Gaimen50-question practice tests in the real exam formatWhat does 原動機付自転車 (gentsuki) mean? Mopeds and new rules
Updated: 2026-10
原動機付自転車 (げんどうきつきじてんしゃ, gendōki-tsuki jitensha; short form 原付, げんつき, gentsuki) means a motorized bicycle or moped. The law splits it into two: 一般原動機付自転車 (ordinary moped) and 特定小型原動機付自転車 (specified small moped, e.g. e-scooters). On the test, '原付' means the ordinary moped: legal top speed 30 km/h, two-step right turns at signal-controlled intersections with three or more lanes etc., and no expressways. Since April 2025, two-wheelers up to 125cc with maximum output of 4.0 kW or less can also be ridden on a moped license.
Legal definition and the two categories
Article 2(1)(x) of the Road Traffic Act (道路交通法) defines 原動機付自転車 as motorized vehicles not running on rails or wires that fall under (a) engines or motors below a size set by Cabinet Office ordinance, or (b) vehicles meeting ordinance standards as not obstructing others on cycle tracks and not requiring advanced skill. (a) is 一般原動機付自転車; (b) is 特定小型原動機付自転車.
| Category | Standard (two-wheelers) | License |
|---|---|---|
| 一般原動機付自転車 (traditional moped) | 50cc or less, or rated output 0.60 kW or less | Moped license, ordinary car license, etc. |
| 一般原動機付自転車 (new-standard moped, from 1 April 2025) | 125cc or less and maximum output 4.0 kW or less | Moped license, ordinary car license, etc. |
| 特定小型原動機付自転車 (e-scooters etc.) | Up to 190 cm long and 60 cm wide, electric motor of 0.60 kW or less, cannot exceed 20 km/h, automatic, top-speed indicator lamp | None (under-16s may not ride) |
New-standard mopeds (from April 2025)
An amendment to Article 1-2 of the Enforcement Regulation (道路交通法施行規則) made two-wheelers whose engines' maximum output is 4.0 kW or less count as 一般原動機付自転車 up to 125cc (the National Police Agency says from 1 April 2025). They can be ridden on a moped license.
Bikes of 125cc or less with more than 4.0 kW are not mopeds but ordinary motorcycles (普通自動二輪車) and need a motorcycle license. New-standard mopeds are legally ordinary mopeds, so 30 km/h, two-step right turns and no passengers apply just as before.
Main rules for ordinary mopeds
The following rules apply to all ordinary mopeds, including new-standard mopeds.
| Item | Rule | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Legal top speed | 30 km/h (even where signs allow more) | Enforcement Order Art. 11 |
| Right turns | Two-step at signal-controlled intersections with a two-step sign or three or more lanes | Art. 34(5) |
| Helmet | Required | Art. 71-4(2) |
| Passengers | Not allowed | Rules of the road |
| Expressways | May not use national expressways or motor-vehicle-only roads | Rules of the road |
| Compulsory insurance (自賠責) | May not ride without it | Rules of the road |
Key points on specified small mopeds
Specified small mopeds such as e-scooters need no license, but under-16s may not ride them, and you may not lend one to an under-16 (Art. 64-2). A helmet is a 'should try to wear' duty (Art. 71-4(3)). Right turns are like bicycles: always keep left and follow the edge of the intersection (Art. 34(3)).
Those meeting extra conditions, such as a flashing top-speed lamp and a 6 km/h limit (特例特定小型原動機付自転車), may use sidewalks where signs allow. Compulsory insurance is also required.
How it appears on the test, and the traps
Typical traps swap 'moped' with 'motorcycle' or ordinary mopeds with specified small mopeds. Note that from 1 September 2026, the legal speed for cars on residential roads without a center line etc. is also 30 km/h.
- 'The legal top speed of a moped is 30 km/h' → True
- 'On a road signed for 40 km/h, a moped may also go up to 40 km/h' → False
- 'The legal top speed of a large motorcycle is 30 km/h' → False (motorcycles are motor vehicles; 60 km/h on many ordinary roads)
- 'Overtaking a car that is overtaking a moped is double overtaking' → False (double overtaking is when the car ahead is overtaking a motor vehicle)
- 'An ordinary car license lets you ride a moped' → True
Practice questions using this term
- On a road with this sign, no motor vehicles, motorized bicycles (mopeds), or light vehicles (bicycles, etc.) may pass.
- Even small special motor vehicles, motorized bicycles (mopeds), and light vehicles must not drive in a lane reserved exclusively for route buses (bus-only lane).
- If a Closed to Vehicles sign has an auxiliary plate reading 'except mopeds,' motorized bicycles (mopeds) still cannot use the road.
- Even when a green right-turn arrow is shown, motorized bicycles (mopeds) that must make a two-step right turn, and light vehicles, may not start turning right.
- When turning right at an intersection with three or more lanes on one side, a motorized bicycle (moped) must make a two-step right turn even if there is no two-step right turn sign.
- When the vehicle ahead is trying to overtake a motorized bicycle (moped), overtaking that vehicle is prohibited as double overtaking.
- The statutory maximum speed for motorized bicycles (mopeds) is 30 km/h.
- On a road where signs set the maximum speed at 40 km/h, a motorized bicycle (moped) may go up to 40 km/h.
- A motorized bicycle (moped) must also be covered by compulsory automobile liability insurance (or mutual liability insurance) before it may be driven.
FAQ
Q. Can I ride a 125cc bike on an ordinary car license?
A. Yes if it is a new-standard moped with maximum output of 4.0 kW or less. Above 4.0 kW it is an ordinary motorcycle and needs a motorcycle license.
Q. Do I need a license for an e-scooter?
A. Not if it meets the specified small moped standard, but under-16s may not ride it.
Q. What does '原付' mean on the test?
A. In the rules' abbreviations, 原付 is 一般原動機付自転車 and 特定原付 is 特定小型原動機付自転車.
Related guides
- What does 二段階右折 (nidankai usetsu) mean? Two-step right turn
- What does 軽車両 (keisharyō) mean? Light vehicles and bicycles
- Japan Speed Limits: 60 km/h, 30 km/h Residential Roads, Mopeds 30
- Japanese License Classes You Can Get by Converting (incl. AT)
- Overtaking Rules in Japan: No-Overtaking Zones and Passing