If looking at your monthly fuel costs is enough to make your stomach turn, then you may want to consider getting yourself a moped. That’s what TikToker Melly (@mellywopmw) is urging his followers to think about in a recent post he uploaded to the social media app.
In a clip that’s accrued over 1.3 million views, he shows how much it costs to fill up his moped tank. Which could be a game changer for folks tired of their experiences at the pump.
Less than $2 to fill up
“So boom I just buy me a little moped or whatever, right? And one thing that’s so surprising about that is to me, is the gas. Gas is right there,” he says, showing off where riders can pour gasoline into the moped’s tank.
He then places a key in the vehicle’s ignition. “When I turn it on you see, it’s basically on E,” Melly says, tapping the portion of the dash info cluster displaying the moped’s fuel level. “No nothing. Turn it on. Yeah, it doesn’t move. I’ll put like two dollars in.”
He then heads to the 7-Eleven fuel pump as he gets ready to fill up his ride.
It’s here the TikToker reveals the massive benefit to owning a moped for commuting purposes—fuel economy.
Melly places the gas dispenser into the fuel tank, and shows, in real time, the fuel gauge rising. “I don’t even wanna cut it because y’all think like nah,” he says in disbelief. “And just like that I’m already filled. How much money did I spend?”
Next, Melly points his camera lens towards the gas pump’s sales screen. It reads $1.84. “These things is lifesavers on gas,” he adds. “Y’all need to get a moped just for the cheapness of gas I’m trying to tell you.”
Practical solution?
Several people responded to Melly’s video, stating that mopeds have indeed solved fuel efficiency issues for them.
One commenter said that working as a food delivery driver, mopeds made their job much more profitable. “I have one myself $2 serves for the entire day, I do Uber eats I turn that $2 into $200,” they wrote.
Someone else wrote that they had a moped as a teenager and fondly remembered driving near and far on the cheap: “I remember my mom bought me a moped when I was 13 and I was damn near riding around the whole STATE on it.”
Another user said, “My ex just got a Honda Helix it gets 70ish miles per gallon, holds 2 gallons of gas and goes up to 80MPH. It was cheap too, compared to a car.”
However, someone else said that the reason why the fuel tank filled so quickly because it’s much smaller when compared to a car. “Bro it’s 2 gallon tank what you expecting,” they wrote.
This concern was echoed by another person. “Full doesn’t mean FAR. You gunna get to the next gas station and have to ‘fill up’ again,” they said.
Someone else in the comments section listed what they believed to be a drawback to owning a moped: “Pros: cheap to buy, fuel efficient, parts are cheap Cons: slow that’s the only thing I don’t like about em. They need to make a hybrid scooter.”
@mellywopmw Gas saver #mopeds ♬ original sound – mellywop
Thinking about the moped life?
Several commenters on Melly’s video urged him not to put regular gasoline in the tank. “Tip of advice, try and use rec fuel as much as possible. the ethanol in regular gas damages the components of the lil motor,” one person penned.
If you search for the best type of fuel to use in mopeds online, many resources will recommend 91 octane or better. This is due to their engines being better suited to operate on higher amounts of ethanol. Gas mopeds have long been renowned for their fuel efficiency as well. As Scooter Rental Hawaii writes on its website: “most mopeds get between 75 and 130 miles per gallon.”
Of course, there are other factors to consider when deciding to purchase a moped, such as safety. The types of roads you plan on using during your commutes may dictate whether or not you can even use a moped. If the two-wheeled vehicle isn’t fast enough to merge safely, or keep up with the flow of traffic, you may want to plan an alternate, local route if possible.
Mopeds also can be used as alternative commuting options to one’s vehicle, too. Melly responded to several users’ comments in the section saying as much.
One person expressed how scared they were of riding a moped around in the summer in Arizona. However, Melly replied, “The wind will cool you down, but if it’s too hot ride in the afternoon, I’m not saying it should replace the car. Nice to have even as a back up.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Melly via TikTok comment for further information.
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