Mopeds/Scooters

[FlyRide337]

I've been throwing around the idea of getting something to ride back and forth to work on to save gas and keep miles off the car. I want to find soemthing cheap and am just starting to do a little research on which one to get. I'm looking for a used one on craigslist. Any advice or opinions. I remember kids back in high school having the tomos lx with the biturbo exhausts going 45mph. Is this a good option or are there better options out there for a quick commute? I would like over 30mph as I have a 20 mile each way trip to work and I don't want it to take me forever.

[FlyRide337]

I'm looking to keep this little idea on the cheap also.

[socal20thAE]

I paid $2000 for my aprilia sport city 125. It will do 60mph, and per my road trip app am averaging 55mpg..and the engine is still breaking in

Do it, I parked my s2000 for a scooter for daily driving purposes and it was a great decision

[GoFaster]

Mopeds are limited to 30 mph by law, so those are out of the question unless you want to de-restrict them. But there are plenty of scooters that will do more than that.

125cc 4-stroke scooters should be good for around 50 - 55 mph. (I have a 125cc motorcycle, and it will do around 70, but scooters generally have more mildly tuned engines and more powertrain losses.)

Anything 250cc or above should do highway speed if needed.

[FlyRide337]

Do I need a motorcycle license for a scooter but not a moped? I'm not sure of the laws. I'd just google it but I figure you guys can explain it better plus I'll probably have some follow up questions.
Thanks!

[socal20thAE]

Do I need a motorcycle license for a scooter but not a moped? I'm not sure of the laws. I'd just google it but I figure you guys can explain it better plus I'll probably have some follow up questions.
Thanks!

In CA over 49cc you need a motorcycle license.

[dmonday]

I've been riding a 1987 CH150 Honda Elite. Just got 77mpg (8 miles round trip to work), I've had it up to 67mph and I really enjoy riding it.

[GoFaster]

Do I need a motorcycle license for a scooter but not a moped? I'm not sure of the laws. I'd just google it but I figure you guys can explain it better plus I'll probably have some follow up questions.
Thanks!

I can only speak for Ontario regulations, you'll have to look up your own or ask your local licensing office, but it probably won't be too different.

There are a few basic classifications and a few additional restrictions on top of that.

"e-bike" - electric, 32 km/h max speed, has to have pedals, legally it is considered to be a bicycle. No license, no insurance, no license plate. (Plenty of sketchy operators because of that, too.)

"Moped" - less than 50cc, no gearshifting, 50 km/h (30 mph) max speed - No special drivers license but it still needs a license plate, registration, and insurance.

"Limited speed motorcycle" - 70 km/h max speed and no gearshifting i.e. it's a "scooter" and only the smallest ones fit this category, mostly 50cc and 70cc models, possibly some 125cc 4-strokes. Needs a motorcycle license, license plate, registration, and insurance. If you do your motorcycle licensing test on a "limited speed motorcycle" then you will get a restriction on your license that limits you to one of these. (If you are going to the trouble of getting your license, why do the test on one of these? No one does.)

"Motorcycle" - anything with 3 or fewer wheels that doesn't fit any of the above is considered to be a full motorcycle. My honda cbr125 is considered to be a full motorcycle.

If you do your license test on something with 3 wheels then you will get a restricted license.