Motored bike vs moped/scooter

shawnturner · Post by **shawnturner** » Mon May 29, 2017 11:23 am

Hello,
I'm new here but been browsing for some time now. Anyways, I've been looking for another form of transportation that is low cost and efficient, and I have been looking at motored bikes as well as mopeds/scooters. What would you guys suggest? Moped/scooter is more expensive, but can be modified more, not that I need to modify it, but its nice to know that the option of going faster than 30mph is there(lots of hills also). it seems to me that a motored bike would also be a little easier to disassemble for a thief if I decided to park it somewhere. Otherwise, I see no difference, one has pedals, the other doesn't. What do you guys think? Has anyone traded a moped/scooter for a motored bike or vice versa? Please Help. Thanks !
I didn't find the right solution from the internet.
References: https://motoredbikes.com/threads/motore ... ter.21638/
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GoSlash27 · Post by **GoSlash27** » Mon May 29, 2017 2:34 pm

shawnturner,
It really depends on what kind of driving you're planning on doing with it.
If you just want to putt around town at 30 or less, a motorized bike would be fine. If you want to drive in traffic, carry groceries, or even take the highway for longer cruises a scooter would be more practical.
Best,
-Slashy

mike932 · Post by **mike932** » Mon May 29, 2017 2:56 pm

If you want to go over 30mph, get a scooter with at least 125cc because 50cc is too slow. Look on craigslist for good deals. In my opinion, 50cc scooters are unsafe because you can't keep up with traffic.

wheelbender6 · Post by **wheelbender6** » Mon May 29, 2017 3:35 pm

I rode a motorized bicycle for about 5 years. Bike and motor kit can cost as low as 600 bucks. The bad....some states will require that you register and tag your motorized bicycle, at around 200 bucks.
-Motorized bicycles can be ridden in the bike lane if you keep your speed under 20 mph.
-You will need to tighten bolts on a motorized bike after rides, because everything is bolted together, rather than welded.
-My top cruise speed was 25 mph. If you go much faster than that, the police will tell you to register it as a motorcycle.
-Motorized bicycles work well in certain situations, but they are not a substitute for a 50cc scooter, IMHO.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Mon May 29, 2017 4:52 pm

Well, technically speaking, mopeds have pedals as well. That is what differentiates a moped from a scooter (the term moped is often misused). I'd say this all comes down to how you want to use this vehicle. The capabilities of these three types of vehicles are somewhat different.

paracer · Post by **paracer** » Mon May 29, 2017 4:55 pm

I built a couple of these myself. One built from a kit. Another was a larger 4 stroke bike built using a Harbor Freight engine. While fun, they are not what I would call reliable transportation. Eventually something will go wrong and leave you stranded or late for work.

I recommend a scooter if you are needing transportation. If it's just for fun, knock yourself out!

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Mon May 29, 2017 6:37 pm

do you want to avoid getting a motorcycle license and registering - insuring your transportation? Stick with the motorized bike.

Do you want to go somewhere? Get a license and a 125 Buddy.

wheelbender6 · Post by **wheelbender6** » Mon May 29, 2017 7:25 pm

What state do you live in, shawnturner? That could eliminate the motorized bike as a possibility.

Daves Kick · Post by **Daves Kick** » Mon May 29, 2017 8:33 pm

I had a Whizzer motorized bike. It weighed so much that the pedals(aside from being used for compression to start the engine) were useless in terms of actual bicycling.
Perhaps if the frame was really light you would have more options that would justify the decision.

lovemysan · Post by **lovemysan** » Wed May 31, 2017 12:24 pm

I had a couple of the chinese 80cc kit ones, They were great when I had time or wanted to tinker with something, But they break a lot. And they need a lot of upgrades to be safe. Specifically the chain roller and the spoke drive. And tires and brakes. By the time you make it as reliable as a scooter its more expensive than a scooter.

I would recommend a sondors E bike. My brother has 3. The thin tire model was about $700. It comfortably cruises 21 mph all stock and has about 15-20 mile range. He did the unlimited mod and tops out at 25 mph.

sc00ter · Post by **sc00ter** » Wed May 31, 2017 1:10 pm

The new/current gen of ebikes are super fun to ride and have a realistic range. High buy in price but virtually no running cost (no gas, oil, insurance). Now we just need a good escooter to come around. Was it Vectrix? that showed promise at one point? Mopeds (motor assisted pedal cycle), like old school ones, are cool but modern 50cc scooters can walk all over them. Personally dont care for motorized bicycles.

wheelbender6 · Post by **wheelbender6** » Thu Jun 01, 2017 12:29 am

A good e-bike can cost as much as a 50cc scoot. Being able to ride the sidewalk legally (at bicycle speeds) can be a big advantage for the e-bike. A lot depends on what type of roads, multi-use paths, sidewalks and bike lanes are available along your route. Many roads are just too fast and dangerous for anything under 125cc.

coolrays · Post by **coolrays** » Thu Jun 01, 2017 3:56 am

Syd wrote:do you want to avoid getting a motorcycle license and registering - insuring your transportation? Stick with the motorized bike.

Do you want to go somewhere? Get a license and a 125 Buddy.

That is exactly what I did! I was a bit anxous about the scooter buying / insuring / registering process, and even moreso about the M endorsement.

After lurking the forum and making a few posts, turns out it was all very easy and now I'm a proud, licensed owner of a Buddy 125!

skipper20 · Post by **skipper20** » Thu Jun 01, 2017 3:00 pm

coolrays wrote:
Syd wrote:do you want to avoid getting a motorcycle license and registering - insuring your transportation? Stick with the motorized bike.

Do you want to go somewhere? Get a license and a 125 Buddy.
That is exactly what I did! I was a bit anxous about the scooter buying / insuring / registering process, and even moreso about the M endorsement.

After lurking the forum and making a few posts, turns out it was all very easy and now I'm a proud, licensed owner of a Buddy 125!

A VERY good choice. Welcome aboard!

Bill in Seattle
'14 170i Hooligan Matte Green

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Fri Jun 02, 2017 3:02 am

coolrays wrote:That is exactly what I did! I was a bit anxous about the scooter buying / insuring / registering process, and even more so about the M endorsement.
After lurking the forum and making a few posts, turns out it was all very easy and now I'm a proud, licensed owner of a Buddy 125!

Excellent! Ride safe, and have fun.