Chinese PoS 50cc moped, uphill?

Stupid question, but my mother has evidently decided for me that I'm going to be riding a moped whether I like it or not(legally, I'd like to see her try. I'm 26 and I'm paying half the damn mortgage and my own college tuition):

About how long(and what speed?) would it take for a 50cc moped(a really crappy used one) to climb a 230 ft elevation(according to Google Maps, it may actually be higher given the difficulty I had on the lowest gear on the road on my Cannondale) spanning about a mile with a 185 lbs rider(my 5'5" fat ass) and about 40 lbs of weight(my riding gear, my locks, my macbook, briefcase, textbooks, tarp)? I've seen a couple of videos from the rider's perspective with audio, and it REALLY sounds like the engine is straining to go up. Would it damage the engine if you do it enough?

Also wondering if it's exaggerating to say that I could probably run faster uphill than the moped can?

As well, how dangerous is it relative to a motorcycle? We'd be comparing...

PoS Chinese 50cc moped(only type in my permitted budget, that is to say, the money I earned but am apparently not allowed to spend)
-bicycle helmet
-jeans jacket and pants
-leather gloves(not specifically for riding)
-no license or formal training whatsoever
-Hiking shoes
-no insurance

versus say

Yamaha V-Star 250cc motorcycle
-Scorpion EXO-1100 Sixty-Six Neon Full Face Helmet
-Motoport Ultra II Air Mesh Kevlar Jacket and Pants
-Motoport Kevlar Racing Gloves
-TCX Air Tech Gore-Tex Boot
-MSF Basic Rider's Course to waive road test requirement
-Comprehensive insurance coverage
-Future education includes MSF Skills Practice course & Defensive Driving(non-MSF course).

Because my mother is utterly convinced that the former is absolutely safer, even including the fact that I have no plans on driving on the highway for at least 6-8 months.

Why not car? Because parking is a nightmare on campus that can have you circling up to an hour. Moped/motorcycle parking is much slimmer pickings(probably due to the fact that it sits right next to Diamond Head, with a LOT of uphill).

:huh

Mopeds are not safer. Not sure where you are, but in the states in many places they can impede traffic because of their restricted speeds.

How about a 150 cc scooter instead? They are abundant and inexpensive. Most can move with traffic up to 55 - 60 mph.

Aside from that I'm not even going to touch the fact that you're a claimed 26 years old and bringing an argument with your mother about what you are "allowed" to buy to an adventure forum??? Maybe it's time to move out!

You have a mother problem not a scooter problem.
Sorry to be so blunt but you put it out there.

Be Big,
AMAC

Speed restriction is 30 mph for moped class vehicles.

To be honest, I could probably get away with buying a Vespa GTS 300, work the exterior over with sandpaper(even used ones cost upwards of 6 grand), claim I bought it off craigslist(falsify a listing), and insist it's a 50cc moped. But personally, I don't feel I have to become a pathological liar because my mother likes to talk out of her ass about a subject she doesn't know jack shit about.

As for scooter vs motorcycle, I think I'm allowed my own personal tastes. And while I intend to stay off the freeway for 6-8 months, I like having the option to go on it if needed.

I'm looking for student housing, but I take it that dissolving a mortgage you just signed last month(saying "no" to the bitch who used to beat you weekly until you got on your knees and begged for your life for 8 years is kind of tough) is somewhat of a legal headache and would cost some money to do in and of itself. I also have to hope it doesn't damage my credit rating to the point where the landlord doesn't approve my rent application.

There's also the fact that I suspect I'm right in my assessment that my mother and brother are sociopathic psychopaths who might follow me to work/school just to stalk/threaten/harass me. Moving out of state is also tough given the need for in-state tuition rates, which would push me from getting my 4-year degree at age 30 down to age 32+, barring the fact that I don't know anyone stateside and there's no guarantee of a job if I move.

Then I'd need to change my social security number to make sure they don't f**k me over with that, and pay off the rest of my medical bills and make sure they don't divulge my new address to my family(evidently my brother makes a habit of impersonating official govt organizations over the phone).

Jeebus, post in JoMomma, not in Battle Scooters

What was the question???

Yes precisely, but I'd still like to confirm my suspicions that a PoS Chinese 50cc moped is NOT going to go uphill anytime soon. I also don't think going uphill helps with the breakdown frequency, as well as the notorious reputation the things have for costing more to repair than what you paid in the first place for it.

How fast does a Chinese PoS 50cc moped go uphill @ 230 ft elevation over about a mile if it has to carry 225 lbs? And will it break the damn thing if I have to do this 4 days out of the week for 3 years?

Don't buy the PoS 50, you're gunna want more power for those hills, and also to power out of hazard driving situations. Look for at least a 150, you'll find they are not too much more $$$.

I know a guy in Makaha that commutes to Ewa on his Chinese 150.

Try this http://www.scooterdepot.us/motorcycle/motorcycles/9603/mopeds-for-sale-honolulu/

Good luck on the search.

Haha, I know full well 150 is kind of a minimum. But given the mechanical breakdowns of Chinese crap, I opted for motorcycle. Did look at a Kymco for a while, but decided I wanted bigger wheels, better suspension, better brakes, and faster acceleration(high top speed on flats might not mean crap if it takes forever for you to get at those speeds). Mostly I just wanted something that can keep up with the flow of traffic.

Mommy(yes, that was deliberate) also asked me why I bought a full face helmet for a moped:eek1. She might also ask me next why I need a motorcycle license for a moped(anything above 50cc requires a motorcycle license).

Of course I'm not buying a 50cc, but I kind of want to know how much of a failure it would be to actually attempt to ride one up that hill.

I was thinking I need some sort of a camera(not TOO expensive), rent out a 50cc PoS moped for cheap, then record the entire comedic experience. Of course, I'm pretty sure I'd feel better if I actually had some decent protective gear first. Would be a shame if I did that to prove a point, then completely ate it on the way back downhill. Not sure if my iPhone would work, as it needs to be positioned in a way that is secure, but records the entire trip.

Ok ya got me. This gotta be some kind of joke.

naww, get one of those 600+cc scooters or a PC800 if you get a PC, you can get a job hauling freight and cargo after school.

I am baffled by this whole thing.

Seriously, dude, talk to a lawyer. If you were coerced into signing that mortgage, you might have a way out of it. Do it SOON, often those things have a 30, 45, 90, whatever day expiration.

Then move out. Get a restraining order if you need to. Move across town. Don't be afraid to call the cops. Start a new life for yourself. You'll be happier with that than any motorcycle.

Good luck.

As for your original question, a single speed moped will not likely climb much of a hill, they are not geared low enough. If you really plan to get a moped (I don't see anything wrong with a moped, I own one) get a used Tomos 2 speed model. It will climb anything, though it's max speed in first gear is about 12 mph. Mopeds are not ridden like motorcycles, they are ridden like bicycles, in the bike lane or to the far right. If you have hills to climb, I would actually recommend one over a small displacement CVT scooter. But what you obviously need, and want, is either a much larger scooter or a motorcycle.

I started riding dirtbikes at age 8, and my mother was not the least bit concerned. But when I brought home a streetbike at age 15, and told her I wanted to get a motorcycle license at 16, she had a fit. She was absolutely convinced I was going to get killed. She gave her permission (which was legally required at 16) because she knew I would do it at 18 anyway, but she had already written me off. It was only after a couple of years of street riding that she began to realize that maybe I was not going to get killed after all. Some people believe that riding a motorcycle equals instant death, and sadly for some, it works out that way. But if you take the MSF course (something that was unavailable to me way back then) wear the right gear, and have the right attitude, you'll probably make it through the really dangerous period before you have gained sufficient experience dealing with cell phone addled drivers. There are no guarantees of course. You could be killed while walking down the street.

Honestly I was going to wait until I could take my MSF course(in July) and get my license, then gauge her reaction when I ride home on a V-Star(coworkers suggested I just buy it without saying anything to anyone). But it sounds like time is a factor here.

I figure I'd have to sort the legal crap out first now, find housing(problem is going to be parking the bike), then drop the bomb(about the bike and how I'm riding one, whether she likes it or not), and see if she actually tries to stop me, physically or otherwise.

That would require a sense of humor, which I'm afraid to say has been viciously beaten out of me.

That's the ticket, man. Get the legal stuff sorted first- buying any sort of motor vehicle right now is going to add liability to your situation. It's going to take up funds, it's going to give her leverage against you, it's going to take up time, etc, etc.

Get the legal stuff sorted. Get out. Then get the bike to celebrate when you KNOW what you can afford, when you can get what YOU want, without worrying about what your sociopathic mother wants, when you'll know a bit better what you need (are you going to be living six blocks from campus (moped), three miles (scooter) or twenty miles (motorcycle).

Good luck. Stop considering other people, you need out of there. If someone physically attacks you, call the cops without remorse. If you have someone you can stay with (a buddy with a couch, whatever), do that first- get physically out of the house with no warning, and you'll be beyond her control. She'll try to make you think you're not, but you will be. Then get a lawyer. Get the cops involved. The law's on your side.

Technically speaking, if someone attacks me and is dead serious about it, I expect one of us to die. The financial portion I'm not sure how much to worry about. It's about $6-7k total for bike and gear(I can easily afford both with what I have in checkings), although I do have about 3 times that in savings that I haven't touched. I'm just not sure how much legal fees will amount to.

I was considering my own transportation in the first place because my work situation is going downhill(coworkers flocking out one after another, and my hours going up on top of school), and most of the other jobs(Home Depot, Lowe's, Costco) I'm looking for are on the other side of town from my campus, with the only welding jobs(I have an AAS for it, but haven't done any welding in a few years, didn't figure out I disliked it until just before I got the degree) in the next city about 10 miles over.

So yeah, lots of crap, and I'm not sure which to tackle first. I was planning to head over to my campus and consult with them about student housing and scholarships tomorrow, and maybe squeeze in a phone call to some potential apartment rentals.

Nobody has to die. If someone's come after you with a weapon, go to the cops now. Seriously, that's gotta stop.

$6-7k is pleeeeeeenty for a solid bike and great gear. If you have that, you can get moved out now.

Cut your losses first. Get out of the mortgage, or get it just in your name so you've got an investment.

Well, like I said, I kind of want to test the waters first(by buying the bike & gear) to see if it's just an empty threat and I'm just being overly paranoid, or whether I'm actually living in a nanny state household of idiots. Bike might take too long unless I can somehow pass the road test with zero formal training, but I probably wouldn't ride it without the gear anyway.

If this is really all true you should follow the advice others have already given. Screw the moped. Get out of there. If you can get out of the mortgage, great. If not, you still need to go. Nothing else is really worth worrying about.