General Moped Information
A moped (/ˈmoʊpɛd/ MOH-ped) is a small motorcycle, generally having a less stringent licensing requirement than full sized motorcycles. Mopeds feature both a MOtor and PEDals.
No.
There are plenty of differences between mopeds and scooters but the easiest way to tell them apart from first glance is by how they’re ridden. Do you sit on it with your legs on either side, like a bicycle or a motorcycle? If yes, it’s a moped. Do you sit on it with your feet resting on a platform in front of you? That’s a scooter.
20+ mph.
Speed varies by what kind of moped it is and what modifications have been made to it. Stock mopeds generally reach speeds around 25mph. Speed modification kits can increase this to 30-50mph and above, allowing you to keep up with traffic.
It all starts with turning the pedals.
You can read more about it here.
Chances are, even with an old moped, you’ll have some new parts that will need to be broken in.
Learn about the proper way to break in your moped to keep it running well in the future.
Moped Parts
No.
It’s not that we don’t like you (we do!) or have anything against your non-moped vehicle (we don’t!). We don’t have the expertise or the parts to work on other things. If you were paying us $60 per hour to work on something else, we’d be ripping you off.
Check the non-moped referrals for a list of people who can help you.
Yes!
Depending on what you’re looking for, we may have it in stock in our brick and mortar store or listed on eBay. We can also order parts from our distributors.
No.
We only carry moped parts.
It probably isn’t.
The differences are often subtle, but they’re there. You’re welcome to come by with the part you’re trying to replace to see if we have something you can use but the fact is most moped and scooter parts are not compatible with each other and scooter owners usually leave our shop empty handed. Unless you’re looking for universal accessories like mirrors, we probably won’t have what you need.
That’s cool and all, but…
Still not a moped. Still probably don’t have parts for it.
Moped Sales
Yes!
Contact us about selling or trading your moped. We’ve listed some of the mopeds we have for sale here. All mopeds we sell come with a 60 day warranty.
We typically only pay $100 for non-running mopeds, regardless of condition, age or rarity.
It depends.
Mopeds are priced on a case by case basis, taking into consideration things like make, model, year and condition. For a better idea, you can browse our collection of sold mopeds here.
It depends.
Any given moped could have a variety of modifications made to it over the course of many years and many owners. Some people value speed, some people value looks. Other people value how close to original a moped is. Each of these types of people will value a moped differently and markets vary in different regions. Gauge your moped’s value by comparing other moped listings in your area, factoring in similar models, conditions and applicable enhancements.
For a more in depth look at moped values, we wrote a blog post about this as a handy guide when determining what is a good price to buy or sell a moped.
No.
You may be thinking of a minibike or dirt bike. The minimum age to operate a moped in Michigan is 15. If your child is 15 or older and does not have a driver’s license, he/she is eligible to obtain a moped endorsement.
No.
At this time, we do not offer layaway services (paying installments over time and receiving the product when everything is paid in full) or payment plans (paying installments over time but receiving the product up front). Detroit Moped Works offers mopeds and accessories with a variety of budgets in mind and we are happy to work with our customers and address their needs because they’re the reason we’re here! However, we also are a small independent business and to ensure the standard of quality you have come to expect from us, we are unable to provide payment plan services.
Yes!
Detroit Moped Works accepts payments financed through PayPal Credit. All financing through PayPal Credit is subject to credit approval and Detroit Moped Works has no say in the approval process.
We used to but now, not so much.
Every moped purchased from Detroit Moped Works used to come with a 60 day limited labor warranty. Often, something may rattle loose and need tightening or adjusted after a moped has sat for months, years or decades. Our 60 day warranty existed to bring the moped back to how it was the day you bought it. (Warranty exclusions: Flat tires; objects embedded in tires; damage caused from crashes/negligence/general misuse; complications due to improper gas mixture; issues arising from excessive water exposure; damage caused by environment and/or social issues.)
However, as our blog post (Customer) Value in a Niche Market: Why a vintage moped repair shop is a dumb business idea indicates, a vintage moped repair shop is a dumb business idea and after a few years we realized why no other vintage moped shop in North America was offering warranties on the bikes they sold. It was not sustainable for us and once Covid-19 hit, we finally had to recognize that we couldn’t keep our head above water with warranty repair work.
With all that said, we aren’t trying to leave our fellow riders stranded and we’ll do what we can (within reason) to help you out if you’re experiencing issues with a moped we’ve sold to you. But we need to stay profitable enough to cover our overhead so we can continue to help our customers in the future.
Contact us through our website, through our Facebook page, or by email at sales@detroitmopedworks.com. You can also call/text us at (313) 502-8198 but we aren’t always monitoring our phone, so the other methods are usually faster.
No.
We get this question a lot but unfortunately we cannot rent out our mopeds. You can purchase a moped at full price and return it within two weeks in the same condition for a refund, with a 20% restocking fee.
Michigan Moped Laws
(Laws vary in other states. Please check your local moped laws.)
You need a valid driver’s license or moped endorsement to legally operate a moped in Michigan.
If you do not have a driver’s license, you can obtain a moped endorsement from the Secretary of State.
No.
Michigan law states, “You are not eligible for a moped license if your operator or chauffeur license is suspended, revoked or denied.”
No.
A motorcycle endorsement is not required to operate a moped in Michigan.
No.
The state of Michigan does not require moped insurance.
No.
The state of Michigan does not issue license plates for mopeds. Instead, a sticker is issued from the Secretary of State when you register your moped. The sticker costs $15 and is good for three years.
No.
The state of Michigan does not issue titles for mopeds.
15 years old.
If you are 15 years or older and do not have a driver’s license, you can obtain a moped endorsement from the Secretary of State.
Helmets are not required in Michigan if you are 18 or older.
Helmets are required for operators and passengers under the age of 18.
The entire Detroit Moped Works staff rides with full faced helmets and we strongly encourage all moped riders to do the same!
Yes.
Mopeds are street legal vehicles. In fact, unless you are on private property, you may only operate a moped in the street. Mopeds may not be ridden on the sidewalk or in bicycle lanes.
Miscellaneous
Like “pook.”
Puch mopeds are Austrian. The German language pronounces “ch” sounds the way the English language pronounces “ck” sounds. We often hear Puch pronounced as “pooch,” “poosh,” “putch,” “puck,” and occasionally even “puke.” We assure you, it’s none of these things.
Like “TOE-moes.”
Tomos is a Slovenian made moped. We often hear Tomos pronounced as “Thomas” or “To-mas” but those are incorrect.
Non-Moped Information
Please see our list of non-moped referrals for all of your non-moped needs!
