Originally Posted by
BlazingPedals
Mopeds of old were basically small motorcycles that could be pedaled as a last resort; although I wouldn't have wanted to pedal one more than a couple of blocks to a gas station.
Peugeot, Indian, BMW, Ducati, Suzuki and Honda (among others) got into the motorcycle business by first building bicycle assist engines.
'Moped' is a portmanteau of motor+pedal.