Moped sales boom amid fuel price uncertainty

Each time fuel prices jump, you can almost hear the marketing folks at scooter and moped brands rubbing their hands with glee.

It’s an easy opportunity to boost sales and requires little more than a picture of a stylish urbanite astride a scooter, zipping along with a tagline of “save fuel in style” (or something of that ilk) to make the sale.

They’re not wrong, of course. Mopeds often run on the smell of an oily rag compared to a car.

Now in 2022 we’re even seeing larger numbers of mopeds running on electrons rather than hydrocarbons to a point that the MTA has started publishing EV moped sales separately. To date in 2022, 456 solely electric mopeds have been registered for Kiwi roads out of a total of 1608.

But the marketing people often miss out the realities of switching to two wheels for the commute which seems to catch many new riders off guard — particularly in the winter months.

The law of the land means to ride a sub 50cc motorcycle only requires a class 1 licence, and the only mandated safety gear is a helmet. It’s a low bar to meet, but the flipside is it can mean new rider’s aren’t prepared for the road ahead.

Riding in the winter rain without the appropriate gear is a miserable experience.

With fuel prices still about as steady as a toddler at a run, it is likely more mopeds will continue to join the roads.

If you’re considering two wheels, take a look at ACC’s rideforever.co.nz for some great tips and affordable courses to help make the transition to two wheels even better. It’s definitely worth a look.