Moped

Electric scooter Schwalbe from Govecs, a scooter sharing provider .

S-Pedelec from Riese and Müller .

Vespa LX 50 scooter .

Three-wheel moped Piaggio Ape (1947–)

A moped  - (old legal subdivision moped , moped moped or scooter ) - currently designated in Germany a bicycle or tricycle with an internal combustion engine with a maximum displacement of 50 cc or with an electric motor up to 4  kW motor power according to EC vehicle category L1e and L2e . The maximum speed must not exceed 45 km / h, with some exceptions of 50 or 60 km / h for older vehicles .

The legal definition and the use of the term subject to the passage of time some changes .

In Switzerland , mopeds as well as scooters with 50 cm³, which are limited to 45 km / h - differentiated from motorcycles and mopeds - are viewed as a separate vehicle category for which the class F driving authorization for "motor vehicles, excluding motorcycles, with a maximum speed of 45 km / h ”must be completed. The term “moped” is not used there, which is why this article describes the perspective in Germany.

Types

Two-wheeled moped

• Bicycle with an auxiliary motor
• Moped ("motor" and "bicycle")
• Light moped
• Moped ("motor" and "pedals")
• Mokick ("motor" and " kick starter ")
• Scooter
• Pedelec
• Electric scooter
• Electric scooter

Three-wheel moped

Today, three-wheeled mopeds are primarily used as small vans. This includes vehicles with a maximum design speed of up to:

• 45 km / h and a displacement of up to 50 cm³ or up to
• 4  kW for electric motors or other combustion engines (including diesel engines).

Today, this includes small vans such as the Ape , Microcar or ambulances such as the Duo , but also the Swedish anti-aircraft scooter. Four - wheel quads fall into the EC vehicle class of light vehicles .

three-wheeled moped - a flak moped from the Swedish manufacturer Norsjö Moped AB

A special feature is the Ellenator , a car that can also be driven by young people aged 16 and over in Germany, because despite its four wheels it is classified as a three-wheeled vehicle in EC vehicle class L5e. For this purpose, the output of the 1.0 and 1.2 liter gasoline engines is reduced to 15 kW (20 hp) via an electronic control system. The maximum speed is 90 km / h, which means that the use of motorways and motorways is permitted. The vehicle can carry up to four people, but the maximum load is limited to 300 kg.

driving licence

In Germany, driving a moped requires a class AM driving license ( EU driving license ), which can generally be obtained from the age of 16. As part of a model test in the federal states of Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia , the minimum age was reduced to 15 years from 2013 through the third regulation on exemptions from the regulations of the driving license regulation . Brandenburg followed on May 1, 2017 and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania announced the takeover for the summer of 2017. The pilot project was initially limited to 2018, but was extended to the end of April 2020 and is being evaluated in parallel.

The acquisition of the driving license classes A1, A2, A, B or T includes the class AM. Before January 19, 2013, the corresponding driving license class was M. In Austria, the moped license can be acquired at the age of 15.

Registration and insurance

There is no registration or license plate requirement for mopeds. You are therefore also tax-exempt and do not have to go to the main inspection . All you need to do is take out liability insurance, the validity of which is to be identified by means of a colored insurance label that is to be attached to the vehicle. These license plates for mopeds are always valid from March 1st to 28th / 29th. February of the following year, so they always expire without a separate termination of the insurance relationship. So that the validity of license plates can be quickly recognized by control authorities, the font color of the license plate changes every year.

history

1923-1953

The moped is already mentioned in the Law on the Traffic of Motor Vehicles of May 3, 1909 (Section 27) and in the Law on the Traffic of Motor Vehicles of July 21, 1923 (Section 41). Back then, the moped was defined by tire diameter and power: over 40 cm tire diameter 0.7  HP , under 40 cm 0.9 HP tax net power.

In the 1920s, DKW established the two-stroke engine in smaller motorcycles and in the 1930s, mostly based on the 98 cm³ Sachs engine or the competing ILO engine , the small motorcycle became popular as a cheap motorcycle. From April 1, 1928, mopeds were allowed to have a cubic capacity of 200 cm³ and, if they were at least 16 years of age, they could be driven without a license or tax. On January 1, 1938, mopeds were subject to a license.

The power of the mopeds of the time was around 2 to 3 hp and the maximum speed was 40 to 50 km / h, with some top models of mopeds above that. The structure of these vehicles was for the most part still very close to the bicycle. At that time, a “98” was the cheapest way to join the mass motorization that was beginning.

Due to a resolution of the Allied Council, after the Second World War, German manufacturers were initially not allowed to offer vehicles with a displacement of more than 40 cm³. One type of engine from this period (1948) is, for example, the Victoria FM 38 engine, for whose marketing the Victoria record-breaking machine was built.

1953-1960

Jawa 550 - the first moped with footrests and kick starter

On January 1, 1953, the new StVZO defined the bicycle with an auxiliary motor for the first time as a two-wheeler with a maximum capacity of 50 cm³ and a maximum weight of 33 kg. The Kreidler K 50, which has been in production since 1951, had an empty weight of 45 kg and was therefore out of the range. On August 24, 1953, the legislature created the class of small motorcycles requiring a driving license without a speed limit, which must have an official license plate (today: light motorcycles up to 50 cm ³ ); the reform later went down in traffic history as "Lex Kreidler". In order to be allowed to drive a moped, the existing driving license regulation from 1938 applied: Driving license class 4 and a minimum age of 16 years. If the driving license class 3 or 4 was issued before December 1, 1954, motorcycles up to 250 cm ³ could and may be driven to this day .

The first moped with footrests, three-speed footshift and kick starter - later referred to as Mokick - Jawa presented the 550 type in 1954 and produced it from 1955. The first German moped with three-speed gearshift was DKW Hummel in 1956 .

In 1957, after the great collapse of the motorcycle market, the small motorcycle class was the last refuge for the large German two-wheeler manufacturers Zündapp, Hercules, Kreidler and Maico, which dominated the market here . Despite various designs with four-stroke engines , which were always cheaper in terms of fuel consumption, two-stroke engines largely prevailed in the 50 class, not least because of the lower maintenance and care requirements.

1960s

On August 1, 1960, the driving license class was redistributed into:

• Class 4: Motorcycles with no more than 50 cm³ cubic capacity (small motorcycles without speed limit).
• Class 5: Bicycles with auxiliary motors and small motorbikes with a maximum speed of 40 km / h (mokicks), determined by their design.

For classes 4 and 5, the regulations on wheel diameter and pedal crank radius were no longer applicable. This paved the way for the development of motorcycle-like small motorcycles. In addition to the term moped for mopeds with a top speed of 40 km / h, the term “ moped ” was established from the first syllable of the words “motor” with “kick starter” for the speed-limited mopeds. The then driving license class 3 (motor vehicles up to 7.5 t) included both class 5 (moped / moped up to 40 km / h maximum speed) and class 4 (small motorcycles up to 50 cm³). Car drivers do not need an additional license for these vehicles. From 1962 a motorcycle world championship for the 50 cc class was organized due to the popularity of mopeds .

The unlimited top speed of the mopeds led to a competition in engine performance. At the beginning of the 1960s, the performance limit of the Fichtel and Sachs engines was 3.6 HP, while the competitor ILO had more than 4 HP. From the mid-1960s, the power increased to over 5 hp.

On May 1, 1965, the moped class was created below class 5 . A single-seat bicycle with an auxiliary motor with a maximum speed of 25 km / h at a maximum speed of 4,800 min ⁻¹ , registration and driving license free.

1970s (the "open" mopeds)

Kreidler Florett RS from 1974, with 6.25 hp, a typical representative of the open mopeds.

In order to get ahead of a legal regulation, the market-leading manufacturers Hercules , Zündapp and Kreidler carried out a voluntary self-restriction with regard to the power for the "open" mopeds, which reached 4.6 kW (6.25 PS) and 85 km / h top speed was established. The competition in the 1970s was therefore mainly limited to equipping the vehicles with higher quality equipment. The legislature reacted to the sharp increase in the number of accidents, due to the inadequate driver training of the young drivers, and the enormous emissions development of the mixture-lubricated high-performance two-stroke engines. First, on January 1, 1976, it was mandatory to wear a helmet for motorcycles and mopeds over 40 km / h maximum speed. Since July 27, 1978, only mopeds up to 25 km / h were exempt from wearing a helmet. A warning fee was introduced on August 1, 1980 for non-compliance with the obligation to wear a helmet. The accident figures of the "open" mopeds - for 1977 was from the statistics of motor insurers 198 claims per 1,000 existing insurance companies, led in 1980 to reform the driver's license law prescribed driving test and a limiting of the maximum speed of the motors to 6,000 min ^-1 .

Models of this class of small motorcycles of the old law are now considered rarities and numerous clubs and interest groups are dedicated to this hobby.

Small motorcycles without speed limit (today: light motorcycles up to 50 ccm) must have an official vehicle registration number of 240 × 130 mm. Linked to this was the regular general inspection of 24 months.

1980s

On April 1, 1980, a change in the law came into force in the Federal Republic of Germany , and the driving license classes were redistributed.

• The old class 4 became the new class 1b: The old class of open mopeds was transferred to the new class of light motorcycles .
• The old class 5 became the new class 4: The term moped and the old driving license class 4 were seamlessly transferred to class 5, which was previously below, for which a practical driving test was required for the first time from January 1, 1981.
• The moped class now required a moped test certificate for the first time , except for people born before April 1, 1965.

The consequences:

• Even before the law was changed, the moped market was being wooed by German manufacturers in favor of moped and moped offers; At the beginning of 1980, the proportion of “open” mopeds in the 50 cm³ capacity range was less than 10 percent.
• The German manufacturers lost their main market due to the unaffordable insurance premiums in the open class. Just three models (Hercules Ultra II, Kreidler RS-GS and Zündapp KS 50 wc) were offered by the market leaders in 1980. Kreidler (1982) and Zündapp (1984) went bankrupt; Hercules survived, but had no chance in the new class of light motorcycles against the economically optimized Japanese competition, which only had to reduce the displacement of its 125cc to 80 cm³ and the top speed to 80 km / h and today it has no chance under the name "Sachs" a vanishingly small market share.
• With the disappearance of sporty mopeds from public transport, the 50 cm³ class of the motorcycle world championship was dissolved in 1983 .
• The market for the new mopeds (up to 40 km / h) subsequently eked a shadowy existence, as young people were more likely to acquire driving licenses for light motorcycles.

On April 1, 1986, the speed limit in the moped class was raised from 40 to 50 km / h. This applied to mopeds that were registered up to December 31, 2001.

Small motorcycles in the GDR

GDR small motorcycle Simson S51

In the GDR , small motorcycles were also limited to 50 cm³ displacement, for which a maximum speed of 60 km / h applied from mid-1963. The license to drive a moped could already be obtained at the age of 15. Small motorbikes were exempt from license plates and tax, and helmets were not required until the mid-1980s. Only an annual contribution of 8.50 marks for liability insurance had to be paid. These very unbureaucratic and inexpensive conditions, in connection with the millions of Simson vehicles produced, meant that small motorcycles became extremely popular in the GDR. Another factor was the unsatisfactory availability of cars, so that small motorcycles were often used as a replacement for cars.

In 1966 an "open" small motorcycle appeared in the GDR, the Simson Sperber . A special feature of the sparger is the elaborate intake and exhaust noise suppression, which was not common in this class. Because of the top speed of 75 km / h, the sparrowhawk was classified as a motorcycle according to the regulations of the GDR, which required a license plate and a motorcycle license. These unfavorable conditions played a major role in the fact that the sparrowhawk did not sell as expected, even domestically. In 1972 the production was stopped in favor of the Mokick production, which ended the short era of the open 50s in the GDR. Another open 50s was the Simson GS50 , which was street legal, but was only sold to sports clubs. These vehicles are now considered to be light motorcycles up to 50 ccm.

The most popular German moped is the Simson S50 / 51 , which was manufactured from 1975 to 1990 in over 1.6 million units.

1990s

Scooter 45 km / h (Yamaha Aerox)

The market changed in the early 1990s, when mainly Korean and Taiwanese manufacturers began to flood the world market with inexpensive and modernly designed scooters. The insurance premiums had recently fallen sharply and the low purchase price of these scooters caused a real “boom” among young people in West Germany. In the area of ​​the former GDR, however, mopeds increasingly lost their importance after 1990.

The situation today

With the bankruptcy of Simson and the cessation of production at Hercules , the last German manufacturers of small motorcycles with internal combustion engines disappeared from the market after the turn of the millennium. On January 1, 2002, as part of Europeanization, a change in regulations came into force that reduced the maximum speed of mopeds from 50 km / h to 45 km / h. In principle, there are two types: scooters that work with a continuously variable V-belt automatic and therefore do not have to be shifted, and mopeds that have to be shifted, but are more common in Austria. Since 2016, the Euro 4 emissions standard has also been in effect for small motorcycles , which led to the sale of the small motorcycles with two-stroke engines , which had been very widespread up to that time . In recent years, electric scooters have become increasingly important, and some pedelecs and electric scooters are legally treated as mopeds.

Exceptions to the permissible maximum speed

According to the unification agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic , " mopeds in accordance with the regulations of the GDR " are also considered mopeds under German law if they were first put into circulation in the territory of the (former) GDR by February 28, 1992 and have a corresponding general operating permit or individual operating permit. Consequently, for the first time until the deadline has come on the market two-wheelers with not more than 50 cc and a maximum speed of up to 60 km / h in Germany still the driving license category AM sufficient and there is no authorization. The exemption was due to the millions of Simson vehicles with a maximum speed of 60 km / h, which were widely used in the former GDR and which would have been retrospectively classified as motorcycles under German law . Since the exception regulation was provided without an expiry date, it is still valid today. In the FZV , the regulation is currently indirectly contained in § 50 (1), in which a partially continued validity of the actually repealed § 18 StVZO is recorded, to which the Unification Treaty refers in turn. In the FeV , the exception regulation is contained in § 76.

Until 2001, the maximum speed of mopeds was limited to 50 km / h. For small motorcycles that were put on the market by December 31, 2001 within the meaning of the provisions of the time, an exception rule applies within the framework of the FZV according to § 18 StVZO and § 76 FeV, so that these continue to apply as small motorcycles and the AM driving license class is sufficient.

Motorway use

The provisional motorway operating and traffic regulations of May 14, 1935 (RGBl. II. P. 421) provided for the use of “motorways only by motor vehicles” in Section 2. Small motorcycles were thus not excluded from using the motorway per se . When the amended StVO came into force on January 1, 1954, the minimum speed for driving on the motorway was set at "more than 40 km / h" so that small motorbikes could drive on them at higher speeds. According to the old regulation, mopeds and generally bicycles with auxiliary engines were excluded until 1954 . In 1960, with the reorganization of the driving license classes, only mopeds were released for use on the autobahn without a speed limit. With the StVO of November 16, 1970 (Federal Law Gazette I. 9233-1), the minimum requirement of “more than 60 km / h” for the design-related maximum speed on the motorway came into force on March 1, 1971 . This meant that only “open” class 4 mopeds with license plates were allowed to use the motorway if their maximum speed was over 60 km / h; the over 60 km / h regulation still applies today.

Since a design-related maximum speed of more than 50 km / h was stipulated on motorways in the GDR, these were allowed to be driven on with small motorbikes. Motorways and motorways are now only allowed to be used by motor vehicles with a design-related maximum speed of more than 60 km / h, so that the Simson small motorbikes are not allowed to use the motorway.

Noise limits

The first noise limit values ​​for reducing road traffic noise from motorcycles were laid down in the StVZO on January 1, 1938. 85 Phon as stationary and driving noise were considered the limit value for all motorized vehicles. The driving noise was measured at a speed of 40 km / h at a distance of 7 meters from the road. Since 1966, measurements have been made in A-weighted decibels , abbreviated as dB (A). Directive 70/157 / EEC of February 6, 1970 set limit values ​​across Europe for the first time (without explicitly mentioning motorcycles) and linked these to technical progress.

Euro 4, valid for new registrations from 2016-01:

• Two-wheel mopeds, vmax ≤ 25 km / h, 66 dB (A)
• Two-wheel mopeds, vmax ≤ 45 km / h, 71 dB (A)
• Three-wheel mopeds, 76 dB (A)

The new EU measurement method according to ECE R 41 , which was implemented in Euro 4, prohibits test cycle detection. Compliance with the noise regulations has been tightened, especially in the range from 20 to 80 km / h (compliance with limit values ​​in all operating modes). Not degradable, but welded dB-Eaters as well as the external labeling of the noise values ​​are mandatory. As part of a measurement program carried out by TÜV Süd in accordance with the new regulations, individual motorcycles were measured over 100 dB (A) as they accelerated past in 2nd gear.

Current manufacturers

Listed here are manufacturers of mopeds in classic mock-up design. A list of the manufacturers of scooters can be found in the corresponding article.

• Aprilia has the Mokick "RS 50" and " RX 50 " in its range.
• Betamotor has the Mokick "RR 50" in its range.
• CPI Motor Company has the Mokick "GTR" in its range.
• Derbi from Spain offers a considerable selection.
• Di Blasi offers a folding moped as an electric and 50 cm³ variant.
• Elmoto from Germany, the ELMOTO HR2 is a 45 kg lightweight KKR with an electric wheel hub drive and lithium battery
• Gilera has the Mokick "DNA" in its range.
• Keeway from China also offers some mokick models in addition to the scooter program.
• Peugeot has the “Vogue” moped in its range.
• Rieju from Spain has z. B. the sporty RS2 variants and the Enduro / Supermotos SMX, MRX, RRX, MRT on offer.
• Romet from Poland offers the Mokick "Ogar".
• Sachs offers the “MadAss”, which is also available as a light motorcycle.
• Tremel from Germany offers an electric moped.
• Yamasaki is a manufacturer from China that offers numerous types of mokicks.

literature

• Frank O. Hrachowy: Small motorbikes in Germany: The unthrottled 50s in class 4. Kleine Vennekate, Lemgo 2006, ISBN 978-3-935517-26-3 .

Web links

Commons : moped  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Directive 2006/126 / EC of the European Parliament and the Council . Mopeds (class AM).
2. ↑ Directive 2002/24 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council . Article 1, paragraphs (1) and (2), definition of two-wheel or three-wheel motor vehicles (March 18, 2002).
3. ↑ Drive the right car from 16 years of age www.auto-news.de (August 4, 2015)
4. ↑ Brandenburg introduces moped driving licenses from the age of 15. Retrieved July 4, 2017 . 
5. ^ Ostsee-Zeitung GmbH & Co. KG: Rostock - Moped driving license from 15: MV is still there in the summer - OZ - Ostsee-Zeitung. Retrieved July 4, 2017 . 
6. ↑ MDR: Moped driving license at 15 is extended in the east. Retrieved November 18, 2018 . 
7. ↑ Law on the use of motor vehicles of July 21, 1923, Section 41.
8. ↑ New version of the regulation on motor vehicle traffic of March 16, 1928, RGBl p. 91
9. ↑ § 5 of the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations of November 13, 1937.
10. ↑ Changes in motorcycle construction . In: Automobiltechnische Zeitschrift . 10/1953, pp. 276-283; 11/1953, pp. 316-317 and 12/1953, pp. 340-341.
11. ↑ See § 18 (2) No. 2 of the StVZO of August 24, 1953
12. ↑ Frank O. Hrachowy: Kreidler. History - types - technology. Verlag Johann Kleine, Vennekate 2009, ISBN 978-3-935517-45-4 , pp. 26-27
13. ↑ See Appendix 3 to FeV
14. ↑ New small Czechoslovak motorcycle. In: Motor vehicle technology 2/1955, pp. 61–63.
15. ↑ The moped - technical development and peak. In: Motor Vehicle Technology 4/1963, pp. 134-138 and 5/1963, pp. 176-179.
16. ↑ Frank O. Hrachowy: mopeds , pp 150-156.
17. ^ Ordinance amending the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations of April 23, 1965. Federal Law Gazette Part I, page 344.
18. ↑ Ordinance on Measures in Road Traffic of November 27, 1975, Federal Law Gazette I. Page 2969: § 21a (2) StVO: The drivers of motorcycles and their passengers must wear protective helmets while driving. This does not apply to mopeds with a maximum speed of 40 km / h determined by the design and to bicycles with an auxiliary motor.
19. ^ Ordinance on the change in the road traffic regulations of May 24, 1978.
20. ↑ ifz.de ( Memento from November 18, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Statement on the subject of mandatory helmet wear for motorized two-wheelers. (accessed on May 4, 2014)
21. ↑ § 21a (2) StVO
22. ^ German Bundestag. 8th legislative term, printed paper 8/3548, p. 13.
23. ↑ The current FZV provides for a minimum size of motorcycle license plates for light motorcycles of 255 × 130 mm. See Appendix 4 to the FZV.
24. ^ Siegfried Rauch: Motorized on two wheels. Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 3rd edition 1974, ISBN 3-87943-207-4 , p. 15
25. ↑ See § 72 on § 18 Paragraph 2 No. 4a StVZO.
26. ↑ Second ordinance amending road traffic regulations of December 3, 1980
27. ↑ § 5 FeV
28. ↑ MOTORRAD 4/1980: Each his own , pp. 38–50
29. ^ Fifth ordinance amending road traffic regulations of December 13, 1985, BGBl 2276
30. ↑ See § 76 No. 8 FeV .
31. ↑ Erhard Werner: I drive a small motorcycle, Transpress-Verlag
32. ^ Frank Rönicke: Simson Schwalbe & Co: 1955-1991 . Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 2nd edition 2007, ISBN 978-3-613-02813-5 , pp. 93-94
33. ↑ Appendix I Chapter XI B III Appendix I Chapter XI, Subject B - Road Traffic, Section III No. 2 Paragraph 21 EinigVtr ( Memento of April 29, 2014 in the Internet Archive ). In: gesetze-im-internet.de
34. ↑ According to Appendix 2 to the 3rd implementing regulation for the StVZO (the GDR) of May 28, 1982 (GBl. I No. 27 p. 499), small motorcycles were classified as “motorcycles, scooters and mopeds with a displacement of up to 50 cm³ and a maximum speed of up to 60 km / h ".
35. ↑ Unification Agreement: Annex I, Chapter XI, Subject B, Section III ( Memento of April 29, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
36. ↑ https://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/dachau/amtsgericht-dachau-aushaben-fuer-ddr-mopeds-1.991376
37. ↑ § 50 FZV, Paragraph 1
38. ↑ § 76 FeV, No. 8 "§ 6 Paragraph 1 on Class AM";
39. ↑ The maximum speed since 1940 was 80 km / h. See § 9 (1) b StVO of November 13, 1937, in the version of April 24, 1940 (RGBl. IS 682).
40. ↑ See § 18 (1) StVO
41. ↑ See § 18 StVO.
42. ↑ See § 49 StVZO, as amended on November 13, 1937.
43. ↑ Directive 70/157 / EEC
44. ↑ ^{a b c} Regulation (EU) No. 168/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of January 15, 2013 on the approval and market surveillance of two-, three-wheel and four-wheel vehicles , accessed on April 9, 2016
45. ↑ deutschlandfunk.de Motorcycles (accessed on April 18, 2016)
46. ↑ baden-wuerttemberg.de Noise measurement on motorcycles (accessed on April 18, 2016)