In the interests of balance for the discussion, I, and none of my biking friends/acquiantances have died or been seriously injured, In over 30 years of motorcycling. We are all still hale, hearty and alive.

Have we had minor falls and scrapes, yes. But weve also had minor scrapes etc and the like in cars too.

Does he want a moped or a MOPED!!!? The latter being the culture associated with having wheels, doing wheelies, hanging out, disappearing in the middle of the night. My 16yo nephew went the latter. He hasn’t killed himself (yet), but has had a few unfortunate “punctures” to prevent him exerting his full independence. He’s lost the ignition key now so is grounded. All I will say is that 16yo boys can earn a lot at Ikea and do not always spend it wisely.

I wouldn’t. E-bike instead. Which according to food deliveries is basically an electric moped from what I see.

My lad (now 21) has had a cheap Chinese 50cc (Pulse Scout) since he was 16.
No incidents on it, he’s in Uni in Sheffield and it gets up the hills there ok.

You need to be pretty handy with the spanners though if you get a cheap one.

Out of the 20 or thirty of us that used to ride regularly there has been one death but that could have been predicted two broken legs one broken ankle 2 broken arm and broken wrist and me paralysed arm. This was over a 4/5 year period between 16 and early 20’s

One amputated leg, one leg with lots of metalwork and weeks in hospital, broken wrists galore, broken thumbs galore, broken ribs, broken collarbones, ruptured spleen, separated shoulders, many soft tissue injuries and smaller dislocations, concussions, whiplash… A bunch of grown, mainly middle-aged men riding bikes in the woods. 😀

But, yes, all the motor bikers I knew years ago tended to tell me about deaths and injuries.

When I say he’s Ok on two wheels, that’s bicycle control off-road, he/we try and cycle off road to get away from traffic.

That’s your starting point then, isn’t it. You can replace the word “moped” with “bicycle” throughout your OP, is he safe to cycle on the roads? Get him to that point, then worry about an engine.

In the interests of balance for the discussion, I, and none of my biking friends/acquiantances have died or been seriously injured, In over 30 years of motorcycling. We are all still hale, hearty and alive.

Have we had minor falls and scrapes, yes. But weve also had minor scrapes etc and the like in cars too.

+1

My only visits to hospital are for the birth of my 3 sons AND into A&E and theatre due to MTBing…

I had a moped (Yamaha DT50) at 16 – I’m now 31.
Has a CG125 at 17 also.
And then had multiple bikes since and commuted year round.

So I don’t personally see the issue, unless you (or your son in this case) can’t be sensible.
And if he can’t then you can’t restrict any risk his whole life.
A year later he’ll likely be in a 1ton+ car that will likely do 100mph, and a year on a moped first will make him an infinitely better driver with much higher road awareness!

It grates me immensely when people brand motorbikes as dangerous, they require a different driving style to tanking around in a car. But that soon becomes second nature.

I personally think the 30mph limit is absurd, its more dangerous than keeping with the flow of traffic. Remember its 30 Vmax, so that’s best case scenario – unlikely to hold it along the flat.

Youd be going faster on a road cycle bike down a lot of hills but you’d have a flimsy yepmet and lycra instead of decent gear.

I can remember my excitement at having my own independence and motor transport, it was great!

Maybe an older, pre 77 moped? Real mopeds with pedals. My Gilera did a good 50, chin on the tank. No 30mph restriction in those days. Or something easy to hop up a touhc? Naughty of course. My S plated (is that 98?) Derbi Senda was good for 50 once I knocked the waher in the end of the silencer out. Fast enough to win classes at Welsh enduros.

It grates me immensely when people brand motorbikes as dangerous,

I think those are US stats but European ones are similar.

And stats also show horse riding and skiing to be more dangerous than motorcycling, either of which are regarded as particularly dangerous past times.

Thats a scary looking chart.

I think what needs considering is the majority of motorcycle riders do not regularly ride and do very low miles a year. (A huge amount but the bikes away over winter).
And also every ride is a ‘fun ride’, the bikes are peoples toys, this obviously skews the statistics hugely.
People pull the bikes out in summer again and aren’t familiar and a huge spike in accidents occur on the next sunny Sunday mornings of people getting carried away and riding beyond how capable they are.

Compare this to the majority of car drivers who see the car as a tool and use then daily, all year round. No thrill associated, no excitement. Just a tool to plod to work and back.

I agree they can be dangerous – but so can cycling, but we don’t all post charts putting people off of that and telling them not to do it because they might fall off and hurt themselves?

In many respects, a 50cc is a good introduction to road safety… it’ll act as a headstart when it comes to driving lessons for a car, or indeed a full size motorcycle;

Rather than an all out moped, I had a DT50, so basically a fully functioning motorbike with clutch and gears, albeit with a puny engine (at least until it was derestricted)

I’d ride that thing in any weather… granted, I did come off a few times, but aside from a bent gear shifter, a couple of grazes and most important, hurt pride, it was never too horrific.

It was however, fairly essential; at the time I lived in the back of beyond, 15+ miles from most of my mates and the accompanying social life.

Related to my previous post;

Motorcyclists had a casualty rate of 6,043 casualties per billion miles travelled, compared to 238 for the occupants of a car, and 62 for the occupants of a van. Bicycle riders were the next most vulnerable at 5,604 casualties per billion miles travelled, followed by pedestrians at 1,801 casualties per billion miles.

Taken from – https://www.bikelawyer.co.uk/site/case-studies/bike-accident-statistics/

In summary – things in life can be dangerous, and the risk needs managing.

I think those are US stats but European ones are similar.

is that the place where the maniacs largely don’t have to wear helmets and when they do they are often notional…

Yes I could see how that chart would be accurate to the USA

things in life can be dangerous, and the risk needs managing.

Absolutely.

The stats are one thing but then you take into account persoanl factors. In the case of the OP his son is not only about to get into something dangerous but at an age when it’s most dangerous.

The distance thing is a good point and comparisons with things like skiing and horse riding valid, I do both. If you do the average lifetime mileage people do in a car on a motor bike there’s rough a one in nine chance you get killed. But people don’t, they do a fraction of those miles.

Junior did ski cross to a high level (winner of the coupe de France in U16), the risks were abundantly apparent to me, him and everyone around. The risks on a motorbike are comparable but it’s an everyday activity, it’s a risk reward thing. I’m happy to take a risk doing something I enjoy from time to time but taking the same level of risk every day just to get around the place when there are safer alternatives – I can’t justify it.

The risks on a motorbike are comparable but it’s an everyday activity, it’s a risk reward thing. I’m happy to take a risk doing something I enjoy from time to time but taking the same level of risk every day just to get around the place when there are safer alternatives – I can’t justify it.

I, and I expect a lot of bikers, don’t ride just to get around the place I do it because I enjoy it, and getting from place place at the same time is a happy bonus. If I don’t fancy it I don’t ride. Horses for courses innit (I would never go near a horse they’re too dangerous (and skiing sucks and hurts when you crash))

Enjoy your riding, Kilo.

While I was responsible for junior he didn’t have a bike. By the time he was 18 he had a car license – if at 24 he now pays for his own lessons and buys a bike I’ll say nothing beyond “anticipate, take care”, but he hasn’t. The sadness that mopeds/bikes brought to my young life meant that while I was the one making the decisions it was no bike. I tried a bike in my mid 20s, you could ride on a car license back then, I didn’t feel at ease on it, strange for someone happy to do 100mph on cut slicks along jumpy strips of wet muddy tarmac between stone walls on the Circuit of Ireland rally.

The headline figures don’t mean much. Round here I’ve not heard of many injuries through moped riding. (I’ve and S6 registration class who happily revel in the misfortune of others). Many more crashes of old fat men in leathers who’s speed outdoes their skill and they litter the countryside with Japanese components and their own body parts

The distance thing is a good point and comparisons with things like skiing and horse riding valid, I do both. If you do the average lifetime mileage people do in a car on a motor bike there’s rough a one in nine chance you get killed. But people don’t, they do a fraction of those miles.

One of the reasons the stats are so high is because like skiing & horse riding most riders don’t do high mileages and consequentially they’re ‘under-trained’ when stuff goes iffy.

I use to commute every day, all weathers into Central London (+80 miles per day) – it was scary on warm summer days, especially Fridays watching the Rossi-replica’s on their one day that week/month wobbling through traffic.

Round these parts (semi-rural, but not quite, Sweden) having a moped is a right of passage. If you live out in the country and need to get to town or to school, then a moped gives you that ability. You can get to football or whatever without your parents’ help and that is a big thing.

One of the local kids is trying for his moped license and is doing just about all the odd jobs around the village to pay for that and his new moped. I feel bad getting him to wash the car and dig flower beds, but he’s keen and is using it to advance himself, so it works for him.

Anyway, I would say to go for it. We did have a Honda Zoomer (which are awesome!) but perma-loaned it to our neighbours when we both bought larger bikes. Buying decent kit will keep you dry and safe(er) and it might be worth getting someone to help him learn both mopeds and riding them. It’s different from a bike.

My parents got me a moped when I turned 16 – living out in the sticks it saved them a lot of time running the parental taxi service. I crashed it a few times on the daily commute to school in town, but nothing worse than a broken wrist (not ideal just before Maths A-level…).

Pretty soon I got a Honda CB125, then passed my tests and had a few more “proper” bikes until I eventually got a Caterham which rendered motorbike riding a bit pointless 🙂

The thing that made the biggest difference to my riding safety was getting hold of a copy of the motorcycle version of Roadcraft. I would recommend this to any teenager setting out to ride motorbikes, and it’s an easy sell: “Read this and learn to ride as well as a professional police motorcyclist”.

I wish I’d been given a copy with my moped instead of buying a copy a couple of years later.

[edit]
On reflection, a lot of the stuff in Roadcraft also applies to riding bicycles on the road. Defensive riding principles apply regardless of whether or not you have an engine.

Both my lads had 50cc mopeds and geared bike, taught them about riding on the road and riding in traffic, the eldest went on to a 125 and them passed his test, he’s just sold his Husquvarna 300.

They both learned to ride off road, where they could be as reckless as they liked, I think that helped with their approach on the road. They weren’t racing about taking risks (or at least from what I saw)

Personal opinion is that it made both of them a better car driver, passing their tests first time and also alot more aware of cyclists and motor bikes.

The big question is would you rather him on a moped or a push bike?

I rode bikes from an early age and had a 125 at 17, didn’t want a moped or a 50 though. Riden and raced bikes all my life, lost some good friends on and off the track.
Tough decision, only you can make.

I rode motorbikes from16 to 50ish

the only injuries I received were on my moped.  Broken collarbone that unfortunately was down to poor road positioning ( I went off the edge of the road on an A road trying to keep out of the way of the traffic) and a contributing factor was the low speed meaning I was riding on the edge of the road to keep out of the way of cars

The other was a misjudgement on a corner but riding in trainers meant a nasty gash and bony injury to my ankle

What i would take from that is:

Proper protective kit reduces injury.  Halfway decent boots would have prevented the ankle injury.  Training on road positioning would have helped avoid the first one and maybe the second one as well would have been avoided by training

Mopeds are inherently less safe than a small motorcycle / 125 scooter as the slow speed on A roads leads to lots of cars overtaking you.

Proper training not just CBT and decent protective kit which costs but you don’t need full alpinstars power ranger leathers but army boots, decent leather gloves and trousers / jacket with body armour.  Boots are the most important ( most likely part of the body to be injures followed by hands)

Never had an injury and only a couple of very minor accidents after that

My sister’s best friend at school got killed on a scooter. She was waiting at a junction and truck rolled right over her. I’d have had a scooter/motorbike in a heart beat when I was a teen but my sister pleaded with me not to. I’m bad enough without a motor on two wheels so probably for the best.

On my work experience with Solihull Borough council, a red stripe on a tree at the side of the road (just outside the Land Rover factory). Was caused by a motorbiker’s helmet as he fatally struck it.

Also every motorbiker I’ve ever asked has come off their bikes and often was not due to their speed or dangerous riding.

I’d not let my kids get one.

Few admit but these days most motorcycle accidents are single vehicle crashes on country roads.  The motorcycling equivalent of the MAMIl / allthe gear no idea

Teen passenger fell off the back of a moped 🏍️ in our road years ago and wasn’t wearing a helmet. This was when my two were interested in one. It didn’t end well and they were soon out off. Teens can be silly, and the repercussions can, on occasion, be very severe 😕