Guide to buying a Moped

[Raiden]

Well i've tried the last 12 months to talk my nephew out of one but he's not having it.

He is 16 soon and wants one but I have no clue whatsoever. Trouble is like most of my wifes family they love to hemorrhage money and especially with cars. Took his nan with him to look at some and almost got talked into a brand new 3k one!!!! But a little voice told him maybe I should ask my uncle first as he tight fisted and always getting deals.

So are they like cars when looking at them? I'm thinking get a used one with a service history? He was told not to buy Chinese? But I think with anything now there's rubbish and stuff from there that isn't too bad.

I just want reliable and cheap but he wants something with street cred,digital dashboard and auto gears. I thought they were all auto but he said I am wrong. And how much should he look to spend? Got 1k in his bank at the moment.

And how can you get reasonable insurance?

 

[DieselJake]

From my experience (and that's not allot I'm more relating this to 125 motorbikes as I could never bring myself to buy a moped/scooter... if I did have one it would be a Vespa or Lambretta because I'm cool like that) it's best to buy one of the common Jap ones; Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, etc they're more likely not to fall apart and when they get a bit of beating which they always do it's easier to find the parts for them plus you'll find more info online about fixes, I've also heard some of the Chinese ones have strange bolts and a few other parts which are generally swapped out for universal bits but best to cut out the middle man and start with something half decent.

All the mopeds I've been on have been twist and go... thought that was the point in them surely if you want gears you get a motorbike like I did.

Can't remember the name of the site off the top of my head but theirs comparison sites for motorbikes and mopeds too which got mine down to next to nothing, makes you sick when you see how much more car insurance is.

 

[Raiden]

Excellent thanks. At least I know where to start

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Charlie Farley]

There are moped's and then there are real moped's with gears …...never had one as such went straight into proper bikes but most newer types are twist and go unless you went down the classic moped route and that's something else.
I'd be steering him well away from peds if you can......

 

[AudiSpy]

Best thing is to get one from a proper manufacturer - Yamaha, Aprillia, Honda. The Chinese bikes are utter rubbish, go wrong often and when you come to re-sell them are worthless as well. Take this from someone who spent 5 years selling motorbikes (at Honda).

As for insurance MCN compare is a good place to start like all the other comparison websites but specifically for bikes, get mine from there every year

 

[DieselJake]

Not sure I'd buy an Aprilla for reliability haha, I'm sure the new ones are better, guess it just comes down to proper maintenance and looking after like everything else.

 

[Dan_G]

He probably wants something a bit cool, but Vespas still have a good retro feel to them.

I had loads of them and a Gilerra Runner - they had a life expectancy of about 2 months before they got nicked. They were constantly vandalised and bits went missing from them daily.

Always eventually found in south London, helpfully with the number plate attached to the residual frame so you could claim on your insurance and get another one for them to nick.

I'll add they are flipping dangerous... but then so is any bike on a commute from SW London.

 

[Seanchadwick2k3]

Not much knowledge other thany mate had a peugeot speedfighter I think it was called. Served him well no problems at all and he could just about pop a wheelie if he stood on the back pegs! (Don't tell your nephew that bit!)

 

[DieselJake]

He probably wants something a bit cool, but Vespas still have a good retro feel to them.

I had loads of them and a Gilerra Runner - they had a life expectancy of about 2 months before they got nicked. They were constantly vandalised and bits went missing from them daily.

Always eventually found in south London, helpfully with the number plate attached to the residual frame so you could claim on your insurance and get another one for them to nick.

I'll add they are flipping dangerous... but then so is any bike on a commute from SW London.

That's another thing you never can be too careful parking them, mine was fitted from the factory with a steering lock so sometimes I would just use that instead of chaining it up... until a bloke came trying to snap it... bearing in mind the bike was parked in plain sight in the middle of town outside my office with cameras galore! Fortunately security spotted this and chased him off. The bike was also stored in a locked garage at mine, I wouldn't even consider another if I didn't have somewhere secure for it.

 

[Seanchadwick2k3]

Forgot to add, don't let him get a rubbish 50cc motorbike, another mate got a aprilla and it was so heavy, combine that with a lack of power and it was so boring to ride. 5 gears too! Each gear lasted all of 5 seconds

 

[DAN@ADRIAN FLUX]

Well i've tried the last 12 months to talk my nephew out of one but he's not having it.

He is 16 soon and wants one but I have no clue whatsoever. Trouble is like most of my wifes family they love to hemorrhage money and especially with cars. Took his nan with him to look at some and almost got talked into a brand new 3k one!!!! But a little voice told him maybe I should ask my uncle first as he tight fisted and always getting deals.

So are they like cars when looking at them? I'm thinking get a used one with a service history? He was told not to buy Chinese? But I think with anything now there's rubbish and stuff from there that isn't too bad.

I just want reliable and cheap but he wants something with street cred,digital dashboard and auto gears. I thought they were all auto but he said I am wrong. And how much should he look to spend? Got 1k in his bank at the moment.

And how can you get reasonable insurance?

Hi.
If he needs any help with insurance then please feel free to drop me a line. Our Bikesure department would be only to keen to try and help.
Regards,
Dan.

 

[Raiden]

Hi.
If he needs any help with insurance then please feel free to drop me a line. Our Bikesure department would be only to keen to try and help.
Regards,
Dan.

Sorry Dan but i've tried you guys a few times on my cars and the wife's and my niece and your always double everyone else. I'll prob ask Chris Knott as for the last 3 years they beat everyone