Dave from The Decepticons

As promised, here is one narrative about getting into mopeds that a friend and member of the Moped Army so graciously submitted for my class project.  Dave Brzezicki is from Kalamazoo, MI, and is a member of the branch known as the Decepticons.  All narratives have been left as-is.  Mostly because I don't really feel like fixing stuff.  Enjoy!  

I was very resistant to get into mopeds, I remember Dan and Simon had picked up matching Motobecanes off ebay in Pennsylvania somewhere and were riding them around k-zoo, hitting up the coffee shops and basically just showing off. They'd stop anyone on 2 wheels and ask if they wanted to "join their gang" and any friends they came across they insisted they take a ride. I thought it was silly and I wasn't interested, until Moped Bill came along. A crazy kid from Delton who drove 20 miles just to see what this gang was about. Considering the moped skill level in kalamazoo at the time this was like driving from Russia. Bill ended up with a Puch MK2 with a 70cc TCCD kit and a 2 speed engine. By this time maybe 8 or so of my friends had fallen to the "moped army" (which started as a joke, because how could anyone take any of this seriously) and they were all freaking out about this ped, so I asked if i could take it around the block. The front forks were loose and the throttle was sticky and I was sure I was going to crash as I careened from one pothole to the next on what felt like a rocket with handlebars scotch taped on. I had to take it a little further and see how it did on hills. Blasted up Oakland drive, found out the brakes sucked half way down Austin, damn near dumped it into the guard rail at the bottom of the hill, but one ride was all it took. I asked Bill to find me a moped as soon as I got back to Moped Manor. I don't think I'll ever be done learning about them, or looking for the next build. I've seen hundreds of people come and go, seen the culture come from 2 guys w stock Motobecanes, to probably thousands registered on the MA site, and every mod under the sun. It'd be quicker to list the rallies i've missed than the one's i've attended. I think it's fair to say that Mopeds have become a pretty significant part of my life. I feel like the culture pulls people in because it's like we're all in on the same joke. Moped's are thought of as old and slow, but we know better. There is so much that can not be explained so I won't even try, but once you become a part of it, it's like finding out you are a member of a family of the craziest most amazing people you've ever dreamt up, and they are all having a weekend long party where they'll unveil the secret projects they've been working on all winter. It's a hell of a lot of fun, and I can't imagine what i'd be doing without it.