Well, we have known for a bit that the server situation for 1977mopeds.com has been a little slow. After an outtage on Sunday we finally pulled the trigger to get our own dedicated server. It is a dual core @2.0ghz. machine with 4gb of ram.
We were sharing some server space with a bunch of other domains.
No longer! Let us know if you notice a difference.
Dear Riders,
As 2011 comes to an end, it is a good time to reflect on how the year went. I am happy to report that this has been one of the best seasons in 77 history. This was our first year of being a fully web based business, and we have shipped a record 55% more packages than last year.
This year we have learned quite a bit from focusing solely on web sales. We received great feedback from you, both positive and constructive. We have listened! Based on your requests we are proud to say that we have decreased our email response times and dramatically decreased our shipping times. We are now shipping 90% of orders on the same day they are received! We have also been making significant improvements to our systems. Our webservers have been upgraded making them faster and more reliable than ever. Our backend and logistical controls provide up-to-the-minute inventory reporting. The front end of the website has received design updates and improvements based on your requests like the popular “Email me when Back in-stock” button.
This was not just a big year for technical updates to the 1977 Mopeds website. We have added the Community Made section to the site which showcases moped parts being made in the USA by members of the moped community. We are proud to be working with individuals and small manufacturers to support this amazing community of builders, makers, and innovators. The quality, price, and ingenuity of the products they create is incredible. Now is a very exciting time in the world of mopeds! If you have not checked out the Community Made section, you should! You are going to like what you see.
2011 was a great year for the moped community in general – it was jam packed with rallies, races, and events. We had the pleasure of sponsoring a ton of events and races. In 2012 we are looking forward to supporting even more racing and rallies starting in January!
This year we had honor of continuing the tradition of Handybikes USA. After almost 40 years of supporting mopeds with parts and service, Handybikes decided to change their focus to bicycles. Rather than let their magical and enormous inventory be broken up in a public auction or sold to the scrap yard, we made the big decision to buy it and move it to our Georgia warehouse. This is an amazing opportunity for us, and quite a technical challenge as well. There are an estimated 20 semi trucks full of parts that need to be moved across the country and kept in
some sort of logical order. To say that this is going to take some time and effort is a bit of understatement. We are hoping to have the last of the parts moved in 2013.
1977 Mopeds could not exist if it were not for the great team that keeps it going – from the warehouse, to the phone support, to the photography. Everyone pitches in to make sure things are going as smooth as possible. A big thanks goes out to: Fred, Charlotte, Lacey, Reggie, Melvin, Bobby, Mark, Andy, Peter, Chris, Beth and Caleb.
Finally, I have to thank you, the 1977 customers, for supporting us, growing with us, and sharing with us a passion for mopeds. We promise to bring more new products to you, support the community, and make 2012 even better for all of us.
Sincerely,
Dan Kastner
@dankastner
dan@1977mopeds.com
So, another year, another Eicma. We try to go to Italy every year to attend Eicma, the worlds largest two wheel expo. It about the only place we can go to dig up more moped parts. Every time I get over there, I am so inspired by the folks who invented two wheel culture! The Italians sure know how to be smooth.
On the trip we met Gianluca Milani, son of world racing champion Alfredo Milani accidentally at his Cafe racer restaurant. We also got the chance to tour the Simonini Factory, which is a whole other story by itself!
Mark Swoop Jockey works in the Georgia warehouse pulling parts and trying to keep things organized. In the meantime, he is doing tatoos, and building rad bikes. Take a gander at this:
You will recognize some moped parts on this neat little motorcycle. The front wheel looks quite a bit like the Blade Mags found on newer Peugeots. The power plant is this Derbi motor:
Great job Mark!
We are proud to announce the much anticipated webpage feature we have all wanted! EMWBI! You can now click a button, and you will be emailed as soon as we get more of that precious part back on the shelves. You will even be given a little heads up if it is an ultra-low restock quantity. Say we found one more Morini Polini kit hiding on a shelf. When we put it back up, you would get an email, and it would tell you if it was a low number instock or not.
Big thanks to Caleb for getting that all coded up. It was not a built in feature on our shopping cart, so it took a little wrangling to get working.
Port City Peds PSA #1 from Nick Girard on Vimeo.
Sunday, June 12, Jackson Speedway in Jackson Michigan will be lit up with the sound of large carbs and ringing pipes of high performance mopeds. This will be the first of four races in the 2011 Michigan Moped Racing League. Racing on a track is an excellent experience and it’s a great way to spend any Sunday afternoon. Riders of all skill levels and all mopeds in a “track safe” condition are welcome! Even if your bike isn’t the fastest on the track, there is almost certainly someone who will be almost evenly matched with you in terms of speed and skill, which make for some intense and enjoyable races. This racing is a bit more “serious” than Thunderdrome events, but still revolves around mopeds, community and fun. Safety gear is required, and bikes will have to pass a tech inspection. For more details on rules safety requirements and any questions you might have, please check out the info section of the Michigan Moped Racing League Facebook page. The first race happens to land on the same day as Thunderdrome 3 in Kalamazoo, so expect a smaller turnout, but it will still be a great day and you will find out if your bike has what it takes for the track!
June 12 – Jackson Speedway – Jackson MI
July 17 – Jackson Speedway – Jackson MI
August 21- Jackson Speedway – Jackson MI
September 18 – East Lansing Kart Track – East Lansing MI
It is pretty great how far the US moped shop scene has come along in the last 5 years. When we first opened up in 2003, there were no other Moped Army shops or part makers. Now, it seems like people are taking it into their own hands to build this network of parts and shops. It is pretty inspiring to see it all growing up. I think 20 or 30 years from now, and we will look at this as the golden age of moped parts companies.
With so many great products popping up and filling our needs as riders, I figured it would be pretty rad to have them all in one place. Hence : Community Made I struggled with the name for a while, and I think that sums it up pretty well. Currently there are 9 very unique and talented parts companies on the list.
The list keeps growing! If you have a slick product that you are making, and want to get it out to the moped riders hands, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We want to help get it out there! Also, if I missed a product let me know. Great work guys!
Check out this handy little chart put together by Rebel Moby. Have you ever wondered just how many mopeds there are out in the world? It turns out, millions! This is just Motobecane, but look at the qty of engines they have been making since 1951. We lose track in 83, but up till then, it is pretty staggering.
