
unsatisfied market. For obvious reasons these earliest Mopeds were called Cycle-Motors.
The cycle-motors worked well but had some design flaws,
they needed a stronger chassis to handle the extra weight and power of
the small two stroke engine that was usually employed to power them, and
skinny bicycle wheels and tires didn't last long under the extra wear of the engine which often utilized a simple friction driven
transmission. Manufacturers looked for ways to offer a better product,
and the result is what we know today as the moped, a hybrid vehicle purpose
designed to be powered by both human and motorized power. The moped
arrived at a time when the nations of the world were recovering from
World War II, when simple, cheap, and economical motorized transport was
needed to mobilize workers and to help rebuild the recovering economies
of Europe and Asia. The moped found a waiting market, and during this era many
millions of mopeds were sold. During
the US oil crisis of the 1970's the moped again provided a cheap and
very economical form of motorized transport. The moped had been popular
in Europe and Asia for many years, but safety restrictions had held it
out of the US, by 1974 the OPEC oil embargo was having a major affect on
the US economy, and it was during this time
that many states relaxed their safety rules and recognized the moped legal definition in law.
The moped boomed and almost all motorcycle manufacturers and even some
department stores offered a moped in their product range.
This Kinetic TFR
Mopedis a modern
version of the mopeds which evolved in the years after World War 2. Powered
by both human and motorized power these mopeds are true hybrid vehicles and
deserve recognition as such, at anytime the rider can assist the effort
simply by pedaling. This feature makes pedal mopeds highly versatile and
capable of being driven with or without the engine.....more
Modern Four Stroke Moped
In many
ways the moped boom that began over 50 years ago is still happening
today, the design of the moped has evolved, and advances in engine and
transmission design have brought an increase in power and performance.
One of the most important developments to affect the design of mopeds
since their inception is the C.V.T automatic transmission, or Constantly Variable
Transmission. On C.V.T equipped mopeds the pedals have become
superfluous, enabling better weather protection and more secure storage
to be incorporated into the design. Another important development in
recent times has been the gradual acceptance of the four stroke engine
over the two stroke engine. Four stroke engines are generally more
environmentally friendly because they recover their own lubrication,
unlike two strokes which use a total loss lubrication system where the
oil is mixed with the fuel and burnt during combustion producing the
tell tale trail of blue smoke, that blue smoke is carbon monoxide, which
is a serious polluter and a contributor to global warming.
Pedal
powered bicycles have been around for nearly 150 years, and it is logical to
assume bicycles will be around for as long as we have legs to power them.
The moped hybrid concept of utilizing human and motorized power is probably going to be around for a while too given that people are always
going to want some kind of motorized bicycle product, and we see this now
with the growing popularity of electric bicycles. The moped hybrid concept
offers some tangible and measurable benefits to society as a whole,
especially with the growing world population, and the need to ease traffic
congestion in urban communities. The moped's renown fuel economy offers a
future benefit as oil resources are depleted and the price of fuel
inevitably increases. Mopeds have always offered economical transport to the
masses, and will continue to do so as long as authorities allow them a place
in the market, and its worth noting that on every previous occasion oil has
been in short supply, the moped has boomed. Another problem facing the world
is an increasingly sedentary population and lack of exercise. The moped
offers its user the opportunity to get an elected level of exercise without
having to supply the total effort as with a bicycle, think of it as a kind
of mobile exercise bike. These three benefits are tied up in an exciting new
moped product under development by
Honda.
The NC I features a four stroke engine for low emissions and good fuel
efficiency, a good ergonomically correct riding position for cycling
fitness, and the light weight and slim lines of a bicycle for easy urban
commuting and use on bicycle lanes. Products like these are the future of
the moped, and will find wide appeal once the exercise benefit is
recognized by the wider population, oh, there's one more benefit mopeds
have always offered....FUN!
The
Kinetic TFR Pedal Moped
Introducing
the
Kinetic TFR Moped a wonderful little moped made in the old school
style, but with modern low maintenance features. It has a step-thru box
section chassis which incorporates a 0.9 gallon fuel tank and is made out
of pressed steel for strength and durability, its step-thru design makes
this bike easy to get on and off and gives the TFR the old school moped
look. The TFR has spoked wheels with
drum brakes and high quality chrome rims shod with 2.25-16" tires front and
rear. Larger wheels
give this moped great stability and handling and its not upset by potholes
or rail crossings, this bike is made
in India, and many thousands are in daily use on the rough roads of the sub
continent. Front suspension is by sprung front forks and rear suspension is
by twin rear shocks. The TFR has a 49.86 cc single cylinder, two-stroke, air cooled engine which
develops 3.0 HP at 6500 r.p.m. The engine uses
electronic
ignition for low maintenance, and features a decompression system and choke
for easy starting, the exhaust is very quiet and is well styled to the bike. The
TFR uses a pretty standard moped transmission featuring a belt primary
drive to a secondary reduction gearbox at the rear hub, the horizontally
mounted engine is in unit with the transmission and rear wheel, this keeps
the center of gravity nice and low for great stability. The
pedal drive is mounted on the left hand side of the rear swing arm, and is
totally enclosed with easy access for maintenance. The pedal drive ratio is
selected for both assisting the engine, and riding the bike
without the engine, the TFR's light 46 kilo weight makes cycling this moped
a reality for short distances. The TFR's 3 h.p. engine has enough power for most situations without having to
use the pedals to assist, even so the pedals can be used in conjunction with
the engine at anytime. The bike can be ridden on pedal power alone simply by
disengaging the engines primary drive with
this
button. Re-engaging the engine needs only a flick of this
lever and the engine will be back in the drive train. For safety reasons the
button and lever are out of reach when riding so the rider has to stop to both engage
and disengage the engine, this should not be attempted while riding under
any circumstances to avoid getting caught in the spokes. The TFR uses 2% premixed two stroke mix and it
is designed to run on unleaded gasoline,
the manufacturer claims about 120 miles per gallon. The fuel tap is located
well forward above the RH foot rest and can't really be reached while
riding, so when the bike runs out of gas you will have to pull over and switch
to reserve. The TFR has no battery to worry about or replace, instead it
uses a generator to provide power for the lights and indicators. The head
light and tail light are bright even with the
engine at idle, and they are
always on which is a good safety feature. The flashers
are bright and flash brightly even with the engine at idle. All in all the
Kinetic TFR Moped is a fine little bike which offers great value for money,
its very light and nimble in traffic, and cheap enough to consider if two
bikes are being purchased for summer fun.
