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RIDING A MOPED IN ONTARIO

Legal definition in plain English:

A moped (or motor driven cycle) is a motorised 2-wheeler, with an engine displacement of no more, than 50cc. The maximum permissible speed on a flat is 50 kmh. Mopeds cannot have a 'shifted' transmission. Mopeds are for one rider only (no passengers). They can be propelled by human power alone as well (working pedals).

Licensing requirements:

Since November 2005, a new graduated licensing regimen covers ALL small 2-wheelers. The LM (limited speed motorcycle license) is required for mopeds, scooters and anything else that does not exceed 70 kmh top speed.

Obtaining this license is a simple process. First, you pass a written test (M1). With that you can obtain insurance coverage and a plate and can start riding immediately, except at night. After 60 days, you must take a simple road test (M1 exit). This will set you up for 5 years; before the end of that long period, you take the M2 roadtest (no highway) and that will set you up for life.

Insurance:

You have to have 3rd party liability coverage, as required by law. Comprehensive/collision/theft coverage is optional.

Parking:

Free on any city-designated metered area.

Feel free to call (416-787-6228), or e-mail for any more information.
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About performance upgrades

The desire to squeeze more power out of a typically 49cc moped engine is as old as the regulations forbidding it. While many things can be done, whether just for fun or for a specific reason (racing), it is irresponsible to 'mod' a bike to the point that it puts not only the rider, but also others at serious risk.

Many aftermarket add-ons are being offered with irresponsible claims of drastically increased performance, most of which unfortunately are not true and because of their poor quality could cause irrepairable damage to the engine.

The key issue before embarking on any type of upgrade is to determine to what extent is your moped's engine suited to modifications and what kind of end result can you reasonably expect without endangering your safety and the life expectancy of the engine?

For this, you need to understand some of the technical stuff.

Stock mopeds (typically 2-stroke, lubricated by the oil mixed in with the gas in a certain ratio) are built for a certain maximum speed and brake performance. Manufacturers achieve this by way of regulating the amount of air, gas and oil getting into the cylinder (combustion chamber) and also presetting the speed with which the exhaust fumes can exit.

Not all moped engines are alike and not all lend themselves to performance upgrades equally.Single-speed, direct drive engines, with easy access to the intake and exhaust ports to be changed or modified are the best, automatic 2-speeds (like Tomos) - not so much, as their internal mechanical components (gears, centrifugal clutches, oil injector pump) are preset for the stock performance. While it is fairly easy to change/modify the external parts, the 'innards' will always remain the same.

In general terms, the power output of the engine depends on 4 major areas, which have to be very precisely synchronised to achieve the best possible result: You cannot just change one, without all the others, or the whole exercise will be self-defeating and pointless. These are: the cylinder (cubic volume), the fuel delivery chain (carburetor, intake manifold, air filter, oil pump), the muffler and the final drive ratio.

The combustion chamber's size (the cubic volume) will determine the amount of fuel/air mixture that can burn and produce the power. Obviously, the more cc, the more (potential) power. For any size, a very precisely matched carburetor/air filter/intake manifold must be used. A'big bore cylinder' will do nothing on its own, nor will 'up-jetting the carburetor". So-called "hi-flow" air filters will make the engine louder (more suction noise, as there's no baffle) which tends to give the impression that there's more power, but in reality, it's a gimmick. They will only work in tandem when matched with the other parts of the entire fuel delivery system.
On engines with oil injection, one has to bear in mind that those are mechanically driven are preset (calibrated) to deliver the required amount of oil for that particular sized engine (49cc). Increasing the cubic volume without 'upping' the amount of oil may cause the engine to seize. Therefore, one has to add extra oil direct into the gastank, so that the oil-gas ratio remains the same (%0:1 or 2 %). Use only high quality premix oil, like RedLine.

On Tomos engines (both A35 and A55), the intake manifold's size cannot be changed: there is simply no room to put on anything bigger. Therefore, putting on a big bore kit and a larger carburetor is pointless, as it will produce only insignificant performance gains, less, than can be achieved by moifying the stock air filter for instance.

The muffler issue is different from one engine to the other. On Tomos engines, the top speed is partially controlled through the exhaust port (where the muffler is joined to the cylinder). Putting on a sports muffler where the opening in the neckpipe matches the exit port (the stock is smaller, thus the 'choking down'), will add approx. 5-7 kmh to the top speed, allowing the rider to keep up with faster traffic, still within allowable limits. Bear in mind though, that these mufflers are a lot louder by design and also make the engine run hotter, so adding extra oil to improve lubrication at high temperatures makes sense here too.

Finally, changing the final drive ratio (front and rear sprockets) should be studied very carefully. Just as on bicycles, a smaller front sprocket will give you more torque (better acceleration) but lower top speed, a larger one will give you speed, but acceleration suffers. The rear sprocket's effect is the opposite: larger will give you better take-off, smaller higher top speed.