www.aamoped-motorsports.com

The moped came to be shortly after one of the most important inventions in history – the combustion engine. The moped was originally the precursor to the motorcycle. Engines were put onto bicycles with the pedals remaining intact. The word moped actually comes from the mo- in motorcycle and the ped- in pedals. When World War I came around, mopeds almost disappeared with motorcycle production booming because of re-armament for the war.

However, when the Great Depression hit, the world once again needed cheap transportation, and few people could afford cars or motorcycles. The people of Southern Europe often got around with simple bicycles and in a short time the moped gained a resurgence, along with the scooter. The first true moped was created by Austrian master bike maker Johann Puch and featured an electrical system not unlike a motorcycle. It was also the first moped designed to be driven almost entirely by motor rather than heavy use of the pedals. Puch’s design became the standard design for mopeds and they remained virtually unchanged until the 1960s.

In the late 1960′s, mopeds began to branch off and be featured with multiple gears, and in the 70′s the field exploded with many different models being in production. With Europe recovered economically, the moped was expected to disappear again, however its popularity has maintained and actually spread to other parts of the world.