* Photo: Todd Tankersley * X Prize, Schmex Prize. We've had a 100-mpg hybrid for more than 50 years. Far from the complicated gas/electric jobs hogging HOV lanes, this baby needs only one spark plug and maxes out at about 35 mph. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the moped. You've met before—the bike-cum-motorcycle was huge in the US during the 1973 oil crisis. And then, as the petroleum market stabilized, sales waned. But the latest spike in fuel prices has pedal-started a moped resurgence. "They're great on gas, and you can park them anywhere," says Daniel Kastner of 1977 Mopeds one of the few places pedheads can get new parts. For those who want to pedal some metal, a handful of originals survive — eBay!— and Slovenian manufacturer Tomos still makes new models. But it won't be the only game in town for long: Kastner is designing mopeds that ditch the old two-stroke engine for a cleaner four-stroke. They should hit the street next summer—albeit in the slow lane.
5 essential Upgrades for Vintage Mopeds
How to Change a Tire
For more, visit video.wired.com. 1. Get new tires.
Chances are the rubber is from the 1970s or '80s, and it could be rotten. Not safe.
How to Clean a Carburetor
For more, visit video.wired.com. 2. Clean or replace the carburetor.
Carbs are often made of aluminum, which corrodes easily, and gaskets deteriorate over 30 years in Granny's barn.
3. Change the handlebars.
Standard issue is OK for dweebs, but a new set will make that ride slick. For a cafè9 racer look, drop them like they're hot.
4. Scream "fast and furious"
with a performance exhaust. A hundred bucks and a couple of hours' work will add style — and about 5 mph.
How to Change a Sparkplug
For more, visit video.wired.com. 5. Clean it, fool!
A little elbow grease and deftly applied wax can restore your pride and joy to its former glory.
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