More people are moving to, and moving through, Ballard to catch a buzz. They are saying "yes" to mopeds, those noisy, 50cc motor scooters with pedals that hit nearly 38 miles per hour.

Don't laugh.

They're cheap, fun to ride and get 100 miles per gallon. Over 40 area enthusiasts belong to the Mosquito Fleet, a moped gang who display a curious combination of machismo and modesty on their tough little toys.

Many live in Ballard, while others are searching for a place here. The Mosquito Fleet is one of 18 branches of the Moped Army, a national moped club which originated with the Kalamazoo Decepticons. Others include the Louisville Bourbon Bandits, and the San Francisco Creatures of the Lion.

Some local members, both men and women, have a tattooed Mosquito Fleet logo on their arms, a skull and cross bones flag. Many wear black leather. Some guys shave their heads and grow long beards. Rebellious, yes, but with an "awe shucks" sensibility as they zip through neighborhood roads just a bit faster than bicycle speed with pedal to the metal.

Onlookers either love them or hate them, said moped guru Kevin Barrans, 29, of Ballard. Some appreciate their charm and simplicity, while others complain about their noise, smell, and lack of speed, he said.

Barrans rented a big house in Crown Hill with his younger brother, Brendan, and friend, Kory Kruckenberg, in 2001. They bought mopeds, then let their friends try them.

"At that point they all wanted their own moped real fast," Barrans recalled. "We started the club because no one here knew how to fix them or get parts. We now have a large network all over the U.S. to get parts, advice on repairs, and, if you visit another town with a Moped Army branch, they can put you up and give you a moped to ride around on. It's a tight-knit community."

Barrans studied musical composition at Cornish College for the Arts, worked briefly with brother Brendan at a Ballard motorcycle shop, then opened Seattle Mopeds almost two years ago in Wallingford because, he said, no other such shop existed in the Pacific Northwest. The Barrans brothers still live together, in a different Ballard home. Kruckenberg now lives in Shoreline, but is searching for a recording studio space in Ballard.

So why the obsession with these scooters, particularly the "vintage" models that boast 1970's Italian technology, and are even noisier, slower and less economical than the new moped designs?

"It's just fun," said Barrans. "Sure, it's cheap, fuel efficient, and all that stuff. But it's different than bicycle, and more carefree than a motorcycle."

He admited not everyone understands the appeal.

"Some people complain that we sound like pack of mosquitos," he said.

Club member, Brett Walker, 25, also of Ballard, works for Zoka, the local coffee roasting company. He teaches kids in Rainier Valley the pre-digital, old-school, darkroom techniques.

"There is a Luddite factor to the moped's appeal, but it's such a practical form of transportation if you are willing to work with your bike," said Walker.

Brendan must be willing to commit a lot of work to his personal fleet. He owns 12 mopeds, including a 1965 Mobylette Motobecane, a 1978 Botavus Regency and a 1978 Puch (rhymes with "duke") Magnum Limited.

"Motorcycles just don't do it for me," said Brendan, who affixed a skateboard, wheels removed, onto a moped as a cushionless seat and rode it to Portland.

Kim Gold and Jody Weller recently moved to Ballard from Kalamazoo. Yes, both were Decepticons, and friends. Gold's boyfriend belongs to the Chicago branch, the Peddy Cash. Weller, a Mosquito Fleet member, works in a Ballard herbal supplement store.

"I would have never visited Seattle if not for the Moped Army, and I love it here!" she said. Jody, who arrived in Seattle a few months after Kim, will probably join soon.

Jen Pride, a nonmember, rides along as a guest of the club on her new, black Tomos, a popular Slovenian moped brand.

"You have to have a sponsor for three months, and show up on 'Moped Mondays,'" she said.

That's when a dozen or more members converge at the Mars Bar, on Eastlake near the REI store at about 8 p.m. Guests and visitors are welcome. The Fleet socializes, mostly discussing mopeds, moped parts and rallies. They then buzz around for an hour ride. A favorite destination is the Viking Tavern in Ballard.

Club member, Arianna Lyman of Ballard, said Jen Pride should not have a problem getting voted in. Lyman, 21, is Brendan's, fiancee. A hair stylist at Rudy's Barber Shop in Phinney Ridge, she said she broke up with a former club member, then met Brendan on a "Moped Monday."

Lyman said she got her first moped in 2005, a 1975 Puch.

"When I ride my moped I feel much more connected to my surroundings, and safer, more in control, than as a passenger in a car," she said. "I can see more around me, even wearing a full-face helmet. I like to feel like I am going fast, and even 37 (miles per hour) feels good and safe in a pack."

A bit tough on the outside, when she is with Brendan, "I am totally the lady," she said. "I can take an engine apart, but prefer to make dinner, do laundry or paint my bike a pretty color."

Steve Shay may be reached at steves@robinsonnews.com