PUHI — Three dollars for gas every two weeks thrills Larry Duque of Hanama‘ulu. “I use it every day, twice a day since I have two jobs in Puhi,” Duque said, while preparing to leave his one job at Motorcycles
PUHI — Three dollars for gas every two weeks thrills Larry Duque of Hanama‘ulu.
“I use it every day, twice a day since I have two jobs in Puhi,” Duque said, while preparing to leave his one job at Motorcycles Period in the Puhi Industrial Park. “Rain or shine, I take it out, usually twice a day.”
Duque rides a Kymco Agility 50 which he purchased from Motorcycles Period about six months ago.
Since then, he’s punched in almost 1,300 miles and runs it stock with the exception of his specially-modified cargo bag that drapes the moped’s “buddy seat.”
“Usually, the seat folds flat and there’s a rack you can strap items to, but his son found the bag and Larry modified it so it sits on the seat,” said Tom Leighton, owner of Motorcycles Period. “Otherwise, it’s stock. And he rides it every day.”
The moped gives Duque about 95 miles per gallon from its 49cc four-stroke engine coupled to a CVT automatic transmission.
Leighton said anything displacing 50cc or less, two horsepower or less, and has a maximum speed of 30 mph is classified as a moped, and the Utility 50 fits the bill.
“The Department of Motor Vehicles is strict about mopeds and scooters,” Leighton, who speaks from 42 years of motorcycle experience, said. “There is a difference between mopeds and scooters.”
Moped owners do not need a special license or insurance and register their vehicle only once for the life of the vehicle, Leighton said. Mopeds are also legal for use in bike lanes on the highway.
Scooters can pack double, requires a motorcycle license and insurance which runs about $100 a year. There is the normal annual registration and safety check which must be followed.
Due to its flexibility and ease of use, Leighton said there are even companies that invest in these fun vehicles.
“Monico’s, a Mexican restaurant in the Kinipopo Shopping Village, just picked up one like Larry’s to use in running short hops to Safeway to pick up fresh greens and other short-order items because they don’t have to deal with the traffic,” Leighton said, noting that the average moped rider who purchased vehicles from him does about seven-mile trips on mopeds.
“When Larry got his moped, his other one had all kinds of problems,” Leighton said. “After he bought it, it developed problems, no one could get parts for it, and it’s still here waiting to be fixed.”
Kymco is a brand that Leighton picked up after a former mechanic who moved to the Mainland told him about the line.
“He said if I got the line, I would have to have lots of accessories and other items to sell because they don’t break,” Leighton said. “They also come with a two-year warranty.”
Since August, 2008, Leighton said he’s sold 77 Kymco mopeds and not one has come back for repair, adding that even if they did, it would still be under warranty.
“Kymco is the seventh largest manufacturer of mopeds and all-terrain vehicles in the world,” Leighton said. “They have only been in the United States about 15 years, but build ATVs for Kawasaki and Artic Cat and make the engines for the BMW 450 dirt bikes.”
Leighton said he recently got in some 4-wheel drive sport ATVs.
“Most sport ATVs are two-wheel drive and if you want a four-wheel drive, it comes with the utility racks and is made for utility use, not sport,” Leighton said. “This one is even street-legal in Europe.”
The Kymco four-wheel drive sport model will be demonstrated at the upcoming March 7 poker run, Leighton said, noting that he believes this is the first of its type in the state.
But Duque was content to hop on his moped and motor to his next stop.
“Three dollars for gas every two weeks? I love my moped,” Duque said as he wheeled off.
