If you own a moped, you are in fact sitting on a memory of the earliest days of motorcycles. After the strange fixation of the Victorians trying to add steam engines to wooden bicycles – the next evolutionary step was the motor. As these motors became more powerful, the bike frames needed to be stronger too and this is, in a nutshell, when the motorbike was born. It was a fairly inauspicious start by today’s standards, but motorised bicycles were evolving during the first decades of the 20th century.

Motorised bikes surged in popularity after World War II and the term ‘moped’ wasn’t coined until the 1950s. While much of Europe was desperately trying to rebuild both economies and infrastructures, people needed cheap transportation. Motorbikes were cheaper than cars, hence their popularity. European nations began developing motors fitted to bicycles. In the UK, the Cyclemaster was launched and was a huge hit.

As people’s disposable incomes grew, such cheap forms of transport did decline in popularity as more families could afford to buy a car. So, how did we go from a decline in use to a resurgence of cool during the 1970s? Well, it was an attempt to tighten the law regarding 16-year olds riding mopeds, which they could at the time, up to 250cc, as long as learner plates were displayed.

In 1971, the government limited this to 50cc until a rider was 17. Manufacturers, not wanting to lose a valuable section of the youth market, responded by reducing engine size but highly tuning them and adding pedals. These bikes were aptly named ‘Sixteener Specials’. One of the most popular was the Yamaha FS1-E, affectionately known as the ‘Fizzy’.

The Fizzy

Many will reminisce over this moped, launched in 1973 in a candy gold colour, which fitted in nicely with the glam rock of the time. The engine was a 49cc single cylinder, 2-stroke that could reach 50mph. Today there are numerous owner’s clubs, online forums and Facebook groups dedicated to all thing ‘Fizzy’ and discussing restoration tips and trading spare parts. If you’re lucky enough to have hung on to your Fizzy, a fully restored machine can fetch up to £5000. Seek the advice of a specialist scooter repair workshop like a motorcycle garage Kensington.

The 1970s were the golden era for mopeds, but it wasn’t to last for the humble moped. In 1977, the law was changed again to limit 50cc mopeds to a maximum of 30mph and removing the need for pedals. When manufacturers started focusing on scooter-style machines, there was little reason to keep both designs on the market.

After a further 2003 law change, creating even more stringent definitions over what can be called a moped and reducing top speed to no more than 28 mph, for those enthusiasts looking for a ‘real McCoy’ moped, the only option is to find a second-hand machine. Thankfully, there are lots of fascinating finds and bargains out there, just waiting for someone to get their hands dirty and restore them.