When did mopeds get cool?

[dryheatbob]

Firstly,



MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!





http://www.enertiabike.com/

Found this on my home page after wrapping the last present this morning. I think the price is scary, but this thing could be the next "it" in wheels. Nice.

[RWP]

It's about time. With the advancement of lithium batteries and brushless motors they should be worthwhile soon. Battery technology is still a problem but the best minds in the world are working on them. Personally I would drive an all electric car if the price were right.

[chicago_mike]

They need to make electric cars the size of normal cars. Then peeps would buy them.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Well, if You remember the state that your national power grid is in, multiply the electricity demand by 2 or 3, you might see a bit of a problem with any electric vehicles.

Nothing wrong with the concept, but without adding the real maintenance costs to the efficiency and MPG calculations, that's just riding in the ECO-wave to me.

And yes, I have a degree in mechanical engineering and yes, I have a bit experience with electric vehicles (2WD and 4WD wheelchairs) and I have studied them a bit while in the poly and a bit later too .

For me as an engineer, a small (2 stroke) diesel hybrid would be the answer.

Regards
Sam

Didn't see the price anywhere. How much?

[RWP]

Originally Posted by chicago_mike

They need to make electric cars the size of normal cars. Then peeps would buy them.

I think they are trying but electric cars have to be really efficient to work, so size and weight is a real issue. Gas a so much more energy to weight / volume it's amazing. Gas is a tough act to follow.

[excane]

Originally Posted by dryheatbob

When did mopeds get cool?

The tenth of Never.

[RWP]

Originally Posted by T-Bird

...........For me as an engineer, a small (2 stroke) diesel hybrid would be the answer.......

I agree 100%. The difficulties of going 100% electric are formidable. In America, just downsizing would be a big improvement. Not everybody need to be driving a 5000 pound SUV with 300 HP. It amazes me to see car commercials bragging about their 400 HP HIMI trucks. No wonder GM FORD and Chrysler are going belly up. But don't worry, sadly things are about to change in a BIG way.

[Tsal]

You can already buy an electric chinese scooter for a grand. It's not too fast (about 30 MPH IIRC) but it's cheap.

[bkim]

That is not a moped. A moped actually has pedals and can be ridden like a bike with just pedal power. It also has a gas motor--2 stroke on the ones I have seen.

There is a moped club in Sacramento as well. I was outside one night when I heard something that sounded like 500 pissed off bees coming down the street and up pulled like 50 mopeds to Willys Burger. Later I found out that it was actually a west coast moped rally.

In response to the orignial question...they are still not cool, but appear to be fun and a heck of a lot cheaper than a Vespa.

[cheesemonkey]

they became much more popular and Zach Braff started ridin around on one

[hbarcat]

Yeah, they get great gas mileage, but those little 2 stroke engines put out more pollution than a typical 2 ton car.

And if you don't know how to ride on one they are a quick and easy way to injure/kill yourself.

[hbarcat]

Why is a moped like a "heavyset" woman?






































Because they are both fun to ride until your friends find out.

[scottice]

1964

[Waspinators]

Originally Posted by dryheatbob

... this thing could be the next "it" in wheels. Nice.

[Bryndog]

...around 1964 when Mods and Rockers were going at it like loonies...down Brighton.

[dryheatbob]

I'm bad to the bone! I'm bad to the bone!

[budman]

If the OP's definition of "moped" is electric motorcycle, this one is pretty cool: http://www.killacycle.com/

All the technology for long range, 0 emissions, electric cars is there. Once the goverment decides how it's going to make up for all the tax money they'll loose from not selling gasoline and the oil companies to transition into something else then they'll let the automakers start building them and consumers start buying them. The government will probably tax your electric bill to death even though the cost to charge a vehicle will be minimal. There will be ingenious types who will build off-the-grid chargers, but it won't matter, they'll still tax you. Your vehicle registration tax will go way up too. Once the automakers start building them then the aftermarket will kick in and the range and performance possibilities will increase dramatically.

[dryheatbob]

If it helps, my personal definition of a moped is any tiny self propelled two wheeler that'll get ya killed in traffic. Scooter, moped, minibike. They all fit the second part of my definition.

I'm not trying to split hairs on what defines what in these li'l things. They're just li'l things that go to me.

[The Crusader]

coolness of a moped is "in direct proportion to the rise in the price of a barrel of oil". it's like peugeots law or something

[Thunderscreech]

Mopeds got cool when gas got up near $3.40 a gallon. When something gets 50 mpg, it becomes cool.