Customers check out mopeds at Orphanage Mopeds on Thames Street at The Loom. — Photo by Sarah Pappalardo
I may be married to my bicycle, but there is another moving object of envy on the streets of Bushwick: a sweet, vintage moped.
That’s where The Loom‘s Orphanage Moped Shop comes in: a few months after their move from Greenpoint, owners Ryan Due and Nathan Isherwood are enjoying their new space, and new freedom to practice their craft.
“The rent was cheap, and this neighborhood… lets us get away with a lot more. It’s a lot more inviting for young people. There’s still like, an old guard back [in Greenpoint], so we can do a lot more here,” says Nathan.
A dozen or so orphaned mopeds are lined up outside of their storefront during the day, where you can find a new sibling for your inferior human-propelled bicycle. Orphanage focuses on restoration, building, and repair of mostly 1970s and 1980s-era mopeds – wheels that can help you avoid pesky laws like having a driver’s license or having insurance. Oh, and they look awesome, too.
You maybe have seen mopeds that Nathan and Ryan have worked on around Bushwick – many run in the $850-1000 range, a price that tempts me to give up on the MTA altogether. With an inexpensive moped, you’ve got the best of both commuter worlds. According to Nathan, “they’re easier, a lot less stress, they’re kind of in between bikes and motorcycles. Many of our bikes we restore are ones that you wouldn’t go nuts over if you wrecked it.”
They will be open and drinking during First Fridays at the Loom.
Orphanage Moped Shop
106 Thames Street
718-389-1979
Open Tue-Fri 12pm-8pm | Sat-Sun 12pm-6pm
Marc August 9th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Oh wonderful, so a bunch of hipsters get forced out of Greenpoint and come to Bushburg to annoy the residents by tricking out their mopeds’ exhaust systems and producing the most obnoxious noise one can imagine. I am used to sound of ear-splitting motorcycle exhaust, but at least they aren’t riding wussybikes. I’ll take wanna-be anarchists on fixies over this anyway. At least they’re getting a little exercise.
lrm August 9th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Marc = huge penis
boyinthebush August 10th, 2010 at 12:02 am
Yes. Marc definitely sounds well-hung!
Nino August 10th, 2010 at 9:04 am
I can live with the mopeds. Anything but these dirty offensive faux retro hippies from the west coast that come here to squat and get jollys
We baught Jap Pacer Mopeds back in 1977 ($325 new) during the gas crises. We would go all the way to the Broad Channel Bridge to go fishing and back on a 1/2 gallon of gas.
Removing or Drilling out the exhaust muffler baffle is sure to get a summons. A 2 stroke engine is the worst noise you can have aside a large Cox fuel model airplane.
JL August 10th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Marc. you can suck it.
The Orphanage is great. A+ customer service and turn around time on parts and fixes. Their higher end builds are done with a level of care and respect that is unmatched by most moped shops.
these guys are doing a great job.
KEEP IT UP DUDES!
JL August 10th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
p.s.
It’s required to have your standard driver license to drive a moped in NYC
Laws are here.
http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/dmvfaqs.htm#MOPEDS
Steve August 10th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Marc must be tiny, that’s why he is making so much noise
cameron August 10th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
waaaaa! i hate when people have fun. i hate people that fix things. pabst is gross you fucking hipsters. do your tight pants make your balls little? your girlfriends look stupid. why don’t you eat some mcdonalds you skinny wimps. waaaaa!
Dresden August 11th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
Agree with Nino – those things are nasty loud. I saw two fraggle-rock lookalikes ride past yesterday. They’re too loud.
Marc August 21st, 2010 at 12:40 pm
So the overly ironic little rich white kids whose parents are still paying their child support (but directly to them) are offended that someone complains about the truly obnoxious noise emitted from the tricked-out mopeds. I will try to answer your inane comments:
1. I am not complaining about mopeds per se, only the noise the modified mufflers make. Cars with
2. I’m sure the folks at The Orphanage give great service and are good people, and I am happy they are successful in their business, but I do not support the production of the aforementioned obnoxious sonic waves. And by the way, those are 2-cycle engines, like lawn mowers. Their emissions are pretty stinky.
3. Read the article, dimwits. Quoted: “…this neighborhood… lets us get away with a lot more. It’s a lot more inviting for young people. There’s still like, an old guard back [in Greenpoint], so we can do a lot more here,”
Uh-huh, well I’m certain even the Old Guard in Greenpoint is partly complicit in the gentrification of that neighborhood, but parts of Greenpoint are residential, and they don’t f*ckin’ like the noise. End of story. People gotta compromise when they live in close proximity to one another. But here in Bushwick, that’s OK? Your lack of empathy for the Latino neighbors is what’s really appalling. Most neighborhoods are inviting for “young people.” But really, just come on in and colonize the neighborhood, we don’t care if the [soon to be] previous residents don’t like it; hey, they’ll be forced out of here soon anyway…
4. Trucker’s caps, Japanese sleeve tattoos, fixies, modified mopeds…wouldn’t be of any concern if not for the laughable faddishness and group-think of the faux-alternative. Today’s hipster is tomorrow’s yuppie. The enforced conformity is doubly laughable.
5. @Irm, @boyinthebush & @Steve: as for the penis comments…I am a waterfowl, I have a cloaca.
Ló fasz a seggedbe!