Wind, snow and sleet may not stop the most determined of moped riders from zipping down University Avenue in between classes, but a little piece of rock salt may put an end to their moped riding during the winter.
Mopeds, just like cars, do not run as well in colder months, and riders may have problems starting their engines, keeping the vehicles clean, and the batteries running and could see the cost of maintaining their scooters rise.
'There's more wear and tear on the bikes during the winter,' said Tim, who did not want his last name used, a mechanic at Scooter Therapy, 9 N. Ingersoll St. 'So the cost of maintenance is a little bit higher. Sometimes batteries fail. Sometimes salt gets in the ball bearings and on the delicate metals. But the higher quality bikes, the more expensive ones, will operate well in the winter.'
More expensive mopeds operate with an air-cooled engine, which prevents the bike from stalling in the winter and keeps it running smoothly. Liquid-cooled engines, such as the one found in the Honda Metropolitan II model, limit the moped's best driving months to the summer.
'There's a lot of students that ride the bikes year round,' Tim said. 'As long as the roads are clear, and as long as riders know how to operate the scooters, those are the main things to know for scooter operation in the winter.'
There is no one moped model that fares well in the winter, according to Eric Vinson, a clerk at Vespa Madison, 3234 University Ave. The snow, sleet and slush of winter is part of the territory, and each moped suffers the same problems, regardless of brand.
'The price of maitenance shouldn't increase at all,' Vinson said. 'Winter causes more wear and tear, but that's part of the territory of owning a moped.'
Vinson strongly recommends that students keep their mopeds clean, which will help eliminate the possibility of salt wearing down on the delicate metals in mopeds.
'If road salt gets into where the bearings are, it starts a slow process of decay and corrosion that you can't reverse.'
Moped purchasers, Tim warned, should make sure they examine the warranty of a bike. Warranties can last from one month to two years.
