Kinetic TFR - by Don OswaldI have had my kinetic TFR moped for one month. It has been great. As in the other TFR reveiws on this site, I agree with all the good and bad things about the TFR. It does take it a few seconds to accelerate, the stock plug is not the best, it sometimes wants to stall when you first start it. If you don't try to give it all the gas it's got as soon as you start it and if you let it warm up for a minute, it's a great ride. It's very smooth and mine will reach a top speed of about 37 on flat road. All in all, I would say it is a great bike. I love it... despite it's few quirks. If anyone has a kinetic TFR or any other moped that has any tips or suggestions... please contact me.Yamaha Monkey 50 by GregThis is a cool little bike like a ct 70 but considerd a moped. It has 50cc engine it goes 4 about $1200. pretty cool lookin they just came out with the 2k bike it has a zebra stripe seat crome tank shocks pipe the works. Does about 40 with a little tweakin Is really a replica of old z50 but i dont think so. E-mail me 4 picTomos Targa LX by Pinksnyper@aol.comI just got a 2000 Targa LX in black and it is HOT !! The whole thing is just amazingly built and real fast too. I recommend the targa Lx for anyone interested in getting a moped. Also - Stevesmoped.com is the cheapest place to get it at ;)Kreidler - by MarcusI am going to tell you i have had this moped for about two months and I have no complants.This is my first moped and they are awesome so if you want to get a good reliable moped get a kreidler. There is a one things though I have a two speed automatic and when it is changing into second gear the bike shakes i dont know if the transmission is shot or what but other than that it is awesome. |
Tomos Targa LX - by Deepak
I bought a Tomos Targa LX about 4 weeks ago and i have already put 400 miles!! It's baby blue and it goes about 35 mph!! I think this is the best moped and if you want to get one, get a Targa LX!!Honda MT50 - by Roderick Barton
Unfortunately this Moped has never landed on the shores of America. However the MB50 has been around in America, (1982). The MT50 is a 50cc cross bike, that handles well and is very reliable, as with most Honda Mopeds (PA50 included), I find it has a great styling, and performs well, with standard parts it can go above 50km/h, however if tune the can reach up 130km/h, they are really fun to ride, if your intrested have a look at my website all about the MT50:http://www.freeyellow.com/members8/hondamt50
Tomos Targa & Targa LX Dustin Payanis
I am getting a 1999 Tomos Targa moped and my brother is getting a 1999 Tomos Targa LX. My friend has an LX and I always see him riding. he had it for 2 years so far and nothing went wrong on it. It is a 1994. The only thing about the tomos mopeds are that they only go around 33MPH. Thats kind of slow, so if you are going to get a tomos moped you should get a BORE KIT for it.Tomos Bullet TS 1981 - by Nick
My Bullet is the best investment I have ever made. I bought it for $125, in almost perfect condition. Ive had it for 2 years, and it starts every time. It can do 38 mph on a flat surface and 22mph on a 12% grade. Even though your not suppose to ride with passengers, when I do it rides very well and there is aple room for another. Also it handles just as well as my friends 96 targa, and he paid $900 fo his.Long Live The Moped!
Honda Hobbit - by Justin
I love my 1978 honda hobbit I bought it for fifty bucks and it runs really well,it's really quiet and runs good goes about 25 if you have never seen one it kindda looks like the kinetic tfr except better i think!!!! If you find one I suggest you check it out.Puch Magnum - by Ryan Cardone
About a year ago I was looking for a moped. Then my friend suggested me to this guy that had a shop near where I lived. I finally got to his place and when I did, he showed me this moped that he said he just got from some guy, just that morning. I instantly fell in love with it and asked him "How much?" He didn't want to sell it at first because he had just got it and didn't have time to inspect it. But I told him that I didn't care and bought it that very day. It is a great moped and I take pride in it. Some guy at a moped shop else-where, told me that back in 1979, when my moped first came out, it was selling for around $1,500, which was a lot back then and he said some motorcycles were even cheaper. It is oil injected, with the seperate tank for the 2-cycle oil, so I can just stop at a gas station when I need to and don't have to worry about the oil/gas mixture. I can get it up to around 45 mph, gets 150 mpg and holds 1.85 gallons of gas. It still looks new even after 20 years. It is silver, black, and chrome. This is a one of a kind and I like it very much. It starts in a second, even on a cold day.
Honda PA50 - by Dave
Well what can I say? I've owned about 4 Honda Pa50's over the last two years.. all but one i sold for profit... They have very old fashioned styling, with their pressed steel frames, curvey white fenders, and leading link front suspension.. however they are extremely reliable, moderately fast (40-45km/h) and the 4 stroke engine is durable and good for beginners... i.e. no oil to mix like a two stroke. i think the styling is kind of "cute" but this is definetly not a cutting edge or "racing" moped!Motobecane Cady - by Dave
Aaahh.. the cady.. the little yellow cady.. It was the first moped i ever purchased for a scant $150 (canadian) running.... i put over 1000km on it in a month all while running a 1:50 mix.... the actual mix is 1:25!!!! I can't beleive it didnt' seize (i read the 1:50 in some old book from the 70's when they had leaded gas!!!) i remember on really hot days in the summer, when the engine would inexplicably slow down (in other words it was practically seized!!1) i would stop and let it cool offf.... it wasn't until just before i sold it that i found out the proper mix!! :) other than that , for a small moped the cady absorbs bumps well, brakes well and is a nimble handler... top end isn't that great with a max speed of about 40km/h i wouldn't recommend going two up either .. the day i got it my friend and i were dubbing-- he was sitting on the rack with his feet on the pedals, and i was sitting on the seet with my feet on the foot rests.. so i take this 90 degree c! orner going about 30km/h.. we don't have helmets on.. and there's this loud screech as the rear tire loses it.. well we both emerged with minor scratches and bruises.. not bad for a first motorcycle (well.. moped) accident! but.. i'll never forget that little moped... a little postscript.. i've just bought another one for $55.00, 1975 cady.. excellent condition one owner.. oh.. its gonna be a good summer! :)Kinetic TFR - by JD Smith
I couldn't disagree more with John Newman's review. I too bought a Kinetic "Luna" TFR at Fred Meyer in Oregon. I got it for $375 (they were trying to get rid of them for the winter. I've put 700 miles on it since November and I love it! The only problem is that vibration seems to make stuff fall off - I use Loc-Tite in a couple places, and upgraded the band clamp that holds on the Air filter. Other than that, no problems!Batavus Bingo - by Dave
Last summer i had the fortune of purchasing a mint condition 1976? Batuvus bingo... bright red (original paint) with fur seat cover.. very classy. I only paid $60, but then again it wasn't running. Restoration compromised, oiling every thing up, washing it, and adding gas!! i didn't even have to clean the carb, and it had been stored for 10 years! The first few minutes, it was a little rough running, but then it smoothed out and proved to be very peppy.. maxing out around 55km/h.. the brakes where excellent, and i loved the buzzy sound of the engine.. unfortunately i didn't like the buzzy feel in feet and arse as the vibrations travelled through the frame.. it made my feet feel practically numb.. this may be attributed to the hardtail rearend... if this moped was fully suspended it would be near perfect. the batavus mopeds are made very well.. i just wish i could get my hands on a Hs50 or a batavus BAt (motorcycle style) later boyzKinetic TFR - by John Newman
I'v had this bike for about one year now. It's not at all as good as it looks in other reviews. I bought it in Oregon at a store called Fred Myers (It's a department store.). It cost me 799.00 + tax + regestration. For the first month it ran good but then the pedals fell off so I bought new ones from a bike store - these new ones were metal. About two months after that my carb dies so I had to take off the whole swing arm to get it rebuilt (I make all repairs myself, because cosmo motors in PA just gives me a hassle and tells me I have to ship it back to them for any repairs!) Three months after I rebuilt the carb my drive line dies, I take a look at it and I find that it chewed a key so I had to refine the train shaft buy a new key. Then a month later the chain for the pedals breaks! So I buy a new one, I'm thinking what else could go wrong. I replaced the cheap stock shocks in the back with fancy motorcycle shocks I put on new tires they are semi nobby good for on/off roading. When I bought it it did not have turn signals so I orderd some from cosmo in PA. I'll tell you my old Yamaha Chappy was much better and its 20 years old!!! the stock spark plug is crap I replaced it with a new Champion. If I had known this stuff would happen when I bought it I wouldn't have boughten it.
Moto Guzzi moped - by Charlie Bates
I have a moto guzzi Robin moped (vintage 1978) that I have been riding for a couple of years now. This one is a little less "bicycle-like" than the Vespa Ciao that I have. That is, it has front and rear suspension, a speedometer and a key to lock the front fork with. It is equipped with a basket on the front and a luggage rack on the back as standard equipment.One very interesting thing that I discovered while tuning it last year is that the plastic cover that goes over the carb throat serves two functions. In the shop manual it is pointed out that this is a silencer of sorts (i.e. it reduces intake noise). It certainly does this. What they don't tell you is that its main purpose is as a restrictor (that is, speed limiter) so the top speed is held to 25 mph. Without this plastic cover (and with the air filter mesh still in place) the moped pulls much more strongly and will see just under 35 mph. When I ran back to back tests with and without this thing it was amazing what a difference it made!
Mine is orange but I have spoken to several people and seen reference made to white and blue ones. Parts are so-so to come by but not very expensive. Very fun to ride.
Kinetic Magnum moped - by JohnC
Just received my Kinetic Magnum. This is the upgrade to the TFR. I have owned 4 other mopeds including a Vespa, Puch, Honda Express and an Elite. I really missed my old Vespa but could not find any used ones for sale. I ordered from Cosmo Motors in PA. I had heard that Kinetic used the old Vespa motor. They were not sure. When I open my box I discovered they not only did the Magnum have the old Vespa motor but it was the whole Vespa. I was amazed. Now made in India there are some minor differences in the type of metal stampings but the Magnum is identical down to the plastic covers for the drive belts. It took about 1.5 hrs to assemble. There were no assembly intrucitons. Only 12 bolts or so. Only a dozen miles so far but starts well and the variable speed transmission helps quite a bit. The only problem was the muffler needed to be snugged up to the motor due to a minor exhaust leak(took 20 min). Top speed is about 30mph. I paid 900.00 + 50.00 shippi! ng(200.00 more than the TFR). I am very happy with the performance and handling. So far so good. Here are some differences from the TFR:
- Variable speed belt drive,
- Large seat for 2 W/pads for feet.
- Turn indicators standard
- Heavy duty suspension(ideal for crummy MI roads)
Jawa Babetta moped (1979) by Tim D.
The Jawa Babetta (1979) is one of Jawa's original moped models. It is very similar to later model X series (1980-2). The Babetta tops out at 25MPH, some minor tweaking can be done to increase that. Overall, it is a good bike. Easy to work on, all parts are easilly accessible once you remove just a few screws.I do not like the brake-light switches on the cables, the "split" cables are hard to find. The horn is also in a weird spot, grounding out on the gas tank... (safe??) Jawa kickstands have ALWAYS been horrible, they may break off the frame if used too much. The other thing I do not like, is the lighting. The tail light is a dual 6v bulb (hard to find) and the tail light is excessively big, like one on a truck! The brake light is barely noticeable. You have to replace BOTH headlight and taillight at the same time, there is no voltage regulation, so if you blow one out... the other blows too.
I really like the pickup/power of this bike. I live on a big hill/hilly area of Massachusetts, and the bike performs well. It runs clean and quiet, easy to start. If you had a choice, however... get a later model Babetta or other model Jawa moped. They are made better, and are faster.
Jawa X-series (1981) by Tim D.
The Jawa X-30 is one great bike. It is similar to the earlier Babetta model, with many enhancements. The X-20 and X-25 are the same bike, with different piston sizes and mufflers. The X rating is max MPH. My X-30 goes 35MPH flat. I think the engine has been modified, though.The X-30 has voltage regulators, so you can blow out lights, and keep your ohter ones. The brake light switches are located properly, on the brake levers. This enables commonly available full-sized cables (not "split"). The tail light has 2 bulbs. Better than the dual bulb, easier to find as well. The horn is located under the speedometer on the front of the bike. The headlight and speedometer are serarate units too. You need lots of extra electronics for the X series, they include an engine on/off switch, separate light for speedometer, and even a turn-signal option (if you can find it)!!!
The X-30 has a separate air filter (Babetta's is inside carb). The X series have LOTS of separate parts, but the bikes are still easy to work on, and very fun to ride.
The Motobecabe Mobylette moped - by Dan Webber
The Mobylette is a really solid ride,it is kind of slow, topping out around 22 mph, but it is very stylish. It is kind of difficult to work on, with access to the spark plug, and the carburetor in unintuitive positions. Once you own one though, you really fall in love with it.Dan Webber Decepticon
Kinetic TFR moped
A while ago an ad appeared in Trading Times newspaper - shop B&J Truck Sales said that they have $750 mopeds. Today (05/15/97) I went there to check them out.The bike looks good - faxed brochure I have doesn't give it justice - the real thing looks more shiny and new.
Kinetic is 1-speed - this means that I have to wait few seconds or help by pedaling before it starts accelerating. However, once there, the speed is good and ride is smooth.
Surprisingly, TFR has some features that more expensive mopeds don't. These include:
- Tool storage compartment.
- Ignition key.
- Bicycle mode - by special switch you can disengage motor altogether and possibly shift gear. I am not sure about gear, but it seemed like pedaling was better than on a regular moped.
Interesting tidbit - 3 month warranty is handled by the importer, Cosmopolitan Motors. I told them that our local shop doesn't seem to have it's own repair department and they said "that's ok, if you have problems, we'll arrange for somebody local to fix it". Maybe (I am speculating here) this works like with insurance company - they give you check and you go to the body shop you choose.
Whizzer - by Dave
I got interested in getting the Whizzer when the wife wanted to take up bicycling, I figured I would get a motorized bicycle and the wife could pedal away to her hearts content. I learned that Whizzer was coming out with a new motorbike while I was collecting some information for my Dad regarding restoring an original Whizzer from 1947. The reproduction Whizzer looked interesting so I called the manufacturer to get more details. They were very nice and helpful so I figured they were on the up and up.I picked up my Whizzer two weeks ago and ridden it every day. The retro look is really cool and listening to the 4-stroke motor chug away is music to your ears. There's no gearshift only a clutch lever that puts slack in the v-belt drive to let it slip when your stopped. It cruises at about 25mph and tops out at about 35mph. It costs more than other mopeds but less than a restored Whizzer. The adds say "The Greatest Two Wheel Ride" and I can't disagree.