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My Moped and Me
Sam Kopp's love of mopeds led him to create the work of art he dubbed "The Bumblebee"
Story Kate Brown
Photos Maren Fawkes
Video The Bumblebee
Sam Kopp is hopelessly addicted to mopeds.
In high school, he worked on cars and bikes but stuck with mopeds because they are simple to work on and allow for creativity. This California Bay Area native studies mechanical engineering at Oregon State University.
After purchasing his first moped in May 2008, Kopp began looking for ways to combine his passion for mopeds with his daily engineering work. He’s working on a universal disc-brake conversion kit, which he admits is a slow process.
Inspired by the “insect-like” sound of the two-stroke engine, Kopp decided to develop a technique to customize a moped so it resembles a bumblebee. He had a lot of time, a little bit of skill, almost no tools, and limited funds. But with a pair of yellow shock absorbers in hand, the bumblebee unfolded.