Minibike
Encyclopedia
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
. Most minibikes use two-stroke engines and chain drive
Chain drive
Chain drive is a way of transmitting mechanical power from one place to another. It is often used to convey power to the wheels of a vehicle, particularly bicycles and motorcycles...
.
History
Like go-kartGo-kart
thumb|A [[Kart racing|racing kart]] at the [[Commission Internationale de Karting|CIK-FIA]] European Championship 2008A go-kart is a small four-wheeled vehicle...
s, the first minibikes were made by enthusiasts from spare parts found in their garages. They were first popularly used as "pit bikes", for drag racers to travel in the pits during races in the late 1950s. They were very useful for this purpose, as they could maneuver very well in the tight pit roads, fit in about the same space as a small bicycle in a trailer or pickup, and they were faster than most previous forms of transportation. As racers brought them home and used them around their neighborhoods, many children liked the idea of having a mini motorcycle and started building their own. A market for minibikes developed and many cottage and major industries developed to meet the demand. Minibike companies include Arctic-Cat, Rupp, Taco, Heath, Gilson, and Fox, many of which also made other power toys such as go-karts, trikes and choppers. The peak of the minibike/go-kart era was from the late 1960s to the early 1970s in America. Many of the brands, foremost Rupp, have gained a cult-following of enthusiasts and owners.
Early minibike power train
These early minibikes usually had of a power train with a small four-stroke, horizontal crankshaft
Crankshaft
The crankshaft, sometimes casually abbreviated to crank, is the part of an engine which translates reciprocating linear piston motion into rotation...
, flathead engine
Flathead engine
A flathead engine is an internal combustion engine with valves placed in the engine block beside the piston, instead of in the cylinder head, as in an overhead valve engine...
. The transmission usually was of a crank-mounted centrifugal clutch
Centrifugal clutch
A centrifugal clutch is a clutch that uses centrifugal force to connect two concentric shafts, with the driving shaft nested inside the driven shaft....
and chain drive to a rear sprocket. As the minibike and the mini-powersports field grew, Comet introduced a continuously variable transmission
Continuously variable transmission
A continuously variable transmission is a transmission that can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that offer a fixed number of gear ratios...
, much like a snowmobile's, called the Torque-a-Verter, which automatically adjusts gear ratios, resulting in better top speed and acceleration.
Types
Today minibikes have evolved into several specialized types.Pocketbike/minimoto
These look like sport bike
Sport bike
A sport bike, also written as sportbike, is a motorcycle optimized for speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on paved roads, typically at the expense of comfort and fuel economy in comparison to less specialized motorcycles...
s and are used in pocketbike racing
Pocketbike racing
Pocket Bike racing, also known as Minimoto or circus racing, is a category of racing where miniature racing motorcycles are raced around kart tracks...
on kart racing
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
tracks. The usual height is less than 50 cm (19.7 in), and up to 1 m (3.3 ft) length. The engine usually packs a 39 cc two-stroke engine with a maximum of 4.5 hp. Maximum speed varies between 30 kph. Pocketbikes are also made in both four-stroke gasoline and electric versions. The popularity of these types of minibikes grew due to the influx of cheap pocket bikes imported from China. Brands from P.R. China are V-Racer and Sendai.
Pit bikes
Pit bikes are 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
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
motorcycles and are also used in some motocross competitions. Recently the sport of mini moto (racing pit bikes on motocross and supercross tracks) has 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.
Mini bike/pitbike racing
Pitbike racing takes the form of Supermoto racing using a form of pitbike or minibike with a wheel size of 10 inches front and rear with supermoto slick tires. The bikes are prepared for racing with precautions such as catch tanks to collect possible fluid spills on the track causing possible skidding hazards.
Mini choppers
Mini chopper
Mini chopper
Mini choppers are scaled-down versions of custom-built motorcycles known as choppers and are generally constructed from 1" steel tubing or 3/4" steel black pipe...
s are mini bikes that look like chopper
Chopper
Chopper may refer to:* Helicopter* AK-47 as used in street slang/rap lyrics. Prolific in New Orleans rap, where the city is known as "Chopper City"* Attacking Chopper, the table tennis style* Thompson submachine gun...
s, but still have the general look of a pocket or mini bike.
Midi motos
Midi motos are similar to the pocket bike style but they are slightly larger. They are still tiny in comparison to a real bike of their replication but the seat height is about a foot to two foot higher than a mini motos seat height. They started off with 47cc 2 stroke engines (capable of around 48–64 km/h/30-40 mph) in the midi motos and then all the way to 110cc 4 stroke engines (capable of around 86–105 km/h/55-65 mph). Most midi bikes are made in China and usually outfitted with a Honda engine or replication of a Honda style engine.
Quad bikes
- Mini bikes that look like quad bikes which are four-wheeled off-road motorcycles (all terrain vehicles).
USA
DOT laws vary by state, but for the most part minibikes are illegal for use on public roadways since most do not carry the necessary equipment (and often size requirements) to be street legal. In many states the seat of a motorcycle must be at least 25 inches (63.5 cm) off the ground, which is often a limiting factor in registration. Usage on public roadways may result a number of offenses, including but not limited to: no indicator lights, no rearview mirror, no horn or signaling device, no headlight, too-small muffler (noise pollution), improper lane change (no blinkers), or reckless driving.Some of the larger "super" pocket bikes, most commonly the X18, X19, and X22 meet all the requirements and can be registered for legal street use in most US states. These bikes have headlights, turn signals, tail/brake lights, a horn, and speedometer, and can also do the speed limit in most scenarios (typically 4 stroke bikes can reach speeds of 55 mph). In many states all one needs to do is add a rearview mirror and a license plate bracket, but it is best to check with local DMV
DMV
The initials DMV can stand for either:*Department of Motor Vehicles or Division of Motor Vehicles, the US state-level agency*Deserted medieval village*Deutsche Mathematiker-Vereinigung, the German Mathematical Society...
authorities for exact requirements. In some cases, if the bike requires minor modification to meet requirements, one may be able to register it as a "unique/homebuilt." The "super" pocket bikes typically are FMVSS certified. Frequently, a Manufacturer's Statement of Origin is required for registration.
Like a full-size motorcycle, the rider must carry insurance, have a current inspection, and wear a helmet if local laws require it. Depending on if the state classes a pocketbike as a "moped" or full "motorcycle", the rider may or may not need a special motorcycle license. If not, a regular driver's license may suffice.
Canada
In Canada mini motorcycles, commonly referred to as “pocket bikes” or "mini choppers,” do not meet federal safety standards for use on public roads. These vehicles do not meet minimum height specifications for headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, and turn signals. They are also difficult for other motorists to see.Transport Canada
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
classifies mini motorcycles as restricted use motorcycles that are permitted to be imported as competition vehicles for closed-course racing only.
In Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, it is not tolerated to ride pocket bikes on any public roads, which includes sidewalks and parks. It is recommended that Riders be twelve years of age or older to ride pocket bikes. The minimum fine for being caught while riding a Pocket Bike on anything but private property is $5000, which does not include other fines such as reckless driving which an officer may choose to charge. Although many people unknowingly disobey the law by riding these bikes in side walks and parks, police officers do not fine riders without a complaint from other people. Pocket bikes may not be driven on highways under any circumstances.
In Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, pocket bikes are considered miniature vehicles, which may only be operated on private property. Miniature vehicles include: personal transporters, pocket bikes, go-carts, electric scooters, and golf carts.
In British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, a $900 fine may be applied along with seizure of the vehicle.
United Kingdom
In the UK, it is illegal for minibikes to be ridden on public roads or off-road on public land. The only places these types of vehicle may be ridden are purpose-built race tracks and privately owned land with the owners permission (and where they do not cause harassment, alarm or distress). All of these minibikes are regarded as "motor vehicles" as defined by section 185 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and so to be ridden on the public road, a motor vehicleMotor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
must comply with all aspects of road traffic law and meet the mandatory European construction requirements by having a "Certificate of Conformity" indicating that they have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA).
Minibikes are not manufactured to meet these requirements, and would need to be modified significantly to do so. Reported instances of this occurring are incredibly rare, meaning that it is very unlikely that minibikes can actually be registered for road use. However, where a minibike or other vehicle does not have ECWVTA, it might conceivably pass a Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) inspection which would result in a Ministerial Certificate of Approval, permitting it to be road-registered.
In addition to the Vehicle Type Approval, to be ridden on the road the minibike must be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is the organisation of the UK Government responsible for maintaining a database of drivers and a database of vehicles in Great Britain; its counterpart in Northern Ireland is the Driver & Vehicle Agency...
, display a valid road tax disc (vehicle excise duty
Vehicle excise duty
Vehicle Excise Duty is a vehicle road use tax levied as an excise duty which must be paid for most types of vehicle which are to be used on the public roads in the United Kingdom...
), and the driver
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
or rider must be aged 17 or over (or 16 if the vehicle meets the definition of a moped
Moped
Mopeds are a type of low-powered motorcycle designed to provide economical and relatively safe transport with minimal licensing requirements.Mopeds were once all equipped with bicycle-like pedals , but moped has been increasingly applied by governments to vehicles without pedals, based on their...
), have an appropriate driving license, and insurance. The only exceptions relate to electrically-assisted pedal cycles and mobility aids for disabled people. In the UK there are in most areas mini bike tracks for the public.
During August 2006 the UK Government ran a campaign to highlight the dangers of minibike misuse on roads and their anti-social use. A guidance document was produced to provide police and other agencies with practical information to deal with the issues and prevent misuse. The guidance outlined the legal status of minibikes and included information on enforcement measures and the provision of legal sites.
Later the death of Abbi Perrin from Louth brought the dangers back into public view.
Police may seize and destroy the vehicle and prosecute the rider when caught riding on public roads.
Safety
Minibikes are not toys, although often treated as such. Even the cheapest 38 cc US-made bikes (often sold for as little as $150) are capable of speeds of at least 25 mph (11.2 m/s). The 49 cc pocket bikes can reach speeds of 30 mile per hour, and the 110–125 cc four-stroke bikes are capable of 60-80 mph. Gasoline-powered bikes are substantially faster and require more skill than off-the-shelf electric bikes, which typically can not exceed 10 mile per hour.The number of injuries caused by pocket bikes each year is unknown. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that 2,345 injured riders of pocket bikes and larger minibikes were treated in emergency rooms in 2003. There have also been numerous deaths in The USA and Canada.
See also
- Tote goteTote goteThe Tote Gote is an off-road motorcycle that was produced from 1958 to 1970. It was developed by Ralph Bonham, who is credited with inventing the off-road motorcycle.- History :...
- Pocketbike racingPocketbike racingPocket Bike racing, also known as Minimoto or circus racing, is a category of racing where miniature racing motorcycles are raced around kart tracks...
- Honda Z seriesHonda Z seriesThe Honda Z-Series refers to the lineage of mini bikes manufactured by Honda Motorcycles. Though Honda's official model designations are typically Z50A, Z50J, Z50M, Z50R and ZB50, they are more commonly referred to as the "Monkey" or "Gorilla" because of the way people are said to look when riding...
- known in the UK as the Monkey bike. - Mini chopperMini chopperMini choppers are scaled-down versions of custom-built motorcycles known as choppers and are generally constructed from 1" steel tubing or 3/4" steel black pipe...