Motoped Survival: Black Ops edition – a fully functional zombie hunting moped

The Motoped Black Ops is a shameless, shallow grab for attention that has 100 percent done its job on me. A zombie hunting moped? Seriously? But the product behind it is actually pretty sweet. A highly customizable moped with a 500-mile (805 km) range, 200 mpg (1.2 L/100km) efficiency and heavy-duty engineering. It easily converts to an ultralight dirtbike if you swap the 49cc stock engine for something larger, and its long travel suspension should make it pretty capable on dirt tracks.

Motoped makes a range of heavy-duty moped bikes that look great, get insane fuel economy and look like a stack of fun – particularly when you ditch the stock 49cc engine and stick a 155cc donk in there instead. With any horizontal Honda single cylinder engine, it's more or less a bolt-on conversion.

With a larger engine in, they look and perform like an ultralight dirt bike, although you'd probably be voiding your ability to legally ride them on the road. With 8 inches (20 cm) of suspension travel and decent DNM adjustable suspension, they should handle themselves pretty well off road.

Leaving the 49cc engine in, you're looking at somewhere between 150-200 mpg (1.6-1.2 L/100km), which means that if your tender backside could deal with the seat for long enough, you'd be able to ride the Survival model some 400-500 miles (643-805 km) without refueling.

Naturally, as mopeds, you can pedal the things as well as, or instead of, using the accelerator. The transmission takes power from whichever is producing more. But while 123-132 lb (56-60 kg) – depending on which model you choose – makes for very light dirtbikes, they're heavy old bicycles.

Let's take a quick look at the different models on offer:

Motoped Pro

The Pro is the version you buy if you're planning to go do some serious stunting or hardcore trail riding. The lightest of the bunch, it weighs in at 123 lb (56 kg) and costs US$1,999. The seat, tank covers, mudguards and fork boots all look like dirtbike gear.

Motoped Cruzer

The Cruzer is your stylish urban get-about version. It weighs in at 128 lb (58 kg) and comes fitted with a leather seat and flattish tank to mimic the style of an old-school board tracker. You can get a bolt-on rack to give it "case of beer and a surfboard"-level carrying capacity. It costs $2,399.

Motoped Survival

The Survival is the adventure bike of the series. Its twin reserve tanks plus main tank give it a monstrous 500 mile (805 km) potential range. Mind you, that's on a standard bicycle seat. The Survival is done up to look like military surplus, and features a strong rear luggage frame for maximum carrying capacity. It weighs 132 lb (60 kg) and costs $2,499.

Motoped Black Ops

…..aaaaaand the zombie bike. The Black Ops is a special edition; basically a Survival bike with a bunch of extra stuff bolted on to it. Lights, rope, carabiners, a mount for your phone, a hatchet and a shovel, a "wicked-mean crossbow" and a bunch of knives within easy reach so you can stab the zombies after nailing them to a tree with your crossbow bolts and decapitating them with your hatchet. "Or," as the Motoped website suggests, "maybe you just want to go camping." No price is listed for the Black Ops edition, it seems to be an "ask and we might make one up for you" kind of deal.

Source: Motoped