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Tomos Moped
Tomos has been one of the best selling mopeds in the USA for many years and are still manufactured (mostly unchanged) in what is now Slovenia, formerly part of Yugoslavia. I'm not entirely sure their success in the market is due to much other than perseverance. I recall seeing the first Tomos mopeds starting late in the 70’s, years after Puch, Motobecane, Batavus and others were common. At the time many believed them to be a step up from the Puch and Motobecane’s that were then dominant in the market where I grew up. (Tomos was one of the first 2 speed automatic mopeds I recall seeing) The SP-3 will do an honest 30 mph and performance is adequate, gearshifts are slow and the mid range is very poor since the transmission takes a while to shift and is easily confused. Braking is excellent but the overall engineering is very mediocre; the bike has a loose feel with a lot of flex in the front forks and frame. The '79 Blue Bullet above came to me in mint condition with only 49 miles on it! (The only non-original parts are the front tire and spark plug.) I have noted poor reliability with all the Tomos mopeds I have owned - despite its low mileage and excellent care this one is no different. It is typical to hear reports of transmission problems, however, regular fluid changes have helped me avoid any major trouble there, (so far). The paint, chrome and fasteners do not hold up well and the steel in the frame is very soft and flimsy. I will say that most regular maintenance is easily done with common tools, the exception being the transmission. Parts are readily available through a decent dealer network, on-line or used. There are many aftermarket and speed accessories - one friend has a 70 cc speed kit on his and says it will do 50+ mph! (scary!) Summary: After years of riding and working on Tomos mopeds my overall impression is; middle of the road at best.
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