Hello.
Minibikes (or pocket bikes, like a “pocket motorcycle”) are closely related to karting, and the fun of riding such motorcycles is about the same: everything is very dynamic and fun. Yes, not seriously, you can’t go to the Iron Ass on this, but such motorcycles are bought only for the fun.
Since their introduction in the late 1950s, minibikes have gained popularity around the world. This wave has long reached Russia. In this regard, we will consider the main features of minibikes and give their classification.
The most environmentally friendly
Electric motorcycles run on battery power, so they belong to the eco class.
They are safe, almost silent, maximum speed is limited to 25 km/h, power reserve is 30 - 60 minutes. This is enough for a child to unwind - to ride and practice.
The price varies from 35 tr. up to 80 tr.
For example, the price of American electric bikes Razor SX350 and Razor MS350 is about 40 thousand rubles. - quite budget-friendly. They look impressive, like small motocross motorcycles.
But in fact, they are better suited for flat roads, since the suspension is very stiff, there are no front brakes, and a small child cannot handle the rear brake.
Due to the hard seat, for a rider with a low body weight, riding over bumps will be uncomfortable and there will be no stability. You need experience and skills to control such a bike.
Power 250 W, battery lasts for 30 minutes, full battery charge 8 hours. Weight 29.5 kg, max speed up to 22 km/h. Recommended from 8 years old.
There are more expensive options, for example, Hoon Dirt 36V, about 50 TR.
Weight 23 kg, power 500 W, work for about 1 hour, three speed modes - 8, 16 and 21 km/h. Full charging time is 6 hours. This minibike is more suitable for rough roads - it has a rear shock absorber, front and rear disc bicycle brakes. Suitable for children from 6 years old.
The disadvantages of mini electric motorcycles are the same as those of electric motorcycles for adults:
- Long battery charging time
- Range limitation
- Every year the battery loses 10% or more of its power.
Minibikes and motorsports for children
The main direction of children's motorsports is motocross , that is, overcoming rough terrain.
Moreover, children sometimes show such miracles of driving that not every adult is capable of.
The first competitions in children's motocross were held in the 50s of the last century in Japan, but today they are held all over the globe.
Motorcycle trials competitions are also held among children. This is a type of competition in which participants overcome various obstacles.
Just some twenty years ago, these obstacles were exclusively natural and competitions took place in nature.
But with the growing popularity of children's motorsports, there is a need to attract more spectators, so competitions are now held on special indoor tracks .
They are called Indoor Trial. Participation in trial competitions requires a child to have a certain level of motorcycle driving and good skill.
There is no specific age for motorsports , since motorsports requires desire and health. If you have them, then go ahead!
Motorsports will also keep your child busy in his leisure time. In addition to your favorite hobby, motorsports will strengthen the physical fitness and endurance of the younger generation.
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Comments (2)
- Valery:
02/28/2015 at 00:28Motorsport is a rather expensive and traumatic sport. The cost of an hour of training will cost about 1,500 rubles. And this sport is not for everyone. A child’s head must fit a lot of information and each element must be worked out. Mistakes here are costly.
Answer
- sivetohka:
03/02/2015 at 01:42
The article, of course, is necessary and useful. But what doesn’t always turn out to be useful is that parents strive to give their children everything possible that they themselves did not have in childhood. Engaging in motorsports is undoubtedly good, as it gives impetus to a possible future serious passion for this sport. But the risk also increases! Therefore, you should read the article carefully so as not to make a mistake when choosing a motorcycle.
Answer
Attractive but unreliable
Now let's look at the smallest cross-country motorcycles for children - these are 2-stroke gasoline models.
Price from 17 tr. up to 50 tr. Their advantage is that they are light - weighing about 23 kg, but at the same time powerful and speed up to 50 km/h. They have bicycle disc brakes and full cross-country suspension. Therefore, they are suitable for rough roads.
China (LMDB-049H 50cc 2n R10, KXD 50cc 2t R10, etc.), Russia (MOTAX 50 cc) and Germany (NRG50, NITRO APOLLO 50cc) are the main manufacturers of inexpensive 2t mini bikes.
Motorcycles with a manual starter are often of poor quality - they start up quickly at first, but after a month they begin to break down, just like Chinese chainsaws - the longer they work, the more problems they have.
More disadvantages: very noisy, smoke - harmful according to environmental standards.
The history and development of minibikes.
Like karts, the first minibikes were created by enthusiasts in their garages. It all started in the late 1950s in Japan. People organized local races on homemade minibikes, and I bet no one even thought that this type of motorcycle would become so popular all over the world.
Then minibikes began to be used by technical and maintenance personnel in drag racing, 402-meter races. The maneuverability of these small motorcycles made it possible for technicians to dash through cramped pit stops littered with equipment. Soon another “nickname” stuck to minibikes. Along with the names "minibike" and "pocket bike", they began to be called "pit bikes".
Historically, there were “nonsense” not only in the Soviet Union) They carried all sorts of stuff home from work and carry it all over the world, and soon the same service personnel began to ride minibikes around their summer cottages) Having seen how grown-up guys splayed their small motorcycles, children began to urge their parents to buy them one. There was a demand for minibikes. And demand was immediately followed by supply!
By the late 1960s - early 1970s (at this time the peak of the passion for this type of equipment) there was already a market for minibikes in the USA with such large manufacturers as Arctic-Cat, Rupp, Taco, Heath, Gilson and Fox. The equipment produced by Rupp already had a cult status and its admirers. In the USSR there was no such thing as a minibike, there was no market as such, but some echoes of this trend can be found in old books on self-building motorcycles.
Preferences of professionals
Comparable mini crosses in price and quality are 4-stroke Chinese models. Quiet, reliable, do not smoke. Japanese similar options are three times more expensive.
Externally, 4t are radically different from 2t models:
- - the cylinder is directed forward,
- - powerful cross suspension,
- — effective hydraulic brakes, work effortlessly.
In terms of weight, 4-stroke children's bikes are twice as heavy as 2-stroke ones. The engine was “lubricated” by the Chinese with minimal changes from the Honda Super Cube, which has a reputation as an indestructible, reliable engine.
Pitbikes
These motorcycles are best suited for the youngest children. At their core, these are small mopeds. The pit bike is distinguished by a single-cylinder engine with a horizontal cylinder and air or air-oil cooling.
Historically, these bikes were intended to be used by technical personnel on motorcycle tracks. They are not distinguished by high speed characteristics, but are quite reliable and safe for young people.
In the 60s in America, these motorcycles began to appear in retail stores for the first time.
Today, the pit bike has become a sports motorcycle for small motorcycle tracks. The wheel diameter is usually from 10 to 17 inches, the gearbox can be manual, automatic or semi-automatic.
For beginners, the best option is an automatic transmission, as it is the easiest to use. However, with increasing experience, the athlete switches to manual shifting. If you plan to engage in sports for a long time, then it makes sense to think about a semi-automatic transmission, or maybe a manual one. The wheelbase of the pit bike is of a size that allows this small motorcycle to be controlled by an adult.
The pit bike is officially included in the regulations of motocross competitions by the American Motorcycle Association. In Russia, there is no official minimotocross discipline yet; competitions are held as part of the Russian Cup.
A couple of rules for choosing:
We've already covered some important points when choosing a motorcycle for beginners, but there's always something to add.
“The ideal motorcycle for a beginner - what is it?”
“Top 5 mistakes of a novice motorcyclist”
“Unsuccessful motorcycles for a beginner - what are they?”
In this selection, the main factors for choosing were weight and characteristics that will not disappoint first-season riders. There are new models here, yes, the price can bite, but this is not an aged bike from the secondary market, it doesn’t sprinkle sand from the pipes yet... and the amount of electronics in the new models turns training riding into pleasure.
A lightweight motorcycle is always convenient for novice riders. Only athletes tinker with motorcycles more than beginners. Beginners are not yet accustomed to the weight of the bike - it is inconvenient for them to park it, put it on and off the stand, they fall when they take the wrong trajectory for a turn or unexpectedly stall and do not have time to correct the situation. Therefore, you need to start, as they say, small.
Classic road workers
Most of the small-capacity motorcycles are for road users. The most popular of them can be safely called the Yamaha YBR-125, the favorite of all beginners, although Chinese companies have literally flooded the market with hundreds of cheap models in recent years. There are also completely different representatives of small-capacity road bikes, modern and technologically advanced - Yamaha MT-03, Suzuki GSR 250, Kawasaki Z300, Honda CB 300R and 300F, BMW G310R, KTM Duke 250... They cost 3-4 times more than the cheap “Chinese” ones, but they surpass them in all respects.
Touring enduro
Perhaps, it is in this class that small-capacity motorcycles are the weakest represented. Tourenduros are created for long-distance travel, which automatically assumes good load-carrying capacity and fairly high power. Japanese and European companies never dared to actively experiment in this direction, and the only representative of a small-capacity touring enduro can be called the Honda XL125L Varadero, which was at one time sold on the European market. But the model was not popular, and soon its production was curtailed. Even Chinese companies do not risk producing bikes of this class with small-capacity engines, fearing that they will not be in demand. With some stretch, we can only include the Stels 400GS and 400GT, which are also not currently in production.
Enduro, motards and cross
If you want to buy a small-capacity motorcycle, then look towards off-road vehicles. Many experienced motorcyclists continue to ride 125-250 cc without changing to more powerful models, and they are not at all bored. It's just that lighter bikes allow more than their heavier counterparts, and 200-250 cc. see more than enough to squeeze out the adrenaline to the fullest. Very popular models are the Japanese Honda XR250, Suzuki DR 250, Yamaha TT-R 250 and Kawasaki KLX 250, and there are countless Chinese enduros of the same class on the market.
Our advantages:
- Reasonable prices. The company works directly with manufacturers without intermediaries. This allows you to set prices below the market average. In addition, marketing is based on increasing sales volumes with minimal trade margins. This approach is beneficial to all parties: both the seller and the buyer.
- Wide range of product items. Each person will be able to choose the best option for themselves.
- Experienced, qualified specialists will help you choose the right model. The consultants themselves are actively involved in motorsports. Their help will definitely not be superfluous.
- Favorable terms for order delivery. The company cooperates with proven logistics companies that offer truly convenient service.
- Quality guarantees.
We wish everyone good luck in choosing a motorcycle! We are sure that you will not go wrong, because choosing a motorcycle is a choice of the heart!
Cruisers
What are choppers, or rather cruisers? These are far from quiet motorcycles, sparkling with chrome and powerfully growling with a direct-flow exhaust. In theory, at least, because this description only partially applies to small-sized ones. Massive and heavy, these bikes are characterized by sluggish dynamics due to the engine being too weak for their high mass, and the general archaic design, characteristic of all representatives of the class, negatively affects handling and braking distance. So light cruisers with an engine capacity of up to 400cc have a right to life, but it is worth keeping in mind that they look much better than they drive. Both models from Japanese manufacturers (Yamaha XVS 250 Drag Star, Kawasaki VN250 Eliminator, Honda Magna 250, Suzuki Marauder 250) and Chinese (numerous options from Patron, Irbis, Johnny Pag, Regal Raptor, Keeway, Lifan and others) are available on the market ).
