What's the difference between a moped and a vespa?

Question

I am a recent high school graduate, and I don't want a car, because of things like gas prices and insurance. But if necessary, I am considering a moped or vespa. And I'm wondering what the difference is. Is one better than the other? Which one can I get around faster on? What is the probability of getting into an accident on those things? Is insurance more expensive for such a vehicle?

Answer 1

M O P E D S   =  S L O W

S C O O T E R S   =   F A S T

Answer 2

a vesper is a type of motor scooter and is a lot better than a moped (which you do have to peddle to get going).

Check this out if you want to get around without the fuel costs

http://www.firebox.com/product/2166/Ego-...

Answer 3

Vespa is a model or type of moped.Usually the differences in mopeds are in engine size. And weather or not they are electric or pedal start. On a mini bike as we call them the speed is generally 45 mph maximum.Insurance depends on your driving record and experience.If you take a motorbike safety course before you take the test to get your license your insurance will be lower. Your being the cause of an accident is unlikely ,however they are small and people tend not to "see" them. As with any of the smaller modes of transportation there is a slightly larger risk.About the same as for ridding a bicycle. There is such fuss over the difference between a moped and a scooter when actually there is none-as I said It's about weather it is pedal start or electronic start. Where I come from a scooter is an electric wheel chair.LOL

Answer 4

Vespas are better vehicles I would say. I'm not sure how it works where you are but in England I know you can't start off driving a vespa because they've actually got a similar engine capacity to a moterbike and you're not allowed to drive something with that big an engine capacity until a year after you pass your test. As for the probability of getting into an accident... it depends on how safe a driver you are but still consider that any accident you have on a moped/vespa will be more dangerous that an accident you could have in a car.

Answer 5

I would go with a vespa, you have places to store things while you travel. A moped isn't as comfortable as a vespa either if you take a long trip somewhere. idk how it is in your state, but here if the vehicle is under or at 50cc, you don't even need to register it. You might want to check, that way you could avoid insurance and all the other costs (other than gas, which vespa's have really good gas mileage)

Answer 6

In the UK the difference is in the cc of the engine...a moped is 50cc and the Vespa can be anything up to 200cc or so....I think.

Answer 7

A vespa is a moped it's just a make ... like the way a Dodge is a car

Answer 8

A lot of people confuse these for some reason.

A moped is a motorized bicycle. MOtorized PEDal. A moped is not the same as a scooter.

The difference between a scooter and a motorcycle is that you sit IN a scooter and you sit ON a motorcycle.

Vespa is a brand of scooter, and one of the better known ones. Honda, Yamaha, Bajaj, Kymco, and a lot of other companies make scooters of their own.

Mopeds top out at maybe 20-25 MPH. I believe there is an actual speed limit on mopeds. Scooters can be much faster.

Depending on where you live, you might need a specific license to ride a moped. You definitely need a license for a scooter as, depending on the size of the engine, they're classified as motorcycle.

The probability of getting into an accident depends on your riding skill and your ability to maintain situational awareness. Many people, especially those in large trucks and SUVs, don't pay attention to you and may hit you. You just have to stay alert and learn how to read people.

Insurance for scooters/motorcycles really depends on where you live, whether or not you have a motorcycle license, how long you've had your license, etc. It's definitely cheaper than car insurance.

Answer 9

Vespas r Italian made. Mopeds arent.

Answer 10

I have met this kind of problem before,here is the resource I found useful.http://car-insurance.online-helpers.info...

Answer 11

It is a common mistake for people to confuse scooters (such as a Vespa) and mopeds. In fact, many vehicles are BOTH.

By legal definition, a "moped" is any two-wheeled vehicle of any design which meets local regulations that commonly relate to speed restriction.

Commonly, mopeds may not exceed 30-35mph and still legally be considered mopeds. Confusion reigns, however, because some localities may require pedals, while others do not, and speed restrictions may vary from place to place.

Further, a common moped design has been large, motorcycle-type wheels on vehicles that can commonly look very much like scooters, blurring the distinction. However, the term "moped" in any locality will always refer first to any vehicle that meets local regulations to such vehicles, and secondly to whatever designs people there may commonly associate with mopeds.

Many speed-restricted scooters are legally marketed as mopeds, sometimes even with pedals (in places that require them). The overlap simply goes to body design with speed restrictions. It should be noted that most mopeds can be modified to exceed designed speed, in which case they are no longer legally mopeds, but motorcycles. If they have a scooter design, they will simply be faster scooters.

It has been noted elsewhere that many scooters are also legally considered mopeds. In all cases, this will mean they have engine sizes under 50cc.

Traditionally, mopeds have typically had larger wheels and exposed engines, though obviously 50cc scooters would not have these attributes.

The main advantage of the body panels is protection from the heat of the engine and exhaust. The smaller tires produce quicker handling response. And it's usually easier to change the tires on a scooter over a traditional moped, because many scooters have tires mounted on one side only, like auto tires.

Of course, if the comparison is between a 49cc moped and a larger capacity scooter, the advantage of greater power will enable the rider to better maintain traffic speed and to stay out of trouble by accelerating out of it sometimes.

Scooters originated very early on in the development of motorcycles generally to address problems that some felt were inherent to common motorcycle design. Foremost was covering of the engine compartment. This was done to avoid inadvertent contact with hot engine parts, which is a common concern for motorcyclists.

This concern went further with the covering of the rest of the body, along with a front legshield, meant to protect the rider from mud, water and debris that might drift up from the road below. The common step-thru design initially was so ladies could wear dresses without compromising their modesty, but it has come to be welcomed because it allows the rider to sit on the seat much like a chair, instead of straddling the vehicle, as is common on motorcycles.

This tends to be a more comfortable riding position and can be safer if the bike goes down unexpectedly. There is less chance of getting caught underneath the bike as with a standard mc design.

Further, the smaller wheels give faster turning response (which usually shocks first time riders used to larger wheels) and many scooter designs mount these smaller wheels on one side only, making removal extremely easy (unlike most motorcycle wheels) and making it feasible to carry a spare tire.

The smaller tires also allow room so that under seat storage is possible. Scooters by their nature also have far more bodywork available for custom paint schemes, and therefore lend themselves more to personal expression in their customization. Scooters also typically are easier to learn to ride than many motorcycles and scooters often have a more acceptable social image.

As far as your question regarding accidents, you need to be extremely cautious on either a moped or a scooter because people fail to see you!  In addition, you have no protection as you do in a car or truck.  Being rear-ended at a red light is much more serious if you are on a scooter than in a car or truck.

As far as insurance, rates vary between companies and vehicles.  Check with an agent.

Answer 12

A moped is a scooter with bicycle pedal.  In theory you can ride it like a bicycle.  In reality the gears are so low that it would be easier to walk them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moped

A scooter you already know (Vespa).  

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It is really hard to get a moped any more.  So the question of which is better is moot.

The speed is usually limited by law - not by the technology.  So if the law in your place says that 50cc cannot go faster than 20 mph, then it will be limited to stay below 20 mph (even though in reality it my be able to go faster).

Good Luck...