The land of the chic and the... The Chinese have jumped on the geared moped bandwagon too, with more and more new models appearing on the market almost daily. When I was 16 there were only a couple of 'cool' choices in the moped department. There's always an exception to prove every rule after all. For nipping in and out of modern European uber-congested cities it seems there is nothing slicker or cooler than an Italian scooter. And that was riding off-road in the quarry!I also remember one other fool who had no style,Nike Requin, no sense and unfortunately, no friends. I rode a 1977 Yamaha FS1E. I mean honestly, who in their right mind would ride a scooter?!?How times change and how styles change. Almost all of them licensed copies of old Japanese bikes but sometimes with inferior build quality unfortunately. But the good ones are out there if you look for them and check up on customer reviews etc before you buy. chic. Italy.And there are some fantastic models to choose from too. And it's not just Italy that are building them either. Or maybe it was all Roberto Colaninno's fault when he bought into a fading old-school brand and turned their production line on its head. With a National Dealer network and full after-sales care and spares warehouse how can you go wrong?The choices are there to be made. I remember the grief I got from the group when I first arrived on it and then the dismay when I left them for dust. Nope, strangely enough the search for a modern geared moped, a successor to the DT50 or the RD50 of the 80's,Ninja Pas Cher takes us back to where the scooter which ousted them in the first place originally came from. Maybe he paid for the Oliver/Gallagher publicity or maybe he just thanked them for it. The type with pedals and a *true* moped. But you won't find them with 'Made in Japan' printed on the label. Aprilia give us a choice of two Supermotards with the SX and RX50 and as well as an aggressively styled sports moped, the RS50. It's a mad and crazy world but I have to agree. Take look at the Superbyke range for instance, or Lifan. Those that maybe want something a little different. Then we would all congregate in the local park and watch in awe as the local 19 year old RD350LC riding leader of the local pack popped yet another wheelie in an attempt to get into Charlene Nichols' knickers.Did I say everyone? Sorry, I forgot about me. At least, not in the UK anyway. And all because he rode a Air Max 90 Pas Cher girls bike. And with the engine all encased in plastic and a fairing to protect you from the muck and spray off the roads they almost become a valid alternative to the car for commuting, even in a suit.However there *are* still alternatives available for the more discerning 16 year old. Or maybe it was Jamie Oliver. Either way, the return of the Vespa PX riding rebel had a knock on effect and sales of scooters began to climb.Now *everyone* rides a scooter and there's some blinders out there. He was a true outcast and the butt of all the jibes in the world. I've seen modified Gilera Runners that pop power wheelies at 30mph, we now have scooters with an extra wheel at the front and even those insane 500cc 4-stroke X-things. Like a manual gearbox or the ability to venture off-road occasionally. Everyone who was everyone rode either a Yamaha DT50 or a Yamaha RD50. Another Italian manufacturer, Derbi, offer 5 versions of their competition developed Supermotard, the Senda and also a fully faired and naked version of their street bike, the GPR50. I blame Oasis and their Mod rebirth. That was it. Scooters are fantastic but as a great man once said, only dead fish swim with the stream.Father, biker, artist and author of http://themopedspot.com and http://www.fasttrackmotorcycles.co.uk, David J V Reeves is probably too opinionated for his own good but likes to shout about it anyway..
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