
- Andrea Bauer
- Clean and simple
You know that intense buzzing reverberating down Milwaukee during the summer months that sounds like a swarm of bees caught in a running lawn mower? Yeah, those are mopeds. Not scooters or minibikes or speedboats, but economical motorized bikes with pedals that before being souped up and customized have a displacement of 49cc and probably have trouble surpassing 30 miles per hour.
Mopeds are cheap but temperamental, easy to work on but a pain in the ass. I have two myself, one running most of the time and one never running ever. They attract hoarders and have spawned a culture of moped gangs across the country that, among other exploits, organize weekly rides and hold annual rallies in their respective cities. (Chicago’s pair of Moped Army affiliates are known as Peddy Cash and the Hot ‘n’ Readyz.) Basically, they’re too much fun not to own.