Rockhopper A1 FSR > Reviews > Yamaha FS1-E 50cc moped, 1976

Author's product rating:   

Value for money	Excellent
Durability	Excellent
How does it compare to similar products?	Good

Advantages:	Great handling, build quality, fast for its time .
Disadvantages:	To find one now it will cost you a grand  !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Dont know if this review will work, as I'm riding it on the back of another product. ( have heard this is a problem at Ciao ) no listing for this item ?.

If you have managed to get here by looking for this moped , ' then fair play to you !! '

The time was 1975, was still at school in the 5th year , as it was then, all my mad mates were getting their new mopeds , namely Fantic motor mopeds, fast as you like, 7.5 BHP and about a million gears! These boys were the kiddies (in the 70's) and thought (all the girls would be falling at their feet, ) but ,then as now girls just think you're a twat !..... we thought we were Barry Sheen.
I of course, had to be different and got a Yam' , compaired to the Fantics, the Yam was quality, not as fast , but, bits didn't drop off, did'nt seize up, had lights that worked, and you didn't get electricuted when it rained by pressing the horn!

The competition.

At the time we had all been taken to school on the local clapped out coach, dribbling out the back window watching the older boys with their shiney new mopeds (what hero's we thought ).
Now we were the hero's , all 8 of us slip streaming the coach home,( what twats we were) all around me were fantic super T' s Ti's, caballeros, Garrelli 50's, Honda ss50's. All these bikes , barring the Honda, were faster than the Yam' on the flat (chin on tank ! ) 45 mph, but the great thing was, as soon as we all got to a hill, my position in the coach race went from...2nd last , to first place, due to the design of the Yams engine .
The FS1-E had a rotary disc valve induction system, totally different set up from the rest, the 4 gears ratios were longer than the Fantics, ( wa,wa, wa, up and down their 6 speed close ratio boxes ! ) I looked in my mirrors this time and saw all their chins on the tank , ha,ha loosers !.

Specs'.
Frame : pressed steel tubular backbone type.

Electrics : 6v lead acid 3 cell battery,3 position ignition switch , mounted on L/H side panel, (off,on, lights), backlit, speedo, with netural & high beam idiot lights, horn, H & L beam switches.

Engine : 4.8 BHP rotary disc valve induction, single carb' , wet sump, 4 gears, (4down, neutral at top ), 2stroke ( 20 : 1 mix )

Performance : max speed 42mph (chin on tank) got my first speeding ticket 48mph downhill, coppers at bottom , (I was pissed off, but very impressed ).Coppers not impressed.

Extras : R/H side panel contains basic toolkit in plastic case, pliers, 3 spanners, double ended screwdriver, plug spanner. And the ability to turn pushbike type pedels into a means of forward motion, ( as long as you hadn't crashed it a few times) I once tried this and found I could get about 4mph with a struggle, a legal requirement at the time.

Last thoughts : So many good memories of this .... my first legal bike, if it had a 5th gear I'd have been in first place in the coach race every time. Old farts of my age now will pay , I'm sure, good money these old classic bikes, and this moped ( I've heard is fetching about £1000 today ! ) it must have a few more followers than me ??