Moped Love

[NKD]

Every once in a while in Charlotte, you'll see stretched out 50cc scooters with nitrous bottles on them. I'd like to take one of those for a spin!

I dig these custom Ruckus's. Be fun for around town/neighborhood if you lived in a city.

 

[AEthelred]

I've had more fun on borrowed mopeds than I'd like to admit. Never owned one though. I once rode a nice fuel-injected Honda 150cc that made me question why I still owned a car.

 

[Vladiator]

I dig these custom Ruckus's. Be fun for around town/neighborhood if you lived in a city.

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My scooter journey started a year and a half ago, on my 28th bday.
2020 Honda Ruckus ($1000) was my first ever scooter and after that I'm hooked. 49cc, but it carried my 300lb self comfortably at 38MPH while getting 100MPG. It was fun. Probably the most fun you can have at 38MPH. Mine was stock, but modded ones break 50MPH.

Sold it and bought a 2009 Tomos Nitro 150cc ($480). That one was cool, probably the most "ironed-out" Chinese scooter. 62MPH top speed at 85MPG.

Then sold it and got a 2001 Honda Reflex 250CC ($1650). That one carried my chunky behind up to 85MPH. Two up wasn't a problem either. 65-70MPG. Ended up trading it for a 30MPG car when winter came.

Now got a 2002 Honda Reflex 250cc and a 2007 Yamaha Vino 125cc. Both need some work, but it's so much fun. And very safe if you stick to the back roads.

I tried a couple motorcycles, and while they have their own charm - I still prefer scooters. They're like little hooligan toys. Twist and go, parts are cheap, great MPG. What's not to love? It does help that I don't care much about stereotypes or other people's opinions. Yea, 6ft/300lbs guy looks funny on a tiny 49cc moped, but that guy is having fun and wind therapy is great for increasing that fun even more.

 

[rufrdr]

I laughed HARD at this!

Nobody who has never been to a place like Naples, Italy would understand! Packs of people on mopes EVERYWHERE in traffic and absolutely FEARLESS about racing and weaving in and out of traffic down the streets!

The streets where, mind you, horns are used as turn signals are supposed to be used!

All these guys were missing were black leather jackets with gang affiliations across their backs!

Naples June 2022 - just one small grouping of scooters in the city! I especially like the Italian AF roundel on the scooter in the foreground.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

We laughed at them every time we pulled into Naples back in the 90s, but they really make sense in Europe where the price of gas might LOOK "reasonable", if a little high...until you realize that those prices are per liter and not per gallon.

Gas in Naples right now is between $8 and $10 a gallon.

 

[Vladiator]

Coffee run on the scooter to Scooter's Coffee. 'Nuff said.