Moped - De Limiting Query :)

Soldato
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Heyas all, this isn't a de-restricting query for mopeds or anything like that, gf's brother got a chinese import moped last weekend and was enjoying it, but it seemed to hit a wall @ 20mph (No jokes :p) after some looking around the bike and checking on a few moped specific forums (Mostly frequented by americans, which is why I am posting here to clarify) its been said there's a screw and bolt pushing through to stop the throttle opening past a certain level, obviously this can easily be replaced to allow the scooter to rev more freely, and get to 30-35 instead of the 15mph I ended up doing in it taking it to his test in the middle of the city yesterday! (Don't ask!!)

Basically, is this act actually legal, or illegal? I know the whole derestriction is a LOT more complex, and will invalidate your insurance, but this is simply allowing the bik to achieve the speed its meant to achieve, as when you're at 20mph and can't go any faster, you're essentially a slow moving hazard. The instructor even said it may be restricted in some way, and asked him to take his CBT on one of thier bikes, but obviously wouldn't do anything to it, as he would be liable..

Just really wanted to check the legality of removing the rev limiter, as with it off it isn't too loud (Not to a terrorising effect like some derestricted ones) and the bike isn't struggling half as much, and 30mph is now a comfortable "cruise" rather than a chore, and seems to have 5-8mph left in it still.

Thanks for any calrification! :D
 
By law a moped is limited to 31mph. If its de-restricted the class changes and it becomes a motorcycle, therefore illegal for a 16yr old to ride. However 20mph is a danger to rider and other traffic.
Was it new? If so I would take it back and get it sorted ASAP is it's just not safe.

Be careful with Chinese bikes as they are not the most reliable and there are not easy to get spares for if anything goes wrong.
 
By law a moped is limited to 31mph. If its de-restricted the class changes and it becomes a motorcycle, therefore illegal for a 16yr old to ride. However 20mph is a danger to rider and other traffic.
Was it new? If so I would take it back and get it sorted ASAP is it's just not safe.

Be careful with Chinese bikes as they are not the most reliable and there are not easy to get spares for if anything goes wrong.

*Memories of riding de-restricted moped to 45MPH @ 16*

Oops :p:o
 
i had my malaguti firefox deristricted, got 59 out of it down Flatts lane towards the conquest (you'll know that Tom) :D
 
Lol!

I had a CPI Hussar which I bought from DannyW on these forums years back which was derestricted and had an up jet with a Techni**** can, did 45MPH straight and then pushed 50+ down a hill.

Limited to 40 down there now isn't it Wez?
 
By law a moped is limited to 31mph. If its de-restricted the class changes and it becomes a motorcycle, therefore illegal for a 16yr old to ride. However 20mph is a danger to rider and other traffic.
Was it new? If so I would take it back and get it sorted ASAP is it's just not safe.

Be careful with Chinese bikes as they are not the most reliable and there are not easy to get spares for if anything goes wrong.

I though the limit was power output, not road speed? Else you could breach your licence catagory when coasting down a hill?
 
By law a moped is limited to 31mph. If its de-restricted the class changes and it becomes a motorcycle, therefore illegal for a 16yr old to ride. However 20mph is a danger to rider and other traffic.
Was it new? If so I would take it back and get it sorted ASAP is it's just not safe.

Be careful with Chinese bikes as they are not the most reliable and there are not easy to get spares for if anything goes wrong.

Yep, I understand if de-restricted the class will change, but from what I can see on the forum that http://chinesescoots.forumwise.com/chinesescoots-thread29.html is how a moped of this type is de-restricted, we haven't done anything like that, simply removed the limiter that was on the throttle as, it wouldn't go by 20-22 on a flat road at all.

The reason we removed the screw is that it was advised by the company where the bike was bought from, but I just wanted to check the legality, as it hasn't been "de-restriced" per say in the way that most are.

All we've done from what i can see, is enabled it to travel at the speed it should do. simply adjusting the screw as in this picture:

GY6-throttle.gif
 
It's only limited by road speed on 50cc bikes ridden by 16 year olds, on everything else it's just power. Odd, isn't it :/

Total lunacy really, don't touch the engine, just drop the rear sprocket down a few sizes and you have an RD50 that will do nearly 60 on the flat (but needs to be in first/second at the first sign of a hill!)

Allegedly.
 
No that doesn't look illegal to me but I bet the law is very very grey in that area. My Piaggio would accelerate hard and suddenly brickwall at 30mph before it was de-restricted. It was a mechanical restrictor on the variator though, not a throttle stop.
 
By law a moped is limited to 31mph. If its de-restricted the class changes and it becomes a motorcycle, therefore illegal for a 16yr old to ride. However 20mph is a danger to rider and other traffic.
Was it new? If so I would take it back and get it sorted ASAP is it's just not safe.

Be careful with Chinese bikes as they are not the most reliable and there are not easy to get spares for if anything goes wrong.

This,

but 4 of my friends who got mopeds all desrestriced them and didnt get caught, so its your choice.
 
Thanks for the advice there guys, Jonny, yeah as you said the law is probably very grey in that area, thats why its confusing as the only type of modification this is, is to allow it to get to wjhat is the legal speed for the moped itself, hardly as if we're trying to take it over 30, just to 30 without the assistance of a downhill slope!

As for now, he thinks its legal, and is a real worrier, the mod isn't really anything long winded, or as far as I can see, illegal, more of something that could have been done due to chinese laws (Maybe limited to certain rpm for emissions in China, I don't know?[Chinese Bike]) but what it is classed as, god knows, just hope it'll be ok, main thing is he won't want to be going over 30mph anyways, and fingers crossed, it'll never need to be checked over by the insurance company!
 
Obviously that screw was missing when he first got the moped and as it did not do over 30/35 mph he thought it was fully legal , dammed chinese quality control :mad:



Honest Officer ;)
 
Interestingly, Mopeds used to classified as "A motor cycle which does not exceed 50cc and can be propelled by it pedals". My AP50 was such a beast, and no way cold you pedal the thing! The bike used to do 65 with the Big bore fitted (65cc) and a Micron exhaust. Ah, great days.
 
MrGubby....sounds like a good answer! Although as Jonny said, it could be totally legal still anyways, the engine etc.. is untouched and none of the steps in that "derestriction guide" have been done, just allowed the throttle to be free to go to where it should do is all :)
 
Total lunacy really, don't touch the engine, just drop the rear sprocket down a few sizes and you have an RD50 that will do nearly 60 on the flat (but needs to be in first/second at the first sign of a hill!)

Allegedly.

i may have also used a smaller sprocket on my rd50 back in the day, rubbish on hills, lol :D
 
That smacks of the screw not being at the correct distance when it was sold to be honest and begs the question what else didn't whoever put it together from the crate tighten/loosen correctly ?
 
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