Moped Selection
After much consideration, I decided to purchase a used Tomos Quadro from the local Tomos dealer instead of buying a brand new one. Paid 850 Euros (tax included). It does come with a three month warranty, so any problems that might surface early on will be covered. At the end of the day, these Tomos mopeds are built to last, and short of a total motor failure, there’s really nothing that can go wrong that isn’t pretty cheap to fix/replace.
The Quadro I bought lacks the automatic oil injection mixing system, so I either have to buy premix from the gas station, or mix it myself (50:1 ratio).
Many people comment that the weak link on the Tomos mopeds is the oil injection system, simply because an oil pump failure, a kinked or failed tubing line, or even absentmindedly letting the oil reservoir accidentally run dry, will result in an immediate engine seizure ($$$). I’ll be trading away that worry for the hassle of premix. The upside is that most gas stations in my area sell premix gas at the pump (50:1 and 25:1), making refueling as simple as an oil-injected model.
I’m going to use the difference I saved by purchasing a used moped to fund the purchase of the travel gear (tent, bike trailer, etc) to complete the travel package necessary for long distance touring.
Once I had the paperwork for purchase in my hands, I immediately went to our insurance agent (they handle registration and tags for mopeds - go figure). Paid 130 euro for the tag and insurance for a year.
I’ll post pictures of my moped when I go back to the dealer in the middle of next week to physically take possession. They’re going over it with a fine tooth comb right now (knowing I plan on taking long trips) and getting it all properly prepped since it’s been sitting in the showroom all winter long.
Enjoy.
