The Yamaha FS1-E, the first of the 'supersport' mopeds. Not one of my bikes unfortunately, but owned by one of my friends. We were all so jealous and if we had the money, this was the bike would would have brought.

The FS1-E or 'Fizzy' as it was nicknamed exploited the 'moped' regulations to the full to create a moped like none that had gone before. The basic requirements to be classified as moped and that could be ridden by 16 year olds on 'L' (learner) plates, was to have an engine no bigger than 49cc and to be capable of being propelled by pedals just like a bicycle. There were no power or speed restrictions specified, so Yamaha went to town.

It had a 'proper' 5-speed foot operated gearbox and a hand clutch just like a real motorbike. It did have pedals that in theory could propel the bike, although I never saw it done. In normal use, both the pedals would be locked in the forward position to act as footrests. Top speed quotes depended on who you talked to, but 50mph was easily achievable which was unimaginable to those of us pottering around at 30mph if we were lucky.

Of course, the authorities soon realised that they had been hoodwinked and from 1977, all mopeds were restricted to 30mph and lost the 5th gear. Remember, these were before the days of any form of formal training. All you had to do was to get a provisional bike license, a set of 'L' plates and you could ride any moped indefinitely from the age of 16.