Hundreds attend moped rally in Kentucky

LOUISVILLE, Ky., July 15 (UPI) -- Organizers of a Kentucky rally said hundreds of moped riders brought their low-powered vehicles to Louisville to mingle with like-minded riders.

The Bourbon Bandits, the Louisville chapter of the national Moped Army, hosted the rally, which began Friday with hundreds of mopeds meeting at the Highlands Monkey Wrench bar for a 17-mile ride through the city, The (Louisville) Courier reported Monday.

The rally continued Saturday with a cruise from Cox Park to the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, Ind., on mopeds, which are legally barred from traveling more than 30 mph.

The Bourbon Bandits said there are about 600 members of the Moped Army in 23 chapters across the country and hundreds of members attended the weekend rally.

The rally was accompanied by a U-Haul truck designated to pick up broken-down mopeds and a van to carry the riders of the disabled vehicles.

"Mopeds have a tendency to break down; they're not terrible machines, but they're not super reliant," said Bourbon Bandit Jeremy Shay, who has a part time business fixing mopeds in his garage. "They need constant maintenance, and every once in a while they'll get the better of you, and you'll wind up stranded on the side of the road."

Shay said he met his fiancee, fellow Bourbon Bandit Becki Hyde, through their mutual love for mopeds. The pair said they plan to ride their mopeds from the wedding to their reception at the Highlands Monkey Wrench.

"Moped Army are our friends," Shay said. "We could even completely remove the moniker and Moped Army and those people would remain my friends and those are people I want to see on the biggest day of my life."