A gas moped is a street legal 50cc motorcycle that is powered by petrol, or gas. This includes mopeds that have pedals to start the engine and newer scooters that have a key start mechanism.

A traditional pedal moped is ridden in an upright position, usually not easily exceeding 35mph, although the restriction part can be removed, illegally, to give the bike the ability to drive to speeds in excess of 50mph. If a moped is ’de-restricted‘, it can become dangerous. The engine is likely to overheat, over-rev and eventually cut out. This could lead to a huge maintenance bill, so even if you would like to get a little bit more speed from your moped, it is not worth the risk, because, let’s face it, replacing the engine in a moped is not cheap.

A newer scooter can have a top speed of around 45mph, but only because they are newer models. As the pedal mopeds are rarely manufactured today, the engine power is diminishing with every passing year. The gas powered ’pedal-free’ moped is an upright motorcycle still with a 50cc engine, or sometimes less than 50cc. They can also be de-restricted, although this is dangerous and illegal.

Gas mopeds, across the world, are what kids that are not usually old enough to drive cars use. They are slow, stable, and reasonably safe, if they are driven properly. The traditional type of gas moped was technically the first hybrid motorcycle, because it used the pedals as a ’wind-up’ mechanism to charge up the battery in order to force the engine to start. They are not seen as regularly as they used to be, with the mass production of gas powered scooters and fully electric powered mopeds and scooters.

You can still buy the original gas powered mopeds, complete with the pedals, although because of their age, they usually need some serious maintenance. These gas mopeds do not have any gears, as transition is completely unnecessary because of their speed restrictions. Even if a gas moped is de-restricted, they still do not need any kind of gear transmission. They are sometimes known as a ’limited speed motorcycle’, because, in effect, they are a form of low power motorcycle.

Gas mopeds are cheap to buy, and very cheap to insure. You can buy a used gas moped for around $100 and upwards. Newer scooters and mopeds are likely to cost around $500 and upwards. They do last for quite a long time, and in some countries, the longer you ride a moped, the lower your insurance renewal cost will be.

Gas mopeds are much better suited to town and country road driving. Some freeways and all European motorways are out of bounds to all gas mopeds, because of their low top speeds, for the safety of the rider and all other road users.

It is thought that newer gas mopeds are superior to the older models with pedals, as they are easier to start, although they contain more electrical parts that sometimes go wrong.