A moped is a bicycle-like vehicle that offers pedal power and can be driven either by pedals or by a small engine. They are often used as an alternative to motorbikes and cars.
They are great for personal mobility in cities because of their small size. They’re easy to park, don’t consume too much fuel, and offer a good amount of power.
Mopeds are extremely versatile. As long as your commute isn’t too long, they offer the best mix between cost, power, and efficiency. They can also be used on many types of terrains.
If you’re in the market for a new ride, it can be tempting to just go with whichever company has the cheapest prices – but this is an expensive mistake if you don’t know what you’re getting into.
In this article, we’re going to see what to look for when shopping in a moped. You’ll leave with the knowledge of how to buy a moped that will serve you for many years.
What to look for in a Moped
Before making a list of brands to avoid, let’s see how we made our choices.
- Durable and sturdy
Obviously, you want your moped to last you for a while. You also want to make sure it’s made of materials that will not rust too easily. Buying a moped that will break down within a couple of years is definitely something you want to avoid.
Plus, there are safety issues with models that break down easily. Imagine you’re driving your moped, and you’re going downhill at a pretty fast pace. Suddenly your engine fails or the brakes stop working. This will not end well for you.
- Reliable
You don’t need a moped for speed – but if your pedal bike is unreliable and breaks down often, then you’ll have wasted money on the purchase. It should be able to carry you through tough terrain without being too expensive.
- Standardized parts
You want all the standard parts of your moper to be standardized as much as possible. For instance, if there are different size wheels depending on the moped model you bought, that’s not something we like.
The reason is that non-standardized parts lock you out of options. If only your moped dealers can repair your moped, then you are forced to use them. Which could be costly or get you subpar service. Any mechanic can replace standardized parts. Or you can do it yourself if you’re comfortable with the work.
- Good fuel economy
Mopeds don’t consume too much gas and their engines are fairly small compared to other vehicles on the road. Still, there can be a vast difference in how much fuel they use depending on which brand you pick. It all depends on whether they are fuel efficient, and on the quality of their engines.
- An affordable price
Price is an important factor for mopeds because they’re not very expensive vehicles. There’s no reason for you to spend more than necessary – unless you can afford it. We want our readers to stay within their budget when buying a moped.
You get what you pay for in most cases, but not everyone needs the latest product. If something is extremely cheap, then it’s likely not very good. But sometimes, even costlier products aren’t that good.
These are the factors that we considered when creating our list of brands to avoid if you’re looking for a deal on your new moped purchase.
Editor’s note: Make sure you satisfy all the requirements for driving a moped. You can check them on your state’s website. For example, here are Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Kentucky.
Moped Brands to Avoid
The brands on this list offer poor-quality products made with cheap parts. They break down easily, and most lock you into their own customer service. It’s never a good deal to buy any of these. Though you might find people online happy with their purchases, it’s likely they got lucky.
Buying from these brands gets you a vehicle that is prone to breaking and that drinks like a thirsty camel after a journey through the Sahara.
Jonway
Mopeds made by Jonway are known for being very unreliable. There is a reason they are so cheap. They break down often and they’re not that fuel efficient either. That’s what happens with low-quality manufactured mopeds.
Jonway is a massive company, they also make automobiles and crossovers. They were founded in 2003 in China.
You can find much better options than Jonway in the market. However, some customers have had decent experiences with these brands – but they were probably among the lucky few.
Roketa
Roketa’s presentation is less than stellar, with a website that looks straight out of the 90s. And their mopeds aren’t that impressive either. They are not very fuel efficient or durable, and parts for these mopeds aren’t standardized.
Buying Roketa gets you stuck with them when you’ll need repairs. And you’ll need plenty of them.
Their prices are cheap because the quality of their products is low – nothing more to it than that. But you can find many better options in the market when looking for a new moped purchase.
Sunl
Customers often praise Sunl mopeds for sale because of their low price.
But the reason these mopeds have such a small price is because they’re not very good quality vehicles. They break down easily, and parts aren’t standardized either – so they are hard to repair.
As with most moped brands in this list, buying from Sunl will save you money on your purchase, but cost you lots more in the long run. It’s not worth it, unless you are planning to only use your mopeds around your neighborhood. Even then, consider buying from a better brand.
TaoTao
TaoTao also makes motorbikes of inferior quality. They are not great in any aspect, and they will probably break down on you before long.
Some of their most common issues:
- Their brakes don’t work properly
- The engine is weak and inefficient
- Low fuel economy – Might break down within a year or two of use. If it doesn’t, then that’s great. But you shouldn’t count on it to work for long
- Parts are non-standardized – Now, this is a problem with mopeds – but some brands make parts non-standard more often than others
Peace Sports
Peace Sports are also known for their low-quality products.
They’re not fuel efficient; they break down often and the engine is weak – which makes them unsafe to drive.
Most customers that buy this brand end up regretting it because of how poor the product actually is. There are much better options available on the market than Peace Sports.
ZNEN
ZNEN mopeds are known for being very unreliable and not having great fuel economy either -. Their parts aren’t standardized, which means you can only get repairs by their dealers, or some talented mechanics that know what they’re doing.
As we said before, you can find much better options out there and save yourself the trouble of having to deal with a ZNEN moped for sale. You deserve much better than that – no matter how cheap it is.
IceBear
IceBear makes mopeds that have impressive looks, but that’s the extent of their usefulness. They use very cheap engines that are slow, and they also break easily.
You’ll end up spending more money repairing this thing than it costed you.
There are much better options available on the market – and you should get your hands on one of them before it’s too late.
Maintenance is Crucial for Mopeds
Buying a high-quality moped is a great starting step, but keeping it in top shape is as important. While bad mopeds easily break down, even the best in the world will give in eventually without proper care.
Although you may not have to put much thought into maintenance when you first receive your moped, it will gradually require more and more upkeep as time goes on. You’ll eventually need to do regular engine checks, tire checks, lubrication of the chain and any other part that might need it.
It’s not enough to just monitor your moped for obvious problems. Regular maintenance is required if you want your moped to last long into the future.
Here are a couple of pointers:
- Clean your scooter regularly. Dust and other filth can wear down the engine over time if it’s not cleaned out often enough.
- Check tire pressure every month and replace if it dips below ~2 bars. It’s important to keep a good pressure value in your tires, because it keeps fuel consumption and tire wear low.
- Check for cracks or other damages on the bodywork, because this could cause problems down the road – such as metal trusting that would make you end up with a hole in your vehicle. This is especially important if you live in an area where water can easily reach your moped.
- Lubricate the chain every once in a while – using high-quality oil might be beneficial here. This prevents metal rusting, which can lead to serious problems if left unchecked for too long. If you have access to lubricating spray, it’s probably better than nothing but not as good as if you were able.
- Change air filter at least once a year, more often in dusty areas. The moped’s air filter is important for keeping the engine clean and to keep it running smoothly.
- Replace worn out parts as soon as possible – such as brake pads, controls cables. This prevents further damage from happening on more important components, which can be very expensive, so try not to neglect these kinds of problems if you notice them at all.
- Keep up with any routine maintenance that is recommended by the manufacturer.
These are just some things you may need to do, but it’s definitely not an exhaustive list. Just make sure you read your owner’s manual and follow all instructions given for proper moped care.
Good Moped Brands
There are many amazing moped brands you can pick from. Buying from any of these will get you a high-quality product that will last you a lifetime—provided you keep it well maintained.
Here they are:
- Vespa—The legendary Italian brand has been around for a long time, and they make some of the best mopeds in the world. You can’t go wrong with any Vespa model you find – but just remember to add high-quality oil from your local store when needed.
- Yamaha—Japan is no slouch in engineering, and it shows with the high-quality mopeds that they have on offer. Yamaha is very well known for their motorcycle production, but did you know that they also produce excellent scooters?
- Honda—The Japanese company has been doing great things in the automotive industry ever since it was founded back in 1948. They are one of the largest car manufacturers worldwide, but they also produce quality mopeds.
- Piaggio—As one of the largest scooter producers in the world, Piaggio is a trusted name for great brands. They are not as well known for producing motorcycles or cars – their expertise lies with high-quality scooters.
- Kymco—It might not be as well known outside of Asia, but Kymco is one of the biggest scooter manufacturers in the world. They produce top-quality mopeds that you can pick up for a very reasonable price – and they’re definitely worth checking out.
Conclusions
Buying a moped is no straightforward decision. Find the right balance between durability, price, and efficiency. While most high-end brands will give you great durability and efficiency, their price might be a little too high for you.
But, unless you need a moped right now, it’s better to save for an extra couple of months and then buy a great moped. Personal transportation is an investment.
Paying more upfront saves you plenty of money in the long run. You’ll save time and money on repairs and fuel.
Moped’s strength is that they are very flexible. You can use them for everything from running errands on the weekend to getting you around town during your daily commute.
Mopeds are also very affordable, which makes it easy to quickly own one. You’ll save thousands of dollars compared with car ownership – and that means more money in your pocket. Insurance and fuel are a fraction of the cost compared to that of a car.
Of course, car comfort is unmatched, so you’re giving up something by going for a moped. It’s all about your personal choices.
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