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Moped: Mopeds
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The term moped describes any low-powered motor driven cycle with an engine capacity of less than 50 cc and a maximum design speed of no more than 30 mph (48 km/h). If used before 1 August 1977 it must be moveable by pedals and although it must be 50 cc or below, it does not have to conform to the 30 mph (48 km/h) speed restriction. (This is where the original name 'moped' is derived - Mo = motor, Ped = pedals). A provisional licence, full motorcycle or car licence is needed to operate a moped. An additional Compulsory Basic Training certificate is ... required to ride a moped on public roads, except for anyone who obtained their full car driving licence or motorcycle licence before 1 February 2001. A provisional moped licence may be obtained at the age of 16, whereas standard car and motorcycles licences are only available at the age of 17.
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Creating a new TOMOS moped family member is never easy. When the design team at TOMOS came up with this conception they knew they had a beautiful thing. No description can do the Arrow justice. Light, responsive, and powerful, the Arrow will quickly move you in and out of traffic safely. The Arrow is powered by the new A55 Engine . The Arrow is truly revolutionary. It is available in pedal or kick start.
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Legal terms and definitions of low-powered cycles vary from state to state and may or may not include "Moped," "Motorcycle," "Motorized Bicycle," "Motorscooter," "Goped," "Motor-Driven Cycle," and or others. A moped's speed generally may not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h) on level ground, even if it is capable of going faster. In a few states this number is 20 or 25 mph (32 or 40 km/h), and in most states, the maximum engine capacity is 50 cc. However, Kansas ("Motorized Bicycle" K.S.A. 8-126, 8-1439a) allows up to 130 cc[11]. Some states require pedals, while others do not.
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Variants of the moped include scooters, motor-assisted bicycles, and minibikes. Scooters tend to be slightly larger and heavier than mopeds. They use larger engines than mopeds and have a flat floorboard and step-through frame for easier mounting and riding. Motor-assisted bicycles are ordinary bicycles with a small add-on electric or gasoline engine that is mounted over wheels. The motor is used only when going up hills or when the rider is tired. Minibikes are small, two-wheeled recreational vehicles designed primarily for off-road use by 10- to 15-year-old riders (although adults sometimes ride these vehicles ...).
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If you're an American over 40 then you know what a moped is. You might have once owned a Puch, Motobecane, Peugeot, etc. 1/2 million were sold in the US from '76 to '79 after the gas shortage. By 1985 the moped boom was over, and scooters became popular. A scooter has a floor, small tires, no pedals, and can have various sizes of engines from 49cc to 600+. The smallest scooters are like mopeds in that they are both 49cc automatics that go 30 - 35 mph. A moped means MOtor with PEDals, a hybrid vehicle half way between a small motorcycle and a bicycle. Since 2000 China has flooded the US with scooters that they call mopeds, causing confusion.
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In 1978, Walter Muma set an unofficial world record for distance travelled on a true moped in a single trip. The trip took 97 days and began in Toronto, Canada, taking him a total of 11,518 miles (18,660 km) through Yukon, Canada; Alaska, USA; Inuvik, Canada; and back to Toronto. He rode a Motobecane moped, and carried most of what he needed (clothing, food, spare parts, fuel, etc.) on the moped itself. Over the entire trip, he spent only $106 (Cdn) on fuel.[14]
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