Mopeds

Mopeds, scooters, motorized pedal bikes, whatever you want to call them first became popular in the U.S. of A amid the fuel crisis of 1974.  People needed a fuel-efficient means by which to tool around town without having to sit for hours in line for gas.   By 1977, a quarter of a million people owned a moped in the US alone; worldwide the number was much larger.  Mopeds in Europe had been popular since the early fifties.

“Moped” is a shortening of “motor pedal,” and many actually still have pedal assisted engines.  Legally, most states define a moped by the size of it’s engine: 50cc or less.  In Kansas, the size is much larger: 150cc or less.