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 vehicles on the planet! The moped's design evolution began out of
necessity during the resource starved years after World War
2. In the devastated countries of Europe and Asia,
many
roads, bridges and railway lines had been destroyed, 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.
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.
Hybrid Mopeds
Just
as pedal mopeds utilize a hybrid of human and motorized power, the
same gas/electric concept seen in hybrid cars is starting to appear in
mopeds like this
Hybrid Scooter which uses a 4-stroke 49cc gasoline engine working in
tandem with a 500 Watt electric motor to achieve an average 200 miles to
the gallon. The stop start nature of urban driving is well suited to
hybrids, and with no need to travel at highway speeds or intercity
distances, the moped maybe the best hybrid yet.
The Future of Moped
Design
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!
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.
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!