Andrew Taggart of the Landsquids Sacramento Moped Army chapter sits smoking a cigarette with a tall can of PBR, warding off the early heat of a July morning. He wears a homemade shirt that reads “Bi-curious juggalo looking for same,” and is surrounded by his sleeping bag, coolers, and camping gear in preparation for the three-day Moped Army West Coast Chapter Bi-Annual Cali Rally which begins now. Founded in 1997 in Kalmazoo, Michigan, the Moped Army organization now consists of over 22 gangs nationwide all united by their semi-ironic devotion to 50cc or less. The bi-annual Cali Rally is one of many events that occur year round across the states but is mostly intended as a regional meet u

In midtown Sacramento, you’ll occasionally see a shoal of people meandering down the road on what appear to be miniature motorbikes. Though it’s quite possible you’ll smell or hear them first. This shoal is – in the loosest possible sense of the word – a “gang” of moped riders. They don’t have formal chapters like motorcycle or, even, motor scooter gangs, and their captains are merely required to “not be an idiot” and “have good ideas for fun stuff to do.” There’s no fancy charter or historic creed. In fact, they’ll be the first ones to tell you they’re way to lazy and disorganized for all that. One simple phrase characterizes what these cycling cephalopods are all about. Their unofficia

The amount of mopeds and scooters out on the roads these days in Sacramento, and really all over the U.S., has been steadily growing in the past few years. I would imagine that this is the most common they have been since the mid to late 70s. I have been watching it happen since about 2005 when I purchased the first moped I had ever even ridden. But even The Wall Street Journal is reporting about their increase in sales. The Wall Street Journal reports that “domestic sales of scooters have surged as budget- and environment-minded consumers look for relief from high pump prices and as more-appealing models come on the market.” Sales of scooters with engine sizes of 150CCs or less…have jump