Originally Posted by
BlazingPedals
Once upon a time, they were. 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. It's only due to the corrupting effects of changing laws that some current pedal-less scooters can be called "mopeds."
As I recall, you also used the pedals to start the motor, so there was no need for a battery or starter.