This article is a translation from the original Dutch article that can be found here.

The moped is often forgotten when looking for alternatives to the car. One thinks of public transport and the bicycle. But except for the young, the moped attracts relatively little interest. People don't like the moped for commuting; it's actually wrong and understandable at the same time. Because the moped offers good possibilities, but the jubilant tones that have been eliciting the bike again, especially lately, have never become part of the moped. A moped driver is therefore "someone else".

The government has also had quite some trouble in a legislative sense with the arrival of the moped in 1947. First not on the bike path, then on, then not always afterwards. Initially no speed limits, then it was, and rightly so. Also that difficult distinction compared to light motorcycles and therefore the yellow picture in front. There was talk about a "driving license", a provisional one that initially everyone would get, but that didn't work out. And so on.

Energy problems and traffic jams

There are two main reasons for the renewed and even completely new interest in mopeds, especially abroad. These are the energy problems and the increasing traffic, especially in urban areas. Especially in America, where the moped only experienced its introduction a few years ago, there is a very strong growing interest in mopeds for these reasons. And there too the government is not very sure what to do with it.

The increasing traffic density, especially in the Randstad conurbation, prompted us to take a closer look at mopeds as an alternative to commuting.

Six ANWB employees, varying in age from 22 to 50 years, were provided with a moped for this purpose, of course with suitable clothing, a helmet and, if necessary, special moped bags. For these people, the distance between home and work, the ANWB office in The Hague, varied from 6 to 27 km (NB: the average length of journeys made by car for commuting is 15 km). The agreement was that each person would decide for himself when and when not to use the moped.

As the most important disadvantage Wim mentioned the fact that the moped is not taken into account in any way. The traffic facilities on his route were such that he even had to drive a different and dangerous route at a few points, for example due to one-way traffic. The moped had to spend the night in the open air at home because there was no parking space available. This test therefore came to an end because the moped was stolen within two months.

The people and the rides
The greatest distance was covered by Wim van Tilburg (27), traffic expert at the Traffic Department. He lives in Rotterdam and had to drive 27 km before he was at the ANWB office in The Hague. Because of the distance, Wim had access to the most expensive and comfortable moped. A Zündapp KS 50 with four gears. He had always ridden Zündapp before so this was a new acquaintance. The most important difference with the past was the maximum speed of 40 km/h and wearing a crash helmet. Usually Wim went to work by car, an average travel time of 30 to 45 minutes, but this could increase considerably due to traffic jams. The main advantage of the moped was the constant travel time of 50 minutes. So not faster than by car, but with more certainty about the journey time. Furthermore, he managed to achieve the formidably low fuel consumption of 1 : 50.

Poor visual guidance on bicycle paths

Ton Hendriks (25 years old), also a traffic expert at the ANWB, travelled more than 2000 km by moped at the commuter traffic between Leiderdorp and The Hague, distance 20 km. He rode the only four-stroke moped in the company, a Honda SS50 Z with four gears. Mostly Ton, who strives to use the car as little as possible for commuting, took the bus to The Hague. Because of traffic jams, the journey time, normally 30 minutes, could be as long as over an hour.

When the weather is good, he takes the bike and pedals for three quarters of an hour on a sports bike with 10 gears. He only does this when it is dry and the wind is not too strong. He did not have this limitation on the moped. Rain and wind had no influence because of the good clothing, a Belstaff two-piece motorcycle suit, leather gloves and a full face helmet. Ton greatly appreciated the moped in relation to the bike because of this weather insensitivity.

The most important advantage over the bus was the constant travel time, namely 35 minutes. He didn't mind changing before and after the ride, you get very experienced in this. In good weather the pants of the motorsuit were taken in a small tank bag. The route of Ton consisted for the most part of fairly good (moped) bike paths. Over short sections he had to drive on parallel roads where there was quite a lot of traffic. Here Ton had an accident when a car, coming from a driveway, drove him by splashing a very long bonnet between the parked cars to stabbing. This incident did not prevent him from continuing to ride a moped. The main objection came when the days became shorter. In darkness you are often so seriously blinded on the moped that you lose your orientation completely. Visual guidance on cycle paths is so poor that you regularly end up on the verge or ride over bus stops, for example. This was reason enough for Ton to stop buzzing when he had to ride in the dark both in the morning and in the evening.

Constant travel time

Wim Zonderop (50), head of the household department, also lives in Leiderdorp. When he goes to work by car, he is very dependent on the amount of traffic and traffic jams. The 20 km between home and work takes at least half an hour to travel, which can sometimes exceed an hour. With the Sachs Optima, a fully automatic moped, he always manages to cover the distance within 35 minutes. This very constant travel time is the most important advantage for him. Only in very bad weather he took the car because he also experiences the poor visibility that a moped driver has as very unsafe. Wim generally has good cycle paths with good road surfaces on his route. He does not like the traffic behaviour of others, there is little or no consideration for you.

Unsafe, remote route
Karen Westhoek (22), is an employee of the Literature department Traffic and Recreation and lives in Zoetermeer. The distance between Zoetermeer and The Hague is 17 km. There are basically four travel options: train, car, moped and bicycle.
Karen chose the car and could then cover the distance in 20 minutes. Sometimes she went by train but had to count on an hour of travel time. She thought the distance was too long to cycle.
Karen got access to a fully automatic moped, the Puch Maxi, and was very enthusiastic in the beginning. This enthusiasm decreased quickly and strongly when she had made the ride by moped several times. She mentioned a few important causes for this. The route was unsafe, uncomfortable and was very remote so she was afraid of bad luck. With the rather small tank it was not impossible that she would be stranded on the way. And the travelling time with the moped was longer than with the car, namely 30 minutes. This was mainly caused by detours, long waiting at some traffic lights and waiting at two dangerous intersections, one at Nootdorp and one at Voorburg. Moreover, Karen did not like to have to take the mode of transport into account when choosing her clothes. In Zoetermeer itself, moped riders are not allowed to ride on most bicycle paths, so Karen had to drive between cars. She also found rain very difficult because of the risk of slippage and poor visibility.

Preference in the city
Thijs Tuurenhout (30 years) is a photographer at the ANWB and lives in Rijswijk at a distance of 8 km. He usually sails along with heavy camera cases and then goes by car. A journey in busy rush hour traffic that takes about 20 to 25 minutes. When the weather is fine Thijs cycles when he doesn't have to drag his equipment along, it takes him half an hour at a leisurely pace. With a moped this doesn't go much faster, travel time about 20 minutes, because most traffic lights have to be waited for, which causes a lot of delay. Thijs got a fully automatic moped, the Batavus M 56 with a large sturdy luggage rack, so he could take his cameras with him. This went well on asphalt paths, but on tile bike paths there was a fear of damage to the equipment.

Thijs chose the moped over the car and the bike when he didn't have to take much with him and when he quickly had to pick up or deliver photo work in the city. For this shopping in busy city traffic, the moped is a good means of transport. The fuel consumption is then, with a lot of stopping and accelerating again 1 : 35.
Thijs found very negative the fact that other road users and road administrators hardly take the moped driver into account. For example, it was decided for a new cycle path in Rijswijk that mopeds are not allowed on it because the residents do not want to. And there you stand between trucks and buses and especially in the dark Thijs did not feel safe there at all.
Storage in the flat was a bit difficult because the box was difficult to reach and already quite full. The moped was therefore placed in the stairwell.
Even more than the others, Thijs experienced the reactions of the environment. You have become "unrecognizable", your friends no longer greet you and they find it very strange that you ride a moped Thijs had a simple remedy for that by immediately telling that it was a "test" and then they found it all very interesting.

More and more detours
Marianne van Wijk (29), employee of the Travel Conditions department, who has been consistently riding mopeds for 13 years, has the most experience with mopeds. She was the only one in the company who only had to exchange a moped, got a Sparta Rocky, also a fully automatic moped, lives in Wassenaar and has been travelling the 6 km with the moped for years.
Asked why she doesn't cycle this distance she mentioned the fact that you can dress better on a moped, so you sit dry and warm; the helmet with visor also provides shelter. Furthermore, she can take a lot of luggage on the moped that she needs on other visits after work. In all weathers she goes to work on the moped and uses the two-wheeler for all other movements. She needs one litre of lubrication for 45 km. In recent years, her range on the moped has been limited to the region of The Hague because the connections with other places in the area have become increasingly poor. Any change in favour of motor vehicles or rail traffic will result in more detours for bicycle and moped traffic.
The connections are becoming increasingly remote, the road is difficult to find and there is a fear of breakdown on the way.
In the evening, even on familiar routes, orientation is very difficult. Marianne asks for lighting of important bicycle and moped connections and planting between motorways and adjacent bicycle and moped paths. In recent years, the willingness to take helmet and clothing with you has diminished. Marianne recently started with driving lessons.

The advantages of the moped over the car are: - low fuel consumption namely 1 : 35 a 1 : 50 - no parking problems - constant travel time The advantages over public transport are: - constant travel time without waiting times - no pre- and on-carriage The advantages over the bike are: - Larger ride distances possible - less sensitive to wind and weather - more luggage options

Final remarks

When looking for alternatives to commuting by car, in addition to public transport, the main focus is on cycling. However, bicycles are quite sensitive to distance and weather conditions. With distances of 5 to 10 km, the maximum of what most people may want to cover to get to work or home has been reached. Certainly someone who has a car at his disposal has quickly made the choice between car and bike. The moped appears to be less sensitive to distance and weather influences. For distances of 10-20 km, mopeds may play a greater role in commuting in the future than is currently the case. The moped is also suitable for shopping in the city; it is not for nothing that many city delivery services use the moped in particular.

The moped, however, has a lot against it. About a third of all mopeds ride too fast and make too much noise. And in current traffic, mopeds are not exactly a safe means of transport, just like bicycles. With the increase in traffic in urban areas, it is certainly not impossible that mopeds will play a greater role in functional use. Especially now that the moped will develop into a more comfortable means of transport and will also become more environmentally friendly due to better exhaust attenuation and cleaner engines (modern mopeds will consume half the amount of oil in their petrol), this should certainly be taken into account. The advantage of a constant travel time, not hindered by traffic jams, may appeal.

Bron: De Kampioen, Pagina 146, 147, 148 en 149
Datum: Februari 1980

Some stuff I found while cleaning up the "new folder/new folder/new folder" mayhem. 

As a stroke of luck, I managed to snag a very clear domain name. It's a bit long, but I think it basically says it all. I mean, what are you looking for when you are trying to either work on your Honda or want to complete your documentation about your Honda?

Right.

HONDA-MOTORCYLE-MANUALS dot com.

Pretty obvious, no? :D

https://honda-motorcycle-manuals.com

I've never watched Stranger Honda's yet, so I might just binge on that this weekend. Enjoy and ride/drive safe!

Attention: I got this PDF dropped in my mailbox anonymously and without source information. Because I HATE to destroy any information, I will publish it anyway, but do let me know who wrote this, please.

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The Honda CT110 motorcycle is a lightweight 110cc machine designed for commercial and agricultural use. The “X” model as used by Australia Post is the result of years of continuous development and millions of hours of operation. The 4-stroke engine is extremely reliable, very low maintenance and simple to service. It uses unleaded petrol.

When operated continuously at highway speeds constant attention must be paid to the oil level as a minor drop in the small quantity in the sump (half a litre) will have a marked effect on running temperatures. All riders MUST check and top-up their oil each evening (oil the chain at the same time). It is strongly recommended that a check be also made during the day, such as at the lunch stop. A bike that is using more than normal oil or has an oil leak may need to be topped up more often to avoid low oil levels.

Hold the bike level or put down the centre stand. The oil is checked with the dipstick thread touching the case – do NOT screw the dipstick in to check the level. Check immediately after stopping or if cold, run the engine for a minute or so before checking. Keep oil to the top mark at all times.

The CT110 has a four-speed gearbox operated through an automatic centrifugal clutch. The bike must ALWAYS be started off in low gear and gear changes are carried out in the normal manner with a foot shift. Riders must back off on the throttle between gear changes, as they would do in a conventional manual clutch bike. Unskilled use of the throttle during gear changes results in harsh changing and extreme stress on the bike, particularly clutch and chain.

Gears are; Neutral – right down, then four gears up. There is a green neutral light in the speedo. The bike should always be stopped and parked in neutral, as it is possible to start in gear with the centrifugal clutch. Always check for neutral before starting.

Fuel capacity is approximately five litres including about a litre in the reserve. When parking the bike for some time such as overnight, the fuel cock must be in the horizontal “OFF” position. If left on, it is possible for fuel to flood the intake system making the bike difficult to start. We encourage you to normally ride with the fuel cock in the up or “RESERVE” position rather than with the cock in the down or “ON” position. While this is not how you would normally ride your own bike we are trying to prevent the bike from running out of fuel before switching on reserve. Running out of fuel at high speeds does cause superheating of the engine and can be the death of a postie bike. We suggest that at every rest stop or every 100km you stop and top up your bike with fuel from the 5L jerry can provided. We have also found that bikes that have run at high speeds (70km/hr) that are then turned off for a break or refuelling can be so hot that the engine can warp while it is cooling. We therefore recommend that upon stopping, you let the engine idle for 3-5 minutes to let it cool slowly.

You should inspect the tyres, particularly before starting out for the day, for punctures or low pressure.

The headlight remains on at all times. Get in the habit of shutting down the bike with the key. If you use the handlebar kill-switch it is likely the ignition key will be left on with the headlight and flatten the battery.

To start the bike it is a good idea to set the park brake (on the hand brake lever) in case you forget to select neutral. Key – on. Check neutral light. Fuel – reserve. Retract right stand if in use. If cold, pull choke lever – up. Throttle slightly open. Kick start (bring the lever back with your foot, don’t let it fly back by itself.) warm up until bike will run without choke (get the choke down as soon as possible to avoid excess fuel in the engine.)

Hot start is the same except the choke is not used.

Honda recommends the CT110 brakes be used together. They warn that, particularly on wet or loose surfaces, independent use of either front or rear brake will hamper stability. Although the CT110 brakes are quite adequate, those accustomed to bikes with hydraulic disc brakes, will notice increased pedal pressure is required and performance is less. Be aware of brake fade on long steep down-hills and use a lower gear for engine braking.

Rider’s Maintenance Responsibilities

The Honda CT110 is a lightweight machine designed for continuous stop-start riding. It is not designed as a high-speed highway tourer. On a long journey such as this, the rider must constantly attend to his bike to ensure it is always in top condition.

If you hear or see something coming loose, leaking, wearing or not performing its function, stop and correct it immediately. If you do not have sufficient knowledge or require tools, consult other more experienced riders or ask for assistance from the support team.

The support team will not carry out routine maintenance or minor repairs within the normal capacity of a competent motorcyclist. They will be available for advice but basically are there to act as an RACQ/NRMA get you out of trouble service. There is a definite point where they will “turn off the life-support machine” for bikes which are terminally ill.

At each stop, take 10 seconds to look over the engine in particular, for leaks or signs of overheating. In the evening have a thorough check of the whole bike – you will be topping up the oil and fuel so another minute may be the difference between you getting to the destination or not. Every few days run over the whole machine with spanners, testing every nut and bolt you can see, for tightness.

Operation

The speedos will be marked at 70kph – this is your cruising speed all the way to the destination! Occasional increases, such as on a downhill run, up to 80kph will do no harm but the temperature and engine stress curve rises dramatically over 75kph. Be aware of “long distance speed creep” when the rider becomes used to the noise and subconsciously slowly increases the speed. If the bikes are going to survive you must have discipline.

The seat on the CT110 is surprisingly comfortable for long periods of time (One would imagine the average postie who sits on them for 5 or 6 hours a day would have complained long ago if this was not the case). A very strong recommendation is the use of a sheepskin seat cover. The difference this makes is quite remarkable. It is not just a comfort feature but is a real safety item, reducing rider fatigue considerably.

Another major discomfort and fatigue factor was found to be the small, hard handgrips. The test team agrees gloves are essential or for those who want to ride bare-handed, you should purchase a set of the relatively cheap after market soft grips and fit them at the start or on the first night stop.

Honda recommends tyre pressures of 25psi front and 33psi rear. Australia Post, because of heavy loads, uses 32psi front and 36psi rear. Riders should select which setting suits their weight and riding style. The test team chose the Australia Post settings.

The rear springs should be adjusted to your weight. On dirt roads they should be set as soft as possible while avoiding regular “bottoming”. Our mechanics will preset all rear springs.