|
Five-year-old killed in Carmarthen mini-bike crash
WalesOnline Also known as mini- motos or pocket bikes, they are marketed as toys and youngsters do not require any formal training or licence to ride them. … and more » |
|
Five-year-old killed in Carmarthen mini-bike crash
WalesOnline Also known as mini- motos or pocket bikes, they are marketed as toys and youngsters do not require any formal training or licence to ride them. … and more » |
One of the most common questions we get asked after a purchase of a Polini 911 replica is how to run it in!
Here’s a quick mini moto info guide to help you.
The Running in procedure
This bike has a very close tolerance high performance 2-stroke engine. Therefore, you must run the engine in extremely carefully to get the best from it. If you sense the engine is getting tight e.g. not idling properly, you must switch-off & let it cool down whilst carefully turning over on the pull start. Avoid this situation at all costs IT IS DAMAGING YOUR ENGINE. If it occurs, you are either being to aggressive with the break-in, or you have not got the cooling system functioning correctly e.g. air-lock.
How to avoid an air-lock?
As this is a liquid cooled bike. When you fill with pure coolant you must ensure the radiator and coolant system are free from all air locks. In order to do this pour in the coolant until it starts dribbling from the hole in the top of the radiator, remove bleed pipe whilst priming the cooling system by turning the back wheel. You may also need to pressurise the system to force out the air locks by blowing into filler or ‘de-gas’ bottle.
What is the ratio of petrol to oil?
Initially you need to use a break-in mixture of 25:1 then once its nicely run in you can make your mix 40:1. This will help reduce the amount of black smoke and make it a leaner mix.
Only use high quality synthetic 2 stroke oil which is available in most motorcycle and motocross shops.
Taking it easy!
Although the thing you’ve been waiting for is to get your bike up and running, get it into full throttle and just speed away, this is the one thing you should never do.
If it is necessary to have your bike running on its stand for prolonged periods, rev the engine occasionally & allow the back wheel to spin and drive the coolant pump. This will allow the coolant to circulate and prevent your bike overheating. The same is true if you are motionless for any length of time. Lift the rear wheel & rev the engine.
Getting ready to go.
For the 1st 2 full tanks of fuel, do not allow the engine into the power band. For the 3rd to 5th tank, only very brief periods of either full throttle (not max engine speed) or a few seconds in the power band. A full 5 tanks of fuel are recommended before using the bike in anger. You have been told!!
Most important about the Polini 911 Replica minimoto is that it is not a toy and the bike should not be used by children under the age of 14. Make sure you use safety equipment and have experience of mini motorbikes before you attempt to ride this.
Falkirk based rider, Tim Hastings will enter the 2010 season as the second of Kawasaki’s riders as part of their Team Green initiative in the Metzeler Junior Superstock Championship.
17 year old Hastings – or “Twister” as he known throughout the paddock – started his career like many in the modern era via mini-moto racing in his native Scotland gaining the Scottish Championship at the tender age of 12.
Moving on to success the very next year dominating the Melville Motor Club F125 the East Midlands Racing Association F125 championships, Hastings achieved sixth place in the 2007 Dorna Academy Cup following this with two successive British GP125 ACU Academy Cup Championships.
Making his 2009 debut on a Superstock bike for Kawasaki Motors UK’s official Supersport team, Gearlink Kawasaki, at the end of season Oulton Park round, Hastings impressed right away and finishing second qualifying in a magnificent 10th place. Unable to start the feature race, Hastings nevertheless impressed the team and created enough of an impression to be considered for one of the new Team Green Junior Superstock rides for the 2010 season.
Speaking about Hastings upcoming ride, Team Principle of Gearlink Kawasaki, Michael de Bidaph was optimistic about his chances saying:
“Tim has applied himself since day one; that much is evident. A wide vein of natural talent is matched by a willingness to learn that should see him achieve some strong results in the coming season.”
For Kawasaki Motors UK, Racing Coordinator, Ross Burridge was equally enthusiastic:
“The package that Tim and his team have available to them is considerable, with support from a vast array of technical sponsors and a brand new Ninja ZX-6R initially set up by Gearlink Kawasaki to race on, he will join a select band of Team Green Superstock riders on the grid. We wish him every success in 2010”.
Dec 21
2009
Think drag racing is a total drag? Or that the Motocross could stand a little more innovation? A sports buff with a taste for the unconventional is sure to find pocket bikes a great new trend. From being a simple novelty, pocket bikes have become a passion for racing fans who are tired of the same old trends, and are ready to take a step toward a whole new way of looking at racing – from a view that’s much closer to the ground!
The idea of pocket bikes started many years ago in the tech-savvy nation of Japan. Among the things Japan is famous for is miniaturizing popular large merchandise, while keeping all the features intact. The earlier term for miniature bikes in that country is “minimoto,” an abbreviation for “mini motorcycle.” The trend spread into Europe, and soon famous bike manufacturers like Italy’s Pollini began catering to the minimoto crowd. The pocket bike craze was ready to take over the world!
It may come as a surprise to the curious to find that for such small things, pocket motorbikes are actually not cheap. Some really good racing models go upwards of $2000. Around $4000 buys a true enthusiast the equivalent of a Ducati – stylish and swift. The astronomical retail cost is mainly due to the amount of research spent on developing such a small but powerful machine. Parts for pocket motos may also cost a pretty penny, especially if some should happen to be high-performance and hard to find locally!
Italian and Japanese manufacturers are known to set the standard of quality for these vehicles. However, cheaper China-made knockoff pocket motorbikes are becoming increasingly available, and these are considered great bargains by new blood, who are just getting their feet wet in the pocket bike circuits. Some starter bikes could go as low as $200. For great bargains, one need not look any further than Ebay.com. Note however that “purists” do not regard buyers of knockoff import bikes very highly; such bikes are often ridden irresponsibly, and by doing this the buyers give the sport of minimoto racing a0000092D bad name.
Don’t underestimate the way pocket bikes are making waves in the sports world. Valentino Rossi, a Grand Prix Moto GP champion rider, first started off as a pocket bike racer. These mean machines may be small but their enthusiasts definitely are not. Pocket bike racing tournaments are being held on a regular basis in various parts of the world, and champions are held in high regard among the enthusiasts’ circles.
Pocket bikes, minibikes and pocket rockets; At About-minibikes.com we have the latest and greatest info on these cool little motorcycles, come take a look!
Yes, Pocket Bikes are amazingly fun and yes they go amazingly fast but with lack of distributors in your area many are forced to go online to buy pocket bike. If you are one of the many dying to buy pocket bike let me give you a run down of what to look for in a bike.
Beware of cheap imitations!- If you are going to buy a pocket bike I would suggest getting one of the more popular models. There are many “knock offs” that will waste your money and ruin your pocket bike experience. The parts for these knockoffs are hard to find and in the end they will drive you mad. Below I have a link with a list of the most popular Pocket Bikes out there now. So check it out if you are a serious buyer.
Decide if you want automatic or manual shifting! When reading up on a bike check to see the shifting options. Some bikes offer both manual and automatic. If you want that real motorcycle feel then go manual and look for bikes with a hand clutch. If you are nervous then go automatic when you buy pocket bike.
Know Your State Laws! -Before you buy pocket bike you have to know what is street legal in your state. Speak to local law enforcement agencies or search online. If you are going to spend a couple hundred bucks you should know which models will work for you. You don’t wanna be stuck cruising around on your pocket rocket in your driveway.
Go to specialized Pocket Bike distributors online! Amazon.com is great for some stuff BUT not pocket bikes. There Pocket Bikes are more expensive then more specialized sites. You can save a couple hundred bucks or spend the same amount and get a much superior bike at different online vendors.
Lastly Be Safe just because it’s a mini bike doesn’t mean you can’t get hurt. Some of these puppies can go 60 M.P.H. so gear up. You will definitely need a helmet!
Dec 16
2009
If you thought that you couldn’t keep that little darling son of yours occupied while he has fun at the very same time, you could be wrong. Thanks to the birth of the mini bikes your kid can start his ride of a life time even when he is still 10 years old. They look and feel just like the real deal with one minor difference, that is the size. These mini bikes are truly miniatures of their oversized cousins who win races all over the world guaranteed to give a good adrenalin rush.
These mini bikes not only come in all shapes and colors but they are also 100% safe to be given to your kids. The pocket bikes guarantee the rider’s utmost satisfaction of the highest class. Once you get one of these irresistible pocket bikes into your home, not only your kids but you will also find it really difficult to be separated from it once you get a taste of riding it. The comfort and class that these mini bikes give its prestige riders is indeed unquestionable. Mini bikes can surely make you and your kids’ time truly worth your while.
The mini bike world is truly one of a kind with pocket bikes in each and everyone’s taste and guarantees to take the prestigious riders to this world of its own. The pocket bikes come fully loaded with promises of rocking your world and guarantees of rides of a life time. The mini bikes only look like they are small, but once you take a ride on it you will see the power loaded in it when the pedal hits the metal. Speed is something that you will not miss once you are riding these mini bikes, so it is advisable to wear all sorts of safety gear while riding one of these mean machines.
When it comes to looks these mini bikes are exact replicas of their bigger brothers with no differences that can be seen by the ***** eye. If you have always wanted to own one of those cool bikes that win the Grand Prix races, then the best solution to bringing that dream of yours to life is to get you and your kid a mini bike with the looks of a super bike. What is more is that these mini bikes won’t rob you of your savings once you leave the store with one of these cool mini bikes. Once you drive one of these mini bikes, you won’t be able to get off of it.
With the present mini bike mania ruling the world of kids and their dads, it is advisable to get yourselves one of these cool miniature motor bikes. As we know that the best way to rid ourselves of temptation is to yield to it, the best way to stop wanting a mini bike is to reach out and get you a mini bike with the cool looks of the hottest racing bikes out there on the race tracks. So get your helmet on and get ready to rumble with your mini bike on the highlands where you and your soul can soar freely.
Dec 16
2009
The mini bikes for kids that we used to know are a thing of the past. When we said “mini bike” it described a small frame with go cart type tires and a lawn mower engine, usually 3. 5 hp. These mini bikes were very basic, had no gears and would travel at a maximum speed of 25 or 30 mph. The transmission in these was usually a basic centrifugal clutch.
The mini bikes for kids today come in a huge variety of shapes and styles with different types of power sources to move the little machine. We will take a look at some of the variety that you can get in a mini bike today.
The Super street bikes are just what they sound like. These are commonly a scaled down version of the “crotch rocket” type Japanese street bikes we see flying by us on the freeway everyday. These can be customized and made to go quite fast. This particular variety is very popular with the extreme mini bike enthusiast.
There are Chopper mini bikes that are (you guessed it) just scaled down models of the custom street cruiser bikes we see on the road every day. These are the fastest growing facet of the mini bike industry today. You can customize these bikes in many different ways, just like the full size bikes.
When we talk about mini dirt bikes, we are probably talking the closest to the old fashioned mini bike. There are versions of the old style mini bike, but with better qualities. Most of the mini dirt bikes are just scaled down versions of the dirt bikes we see at the motocross races. These mini bikes are designed to be ridden primarily in the dirt on rough terrain.
The competitive kids might want to go for a Super Pocket Rocket. These are fast! These bikes are again, fashioned after the Japanese “crotch rocket” and some will go just as fast, do not let the size fool you. These are considered to be the most dangerous of the mini bikes.
The electric motor is also used on some of these mini bikes for kids. You will find these to be much slower, quieter, and safer for the smaller kids.
Safety comes first, with the electric mini bikes or the Super pocket rockets. Always make sure your child is wearing the proper safety gear before they go for a ride.
Dec 16
2009
Mini-motor bike or also know as Motor pocket bikes are a miniature motorcycle. This mini monsters were build for an individual that are young but eager to ride a big and for people that are small enough that could not handle a big bike.
These bikes were invented out of spare parts taken from the garage and use chain for their rear wheel and engines with four strokes.
Motor pocket bikes normally weigh sixty five pounds and have a height of four feet and ten inches for the diameter of the wheel. They have been built with horsepower ranging from two to eight hp. They could run from twenty six miles per hour to sixty miles per hour. Along today’s technology evolved many designs or styles.
Here are different styles of Motor pocket bikes today:
1. Minimoto – inspired by sport bikes and it is ideally made for racing. These bikes have a usual size of less than 50cm in height and 1 meter in length, packs a 39cc to 50cc two-stroke engine and has a maximum speed of 70 kilometers per hour.
2. Pit Bikes – we can usually see these bikes around pits or in areas where there is an event like bike racing. This looks similar to a scooter.
3. Mini bike – a combination of minimoto and a pit bike but it has a wheel size of 10 inches in front and rear with supermoto slick tires fitted. This type of mini bikes were perfectly made for competitions and racing, equipped with high-tech catch tanks to avoid possible fluid spillages.
4. Mini chopper – the mini or small version of chopper bikes.
5. Midi motos – these types of bikes has the same style as mini-moto bikes but they are a little bigger. They still are small compared to the real big bikes that they replicate. The other different thing about the midi motos compared to mini motos is the height of the seat and they started midi motos with 47cc two-stroke engine that can run around forty-eight to sixty-four miles per hour.
6. Quad bikes – miniature replica of a four wheeled off-road motorcycles or all terrain bike.
Always be cautious when riding motor pocket bikes because even they’re small then can still do some serious damages. There are couples of cities that banned mini bikes in their area, for the miniature bikes are getting popular most children ride it with no proper safety. For children that are below eighteen years old be sure to ride a motor pocket bikes with an adult supervision. Ride it with protective gears.
Dec 14
2009
Pocket bikes are also called mini-motorcycles, and they are mainly manufactured for racing enthusiasts. Since they are low to the ground, the speed is really felt as you zip around the track on them. There are several styles of these little marvels and they come in a variety of prices, too, so there is certainly one that can fit your pocketbook. One of the most popular styles is the 110cc pocket bike.
Some of the four-cylinder machines can go up to 55 mph with a 250-pound person on them. This style of pocket bike is only 16 inches tall, while the super pocket bikes in this style are 26 inches tall, so they can easily be stored in a small corner of your garage, under a shelf. With a user-friendly electric starter and no clutch shifting, almost anyone 250 pounds or under should have no problems riding them.
The four-stroke air-cooled engine on these little beauties allows for a smooth, steady ride without the ‘putter’ sound of a two-stroke engine or the wasted fuel and black exhaust a two-stroke engine occasionally produces.
// < ![CDATA[
google_ad_client = "pub-5266086204623273";
/* 468x15, created 9/12/09 */
google_ad_slot = "1701724991";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 15;
// ]]>
// < ![CDATA[
google_protectAndRun("ads_core.google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad);
// ]]>
The hydraulic brakes on both front and rear wheels are constructed with durability in mind. Braided steel allows for extreme resistance to abrasion and impact.
You will have a choice of kick starting or using the electric starter to get this pocket bike turned on and ready to go.
This durable pocket bike has a sturdy steel body frame and a chrome exhaust. It comes in a selection of accent colors. The main color is shiny silver. The main choices of accent colors are blue, red, black, and yellow. If you desire another color, it can be special ordered. Because of their popularity, you should have no trouble getting 110cc pocket bike parts when the need arises.
The X-19-CR 110cc super pocket bike is a bike that will give you hours of fun driving down canyons and racing around racing tracks. This bike is also designed to be road-worthy, with headlights, brake lights, turn signals, horn; speed gauge that goes up to 70 mph, status lights and backlit digital gear that tells you what gear you are in. With a completely recalibrated suspension for maximum stability and grip of the road, it gives deep knee-to-ground cornering. It has been designed so that when you accelerate or brake sharply there is a minimum of ‘squatting’ and ‘nose diving’. The lower center of gravity gives this super pocket bike great ease of handling. The dual exhaust pipes are especially designed for racing with carefully regulated back flow and exhaust velocity. It has a hand clutch, although it is possible to power shift without using it.
The X18-R Nitro Super Bike is known as the mini pocket rocket. This bike, which is designed to go over 70 mph is well known on the racetracks! While it is top speed may or may not be the fastest of the super pocket bikes, its acceleration is possibly the best around, giving the racer an enviable edge over the competition. The carburetor is calibrated for racing. Its profile has been designed for a minimum of wind resistance with a maximum of stability, especially on those high-speed corners. With hydraulic brakes on both the front and rear wheel and racing calipers, this super pocket bike can stop in an amazingly short distance. Racing clutches coupled to a four speed sequential manual gearbox up shifts and downshifts with blinding speed for greater control. No matter what is necessary to make you comfortable in the driver’s seat, this pocket bike can handle it, with adjustable tire pressure, suspension, brakes, levers, and handlebars.
The pocket bike or the super pocket bike has many features for the racer or for the person who wants to tool around the neighborhood with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of fuel economy.
Dec 14
2009
Last night we went mini moto racing at Raceway Karting in Pontefract. UK mini moto champion Josh Brown joined us too, which made make us look even more like amateurs. Anyhow we had a laugh! You can watch our antics in our video:
PED TV: PEDSTOP GOES MINI MOTO from ADRENALIN on Vimeo.
0