A Little Moped Manifesto
The scooter is a symbol of mobility, and consequently, of liberty.
- Salvador Dalí, supposedly
This morning I read a story about a pretty historic moped. As far as mopeds go, I can’t say very many others like it spring to mind. This 60’s Vespa became an iconic museum piece thanks to the hand of Salvador Dalí, the famous Spanish surrealist painter, who made the statement above.
The Dalí Vespa. Source: https://www.veteranvespaclub.com/news-updates/2021/918/the-dali-vespa
The sentiment captures the essence of why I love mopeds. Mobility is our ability to move, and everyone should have a way to move freely to explore the world that we share. There’s an egalitarianism within the idea that’s stronger when said in the context of a moped.
A “symbol of mobility and liberty.” It is, isn’t it? We can be moved while we’re stationary by art, a book, a movie, or any number of things - affordable, even priceless things! But simpler still, just to be in motion, perfectly balanced on two wheels instead of legs, “movement” becomes a more tactile and physical experience, and a pure emotional joy.
Remember when you first rode a bike? It’s really a superhuman feeling, when you think about it, as soon as you start rolling faster than your own legs can take you - a feeling we forget when we are surrounded by bulks of metal and glass in our cars. But not on a moped. Riding along, you’re fast enough to see the views change every moment, but slow enough to capture the joys of all the little things. Ride together with your favorite person and the joy doubles.
In an age of $1000 per month new-car payments, 500 pound motorcycles, massive four-lane highways, plus expensive and hard-to-find parking, it’s refreshing to think about how accessible a moped is. With a small engine displacing only 50cc’s worth of air and fuel (about the volume of shot glass), a moped can usually travel 100 miles on a single gallon of fuel – and can be driven by nearly anyone with a driver’s license.
Totally incomparable to anything on four wheels, the upright riding position really lets you see the world and take it in. Spot a little cafe in Portsmouth? Pull over and park on a sidewalk. Spontaneous grocery run? Scoots can hold a few bags under the seat! Road trip up the seacoast? Go on and smell the ocean air.
It seems obvious to say, but unlike motorcycles (which we love, too, for many different reasons and different thrills), mopeds are easier to hop on and ride, easier to maneuver, more affordable to buy and maintain, and well, you get the idea.
On a moped you are balanced and free, atop a lovely, practical, affordable, joyful machine. It doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that.