Saxony’s Minister of Transportation, Regina Kraushaar, wants to extend the current special regulation for GDR mopeds such as the Schwalbe and S51 to other vehicles. “Anyone who rides a moped doesn’t understand why the speed limiter on one vehicle ‘chirps’ at 45 km/h, while another, identical model can reach 60 km/h,” explained the CDU politician. She said a regulation is needed based on the principle: same technology, same speed. To this end, she intends to launch an initiative in the Bundesrat through the state government.
Thanks to a special provision in the Unification Treaty, mopeds built in the GDR can reach speeds of 60 km/h. However, this does not apply to re-imports—that is, identical two-wheelers that were once sold to other countries. According to EU rules, a maximum speed of 45 kilometers per hour applies to them.