Police check mopeds power output at the roadside

Hampshire Police stopped 48 moped riders in the space of two and-a-quarter hours, as part of a crackdown on motorcyclists de-restricting their machine.

The force used a roadside dyno to check the power output of 21 mopeds during the campaign in late April.

A further 20 riders received cautions for speeding, two mopeds were seized because the rider’s didn’t have a valid license, two riders received fixed penalty notices, two were reported for having no road tax, and five were commanded to produce their documents within seven days.

PC Mick Gear, coordinator for Hampshire Constabulary’s BikeSafe scheme, said. “A lot of young riders under 17-years old don’t realise that altering their mopeds to make them more powerful is not only illegal, but extremely dangerous.”

Gear pointed out that any modifications could also invalidate the motorcyclist’s insurance policy, and be a breach of their driving license conditions.