How long does a 125cc pit bike travel?

Pitbike, although this type of motorcycle appeared relatively recently, is gaining increasing popularity among users. Many believe that such a unit is intended for beginners who are just starting to get acquainted with motorcycles, but such a mini-motorcycle can be accelerated to high speed, which allows it to be used in competitions. Also, do not ignore the affordable price of pit bikes and the ability to drive them without a driver’s license. For this reason, many people purchase such equipment in order to ride in holiday villages or off-road.

Do you need a license for a pit bike?

Let's look at the legislation. The requirements for obtaining a license state that a driver’s license is not needed if a person drives a vehicle with an engine displacement of less than 50 cubic cm and a maximum speed of less than 50 km/h. There is such a variety of pit bikes, but it is not in trend. After all, at such a speed, experienced drivers, and just the majority of young people, are unlikely to want to drive.

A license for a pit bike with a volume of less than 50 cubic meters and a speed of up to 50 km/h is not required.

However, we must not forget about the existence of pit bikes with an engine capacity of 110 cubic meters, 125 cubic meters and 150 cubic meters, which, naturally, are more common due to their power and speed. In theory, a driver's license is required to drive this vehicle. In practice, these are already the characteristics of a light motorcycle.

Theoretically, for powerful pit bikes with a volume of 50, 120, 150, etc. cubes of rights are needed

Getting a category A driver's license is not difficult. You only need to pass the exam and the practical part. But here another “stone” arises - registration. A transport passport is required, which is obtained during transport production. But the manufacturer does not issue it to the factory. And the only document that is given to the owner of a pit bike is the purchase and sale agreement. There is no vehicle passport.

There is one clue, why don’t they issue PTS? Because this is a sports vehicle and is not intended for public roads. It turns out that it cannot be driven on the road?

It is almost impossible to obtain rights to any pit bike. However, it cannot be driven on any roads of state, regional or local significance.

It is impossible to qualify every vehicle as a “vehicle”. An examination is required to ensure compliance with standards. The first and main one is safety. This means that the transport does not pose any danger and complies with GOST standards. Only when the examination is passed, a transport passport is issued, which indicates whether this device is a full-fledged transport or not.

Vehicle or sports equipment?

A vehicle is a device that can transport people (passengers in this case) or any cargo along the roads. If everything were simple, then bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, etc. would fall under the category of “transport.”

Let's look at one more point - driving on roads. According to traffic regulations, a road is not only an asphalt surface, but also a well-trodden road or a dirt road. You can't ride there. But forests and fields are available for sports equipment. Where the wheels of transport did not go.

Let's summarize: licenses for sports equipment are not required.
They cannot be obtained for such a device. However, you can only participate in competitions and go mushroom hunting on a pit bike, but you cannot ride on state, regional or local roads. Even if there is actually no road there, according to the rules there is one. You might be lucky if there is no traffic police officer, but if he gets caught, there will be problems.

A little bit of history

Such a unit arose in the middle of the last century. They were used by mechanics who serviced racing tracks. Initially, service personnel used bicycles for these purposes. But when the first mini-motorcycle appeared in America in the 60s, mechanics abandoned bicycles in favor of faster and more powerful equipment. And since the line along which the personnel moved is called the pit line, this is where the name pit bike comes from.

Initially, mini-motorcycles had a Briggs & Stratton engine, and its power was only 5 horsepower. But a few years later, pit bikes were brought to America by a Japanese woman. These models had a four-stroke engine, which was located horizontally. Here the Japanese showed their superiority in power, and from that moment on the spread of Japanese motorcycles began.

By the end of the 60s, pit bikes had gained wide popularity among users, not only among the adult generation, but also among children. For this reason, such units began to be sold in retail stores.

As buyer interest grew, I started thinking about improving my mini-motorcycle models. And in 1999, a more improved pit bike appeared, which is suitable for off-road driving.

Today, Americans use pit bikes for fun during the weekend, and in our country such motorcycles are used for country trips. Also in the USA, mini-motorcycles are included in the American Motorcycle Association. In our country, pit bikes have not yet gained such widespread demand, but racing races are still held.

Choosing a pit bike based on price/quality ratio.

Pit bikes up to 40,000 rubles.

Well suited for quiet driving, country walks, fishing trips, as well as for beginners who are getting into the topic of pit bikes and want to test their compatibility with motorcycles. Jumping, drifting, stunting, and hard enduro on such pit bikes is dangerous.

General disadvantages:

Motors are practically impossible to adjust, valves may have a smaller diameter, and the kickstarter mounting points quickly break;
Hollow steel frame with thin walls, not suitable for overloads;
Weak shock absorber rods;
Tires, rims and spokes of minimal quality;
The behavior of the fork is difficult to predict;
The seat cover wears out faster than your jeans.

To bring such equipment to fruition, you will need to invest at least 10-15 thousand rubles in it. It’s easier to immediately consider a higher-class pit bike.

Children's pit bikes from 42,000 to 50,000 rubles. Engines from 50 to 110 cc.

Suitable for children up to 120 cm tall. Skating level from minimal to experienced young athlete. It is possible to install additional side wheels for learning initial skills. All pit bikes are equipped with an electric starter. For gearboxes, only CVTs and semi-automatics.

Pit bikes from 50,000 to 100,000 rubles. Engines from 125 to 250 cc.

All representatives of this class are quite good devices, if you don’t demand the impossible from them:

Hollow thick-walled steel frame;
Large selection of models with aluminum pendulums and fittings;
Ultra-reliable and wear-resistant YX, Zongshen engines. Kickstarter gears can be an issue, but there is a large selection of electric starter models available;
The wheels are not particularly reliable, but can last up to 50 hours on the ground and asphalt with proper use;
The suspensions perform predictably well. Adjustable rear suspensions are available;
Flexible plastic with shape memory;
The handlebars may become deformed when dropped. Change to thick-walled and different sizes if necessary;
Chains and sprockets typically wear out within 35 hours.

Choosing a pit bike based on engine power

Volume 50 - 110 cm3 - minibikes for children. Speeds up to 60 km/h. All models have electric starters, CVT and semi-automatic gearboxes. For the little ones, it is possible to install additional side wheels on the rear wheel.
Volume 125 - 140 cm3 - pit bikes for beginners and teenagers. Speeds up to 90 km/h. Will carry any person weighing up to 130 kg.
Volume 150 - 160 cm3 - already warmed up pit bikes for experienced pilots who are ready to rock out, because... the equipment will constantly provoke this! For example, there is a stock 160 cm3 engine with a 4-valve head, a lightweight crankshaft and connecting rod, an adjusted fuel supply system, which produces 22 hp!
Volume 200 - 250 cm3 - pit bikes and motorcycles, more suitable for off-road and enduro. Designed for people with experience in driving motorcycles.

Choosing a pit bike by height

For heights up to 120 cm, models with 10/10 and 12/10 wheels are suitable;
From 120 to 150 cm, it is recommended to take pit bikes with wheels 12/10 and 14/12;
150 to 180 recommended 12/14 and 14/17;
From 180 cm, wheels 17/14, 19/16 or 21/18 are suitable.

Measure your height and divide by 2. The resulting number is the average saddle height that is comfortable for you.

If you have the opportunity to sit on the vehicle before purchasing, check to see if your knees are touching the steering wheel when boarding. The seating position should be comfortable and the steering wheel should not interfere with maneuvering.

Actions when stopped by a traffic police officer

Let's say you are driving along a village path, through a forest or even through a city, at an acceptable speed, when suddenly, out of nowhere, a stick rises up and a law enforcement officer points at you. Scared? Leave?

We warn you right away: you must not leave under any circumstances. They will find you anyway, and serious problems will arise. As practice shows, most often a driver’s license, vehicle passport, insurance, and technical inspection documents are not available. If you come across a good person, “All the best.” Bon Voyage!". You may have to agree that you will ride the bike on foot along the side of the road (it’s no longer a road). There is also a way out in the case of a “fair” law enforcement officer. It is enough to prove that you are not driving a vehicle or driving a moped. For example, provide documents that say that this equipment belongs to sports equipment or that its characteristics are no more powerful than a moped. Then the fines will be completely different.

If the policeman manages to prove on the spot that you are not driving a moped and do not have a category “A” license, then you will face a fine of 2,500 rubles and the possibility that your two-wheeled friend will be evacuated to an impound lot (if the bike is low-powered, then it should not be taken away, since as it does not belong to a full-fledged vehicle).

A pit bike does not require a license, but driving on the roads is prohibited. Fine - 2,500 rubles

Other types of punishments can cost from 200 – 500 rubles and more. There are many varieties - drunk driving, speeding, etc. At best, they will issue a warning.

In most cases, such fines are for drivers of full-fledged vehicles. Pitbike is sports equipment. For him, there are practically no penalties standardly imposed on vehicles! Show that your vehicle is not a transport vehicle: “The speed is low, the criteria for obtaining a license are not suitable. Why a technical inspection if there are no passengers. There are also zero issues with insurance. I am alone."

Have you been issued a fine with which you categorically disagree? And here there is a way out, albeit a relatively tedious one - you need to file a lawsuit for incorrectly assigning a fine. We refer to Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. 13-AD15-1, and if everything goes well, the fine will be canceled. You also need to be able to stand up for yourself.

However, as mentioned above, a pit bike cannot be ridden on the road , because, no matter what kind of sports equipment it is, it is often too powerful, which imposes additional responsibility on its owner. Therefore, here they can pick on you, and quite legally. So it is better not to abuse driving such equipment on highways, populated areas, etc. Otherwise, you can pay a fine of 2,500 rubles and a possible impound.

Application area

Even some adults buy this vehicle, as it makes it easy to avoid traffic jams without impeding traffic. But for these purposes it is best to buy adapted urban options. Also, such a model will be an excellent solution for users who work in delivery services.

One of the advantages of a mini-motorcycle is low gas mileage. However, it is important to understand that transport is intended for only one person. Therefore, it is not worth using it to give rides to friends, because the structure will not withstand such a load and will break. The model cannot be used when driving on ice, as there is a risk of falling. It is best to use the product in late spring, summer and early autumn, when there is no precipitation.