Austin Mopeds

These guys are awesome and did a great job tuning my 77 Ciao. I already have plans for my next visit! A big bore kit and maybe even porting???

These guys are the best. Their work is amazing. My scooter runs just like it did when I bought it new. My scooter has a new Doctor’s office. They made solid commitments and delivered on all.

Look at their rating score versus everyone else in town and you will not be surprised to read that you should avoid this place at ALL costs. They make you pay an initial fee and sign a waiver form for $ 80.00 or so up front. Had I gone in with my husband, I would’ve never allowed this. He’s a foreigner and didn’t realize this isn’t standard practice to pay up front.
They told my husband it would be 2 weeks to fix it, and $ 150 total. It’s walking distance from our place and the scooter had no battery. Pushing a scooter further wasn’t an option, and we don’t have a truck to transport it.
My husband walks over the day before the 2 weeks are over, and some rude mechanic (I believe named Mike) tells him that it’s a minimum of 2 weeks, and most bikes had been there 2 months. If we want to skip the line, it’s a $ 100 fee. Hey, last time I checked that’s called BRIBERY. It’s ILLEGAL.
This wasn’t $ 100 to fix the bike, it was literally him scamming us into paying to skip the line. I was furious when I found this out, and asked them to either fix the scooter in the 1 day they had promised, or give it back along with the initial deposit.
Of course, to make it difficult for us, they take the entire scooter apart that evening and claim my husband hadn’t ever told them to fix the carburetor, replace the battery, or that it needed tightening of the prongs that hold the battery in for it to run properly. They claim they’re going to charge us much more than the $ 150 quoted originally, and after my husband can no longer take talking to Mike (who mind you, wasn’t the person he spoke with when he dropped it off, and had no idea what was wrong with the scooter), I got on the phone.
He was such a jerk I couldn’t believe that someone actually employed this guy. He accused me of not being capable of running my own business because I’m a female, and was asking what I did for a living that I knew so much about customer service. WHAT? My profession is of no importance to you, other than us being able to pay you for your services. He then threatened me by saying that he was going to «have someone put me in my place.»
Thankfully, the owner, Lester, got on the phone. He was calm and collected, apologized that his employee was disrespectful (although he claimed it was my husband’s fault since he had gotten angry — again, people, LEARN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND DON’T TRY TO SCREW YOUR CUSTOMERS OVER). Yet, he said that my husband had misunderstood them and it was a minimum of 2 weeks to fix, up to 6 weeks. If that’s the case, we would have never dropped it off there; we needed it ASAP, not in 6 weeks!
Take your scooter somewhere else that can fix it in a few days; save yourself the headache, bribery, discrimination, and harassment. Lester is a nice guy, but I can’t say the same for his mechanic. We paid $ 200 in total, which was over-​priced and a terrible experience to say the least.

This place is a scam !!! Please go somewhere else. You won’t see your bike before 2 months unless you pay $ 100 (under the table) to skip the line. Not cool.

Took my scooter here today for an simple oil change and was very pleased. I didn’t realize they are closed Mondays but he took me in anyway which was awesome! Jimbo filled up my tires and tweaked my crooked handlebars too. The only sucky part was the $ 52 price-​tag but I was in and out in no time and treated respectfully which means a lot. This place is great.

I called into Austin Mopeds last week, desperate because my scooter broke down and I needed it to get around to/​from work, especially during sxsw. I own a 2009 twist and go 150cc. Lester got my scooter in, and the guys turned around and had it up and running for me in 24 hours. They recharged my battery and fixed a hole in my exhaust. They were fast, friendly and efficient and I couldn’t thank them more for the quick turn around! They also helped me out 5 months ago when someone tried to steal my scooter and we need to replace the ignition. These guys will get the job done and quick.

These guys were incredibly helpful with a Puch that I brought to them. They got to the bike much faster than I thought they could and worked out a lot of hidden kinks that I didn’t even know where wrong with the bike. I’ll continue to recommend them to my friends again and again no matter what those other Unilocal reviews say.
The bottom line is that if you want a vintage moped, or have a vintage moped that needs to get fixed Austin mopeds is your first and last stop for everything you’ll need.

Austin Mopeds is a great resource for perfecting my moped. These guys really know what they’re doing and they are especially helpful when explaining the ins and outs of my bike. It is hard to run a vintage moped shop, I have seen them in other places try and fail, but this one has so much variety in parts, experienced mechanics, and friendliness all around. They deserve your business.
Contrary to other reviewers here, the owner and employees are certainly not cliquey «hipsters». Nor are they folks not to be trusted. They want everyone interested to find what they are looking for, to be able to afford what they’re getting, and to have fun (SAFELY and LEGITIMATELY) riding around town on a solid bike.
Thanks buddies! My bike is sweet.

I’ve been working with Lester at Austin Mopeds on and off for over 2 years and I can’t think of a friendlier, more helpful person.
Although the turn-​around for some of their work may take a little bit longer than expected, what a lot of customers don’t understand is the difficulty in getting many of the parts needed to fix up such vintage bikes. I don’t depend super heavily on my moped nowadays, but when I did, Lester had no issues helping me find other accommodations.
I would also like to note that the employees genuinely are invested in these mopeds and show that thoroughly each and every time I come in. They love mopeds, and now I love them too. It’s not only a job to these people, but also a big part of their lives.
I’ve been stranded out on the streets because of a loose cylinder head, flat tire, fouled spark plugs, and even blown piston rings. These guys have personally shown up to take care of me. They know (and so should you) that these bikes can be finicky and will work with you to get your bike running again.
I knew and know what I’m dealing with when I take my bike in for repairs. They’re the only place in town that can do what it takes to keep these things going strong. It may not be a Howdy Honda or Covert Fords, but it’s a down to earth, Austin, local business. They try hard to succeed in this niche market and it shows through their dedication to keep me riding. To see this business any other way would be delusional.

I see here that different people have different experiences at Austin Mopeds. I had heard as much from people with whom I spoke. I can say that so far my experience has been stellar.
I brought in a 1979 Sachs Prima G3 to them that I had done a good bit of work on myself. They were totally helpful — showing me what I had done well and what I done wrong and what I had not yet done. They did some work on it themselves, and did a fine job. They were also super helpful in getting a title, inspection, and getting me a discount at Moto Fun, where I’m getting my license.
I went in skeptical, but I’ve had a fantastic experience with Austin Mopeds.

Gather ’round children, and hear my tale of woe. I bought a moped from Austin Mopeds on June 30, 2009. It’s a beautiful bike. I felt like Marty McFly on it. But sadly, it has functioned for only twelve days in the past three and a half months that I’ve owned it. Twelve days.
On July 8 the back wheel busted while I was taking a turn on Cesar Chavez. Lester picked up the bike, fixed the wheel, and I had the moped back the next day. I was really impressed with the service at the time, especially the fact that Lester picked up the bike for me free of charge. Unfortunately, Lester would be picking up the bike quite a bit over the next three months.
On July 14 I was riding the bike, and it mysteriously stopped moving. The engine was running, but the back wheel wouldn’t spin. When I turned it off, there was no resistance on the pedals, so I couldn’t start the bike. Lester picked it up, worked on it, and had it back to me on July 28. July 29, same problem. Lester picked it up, worked on it, and had it back to me on August 13. August 15, same problem.
After sending the bike back three times for the exact same problem, especially when I was staring down a fast-​diminishing warranty period, it became obvious to me that Austin Mopeds was either unwilling or unable to fix the bike, and so I asked Lester for a refund. He had been very apologetic up until then, but a refund was out of the question. He offered a replacement bike, but I found it foolish to even consider taking any moped from this outfit, since they had so epically failed on every account for the two months prior.
I requested a chargeback from Visa. Lester dropped off the bike on September 25, a full month and ten days since he picked it up, and five days before the warranty expired. And guess what? Broken. Exact same problem as before.
It would be one thing if they were selling these mopeds for $ 350, $ 400, but they’re not. Mine cost $ 1000, and it was the cheapest one they had. Most of them were going for $ 1500, $ 1800, $ 2000 a pop. Austin Mopeds advertises all of their mopeds as being completely rebuilt (hence, the price), so I asked Lester on the second time the moped broke why this problem would reoccur. He told me that «usually when it’s a more expensive bike [they] completely take it apart and rebuild the engine,» which I was under the impression that they had done. Regardless, I don’t see why a moped would fail the exact same way five times over. It’s obvious that either they couldn’t repair the bike, wouldn’t repair the bike, or wouldn’t admit that the bike is irreparable. Let’s hope the chargeback goes through, otherwise I’m stuck with a severely malfunctioning, out-​of-​warranty, overpriced moped. I highly recommend you do business elsewhere.

I have had perhaps the worst consumer experience of my life with Austin Mopeds. AT&T is a close second.
Naively, I paid an absurd ($ 1800) for a lemon of a Puch. They were supposed to build the bike and give me a loaner in the meantime. I paid 1000 up front just to get the loaner. It took them a month after I paid that $ 1000 just to get the loaner bike to me. Whilst on the loaner, I was pulled over by a cop for an out of date inspection and registration. They gave me a bike that was illegal to ride on the street! I ended up having to pay over a hundred dollars to the city after taking it all the way to a jury trial. Austin Mopeds refused to compensate me for their bad business and told me I could «take them to court» if I wanted to. That was just the loaner experience.
The bike I actually bought, in July, wasn’t ready until October. It broke down after a month or so. The brake line straight up SNAPPED while I was riding it, and the carb was shoddy and missing essential parts. They told me «oh yeah, those carbs don’t need gaskets»…are you kidding me?
The bike I paid $ 1800 for is sitting in my driveway, undrivable until I can get the parts and fix it myself. I would never want to even be in the same room as the scum from Austin Mopeds. Stay away and lets let this moped fad go the way of beenie babies, furbies, and little elmo.

I have never had a problem here. I always leave with a smile on my face.
Owner is willing to give you the shirt off his back. The mechanics treat all bikes as if they were they’re own. I have seen them in action, and they love fixing bikes.

HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. If I could give no stars, I would. I give austin moped Negative stars. I agree with Daniel, down below… don’t let them touch your bike. I personally know of two people who have gotten ROBBED by this place. Then I saw how my friend was treated when I was with him one day. I had a feeling had we been wearing trendy overpriced hipster outfits we’d have been treated better. This place is not representative of what Austin is about.
The owner is rude, obnoxious and completely unprofessional. I have a feeling he is just some rich kid spoiled brat who doesn’t really want to work or deal with his customers. I would not spend one cent at this rip off of a place. austin moped is a joke.

These guys have helped me out immensely with the old Puch I found in the want ads last year. It was running good already (score!) but whenever I’ve had a problem or a question the folks at Austin Moped have been helpful, friendly, and funny. They have answered my newbie questions with much patience and best of all have shown me how to do some simple repairs and maintenance, free of charge. That’s damn cool in my books. They’ve also sold me some tough-​to-​find parts at fair prices. They have plenty of bikes for sale as well.
Lester, Sam, Brendan and Jared all really love old school mopeds and their enthusiasm makes this a unique shop. They are certainly not getting rich doing this; they do it because they love the bikes and would like to see more folks riding them with similar joy and passion.
This is a classic example of a small local business run by people who really care about what they’re doing. I know they’ve got a few bad reviews here but all I can say is they’ve treated me right. Those old bikes can be finicky, and it’s good to have friendly folks nearby who can help out with a good attitude at a fair price.
PS I get 100 miles per gallon. It feels good.

I remember reading the bad reviews on here a while back, so I think it’s important that I write about my experience with this shop since it differs greatly from the others on here.
The first thing you have to realize when you go to this place is that they sell vintage mopeds. These are not straight off the factory floor. They’re going to be quirky, and they’re going to take a little patience, but you’re patience will pay off. These guys know what they’re talking about and they’re passionate about what they do. They want you to have a kick ass machine and they won’t give up until you do. Talk to them about what you want out of the bike and your expectations, take their advice, and you will not be disappointed.
You also need to realize that even new mopeds are known to have problems. Also, after shipping costs a new one is going to cost about the same amount as a completely custom vintage bike.
The main thing you have to take into consideration is that these bikes aren’t for everyone. These bikes are for the kind of person that appreciates the extra effort that it takes to have something unique as opposed to some soulless piece of motorized plastic.
I love my bike and it’s spent it’s spent a few times in the shop since I got it. However, I know that which each visit to the shop I’m getting to know my bike better. Lester (the owner) comes and picks up my bike, wherever it is, and brings it to the shop. I talk to the mechanics, learn what’s wrong with it and how to prevent it from happening again, then we discuss any changes that we should make to it. If they can’t fix it right away, they set me up with a loaner at no charge until the problem is fixed. How can anyone complain about customer service like that?
These guys are going to have my business for a long time.

Dear sweet lord, stay away from this store. Do not let yourself be drawn in by the hipster employees, or the shiny vintage mopeds. Learn from my mistakes…
The only bikes they sell are pre-​1985, and are nicely spiffed up. They also start at 1,500, when you can buy a new moped with a warranty for under 1,000. Is the $ 500 worth it for the vintage feel? That is up to you.
More importantly, do not let your bike get in their hands: I had them do some minor repair work on my moped, and a few weeks later I had my bike back, they had a few hundred dollars, and my bike was running much better. So it seemed reasonable to bring it back to have some preventative work done…
It took four months to get my bike back. During that four months, the $ 100 preventative maintenance of my bike had blossomed into $ 400. When I picked up my bike after it was supposed to be repaired, I could not ride it up the hill to my house, and had to push my newly repaired bike home. Turns out they installed the wrong part into my bike, after I asked them if it had been the right part and they said yes. The work they had done was under warranty, so I had them pick it up and re-​repair it.
They offered me a loaner bike from their stock of vintage bikes. It took about ¼ mile on flat ground for this vintage bike to get from 0 to 30 MPH. Forget about hills. Some loaner bike. Several weeks after they picked up my bike, I got a call to come pick up my newly re-​repaired bike. $ 15 and a cab ride later, I get to their shop… and my bike is not there. The clerk cannot tell me why, only that it is not in the shop, and that I will not be able to get it until at least the next day. But she also cannot tell me for sure that it will be ready the next day.
I have never used this site to ward people away from a business before. Most of my reviews are to point out great local businesses to patronize. At the same time, I am seriously considering reporting this business to the BBB based on the inconsistencies in their story on the repairs they are doing, and what they are charging me for, and I want to warn all Unilocalers away from throwing their money down this particular hole. I would have given them 0 stars if it had been an option.
UPDATE:
When I went to pick up my bike after they said it was done, I got a surprise. When they said it was ready, what they meant is that they took out the parts I had paid for, put back in the original parts, and refused to refund the money I spent on these parts. They kept the parts for themselves, refused to give them to me, and did all of this without asking me my permission. I have never been treated as disrespectfully in my life as I was by their mechanics and their owner. They not only have a Better Business Bureau case pending against them, but I have come to learn of other people who had very similar problems with this shop, and are also pursuing complaints. Keep away from this store, buy yourself a new moped instead, and maybe even make sure to toss salt over your shoulder as you pass the shop, just in case demons come out.
Ok, so there are no demons (to my knowledge) in the store. Just very bad, unscrupulous businesspeople.