The 125CC City moped is unlike most other mopeds I have ever ridden.
It’s amazing how seeing a moped with larger wheels can throw you. Although the wheels on the 125CC City moped are not as large as say the wheels on my Blade, they stand out as significantly larger than those on most mopeds.
Why is this important? Well experts will tell you that larger wheels give the possibility for more rubber on the road, and more rubber on the road can equal more grip and more grip is obviously safer.
I’m not a mathematician, but I know a couple who helped me work this out.
The equations are quite complex they are to do with pi, as well has the compression ratio of air in rubber. Overall, I was convinced by the end of my friends explanation, that the slightly larger wheel the 125CC city moped offered about 6% more rubber on the road at any point in time.
I can’t make claims to know how much safer this is It may be 6% safer in terms of making the bike a little more skid proof, but the acid test is surely when riding the bike itself.
So of course, that’s what I did. First of all on the private test track at Throckmorton airfield, the 125CC City moped reached a comfortable 50 miles an hour with my large frame on board, the seating was perhaps the most comfortable of any 125 bike I have ridden, there seemed to be more legroom which in turn meant that my arms rested more comfortably at my side.
Whether consciously or subconsciously, I found myself steering with a little more “knees down” action than I would normally on a moped. I’m certain this is due to me having a little more confidence in the wheels. Having said that, this bike reached 52 mph, and seemed to have a great deal of power left.
It is worth bearing in mind, that as standard, this bike is delivered restricted to about 50 mph.
Out on the open road, the blessings of a 125CC mopeds over a smaller engine machine are immediately apparent. For the most part the 125CC City moped will keep up with the flow of traffic on a busy “A” roads, thus allowing you to concentrate on riding correctly, and worrying less about being overtaken all the time.
Was it a smoother ride? Well, you know, it really was.
Again I am assured this is probably in my imagination, I am subconsciously expecting a smoother ride due to the larger wheeled radius. That’s as maybe, but at the end of the day, if it felt smoother, then as far as I’m concerned that’s all good.
It’s a neat little bike, though it may not have the boy racer appeal of a bike like the Viper, but it is elegant and stylish in appearance and very robust in build quality.
If you are looking for a more adult mopeds style, and (in my opinion at least) a smoother ride, then the 125CC City moped could be the bike for you.