Minibike

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please help improve this article or replace this tag with a more specific message. This article has been tagged since August 2006. (help, talk)

An old style minibike

A minibike, also known as a mini moto or pocketbike, is a miniaturized version of a motorcycle. Traditional minibikes usually use four stroke motors that power a chain to turn the rear wheel. These four stroke motors are similar to a lawnmower, but not identical. Contrary to popular belief, old lawnmower engines cannot be used to make a minibike since the crankshaft is oriented in a vertical position instead of a horizontal position like a minibike would need. Newer models may use two stroke motors although electric-powered models are also available. The 2-stroke motor produces a loud, whining buzz and a small, but more polluting cloud of smoke as exhaust if not properly tuned. These features, along with the minibike's tiny size, mean that minibikes are almost never street-legal.

1 History
2 Safety
3 Legal status
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

[edit] History

Along with the go-cart, minibikes were first made out of spare parts found around the garage. They were first popularly used as "pit bikes" for drag racers to scoot around in the pits during races in the late 1950s to today. They were very useful for this purpose, as they could manoeuvre very well in the tight pit roads, and they could fit in about the same space as a small bicycle in a trailer or pickup. As racers brought and used them around their neighborhoods, children thought they were cool and started building their own.

Today they have evolved into several distinct specialized types:

Pocketbike/Minimoto: These look like sport bikes and are used to race (Pocketbike racing) on tracks used for kart racing.

Pit bikes: True to the original concept of a small scooter used to quickly move around the pit areas of motor racing tracks and events. They look like motocross motorcycles and are also used in motocross some competitions. Recently the sport of mini moto (racing pit bikes on motocross and supercross tracks) has really taken off. There are numerous series in the United States and there are also full fledged mini moto pros. The Las Vegas Mini Supercross is the biggest mini moto event of the year and it often draws top pros such as Jeremy McGrath, Ryan Abrigo, and Derek Costella.

Mini choppers: Mini choppers are mini bikes that look like Choppers.

Quad bikes: Mini bikes that look like quad bikes which are four wheeled off road motorcycles (all terrain vehicles).

[edit] Safety

A responsible minibike rider.

Due to their high speed and design, the rider must take extra care when riding mini bikes. Even with an adult rider, minibikes can attain speeds of over 40mph where serious injury can occur from misuse. Riders should wear adequate safety equipment at all times, including a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, gloves and shoes. Minibike riders should be equipped as the rider in the picture who is wearing adequate head and knee protection, as well as a pair of sturdy jeans to prevent chaffing.

Similarly, care should be taken whenever driving on public roads, and due care and attention taken of other motorists and pedestrians.

[edit] Legal status

In the U.S., minibikes are banned on public roads throughout some states, for example California, and are banned in many cities, including New York City. Penalties enforced by police departments may include the issue of a reprimand or the confiscation of the vehicle.

In the UK minibikes are legal for use on public roads subject to fulfilment of the usual legal requirements for a motorcycle and rider. They are not permitted on footpaths, pavements, cycle routes, open spaces or in public parks.^[1]

In the UK in 2005 and 2006, minibikes became the focus of a moral panic about youth crime and anti-social behaviour, with seven deaths – five young people and two adults – being attributed to them by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.^[2]