POCKET BIKES, OPINIONS?

[reckedracing]

so has anyone on here ever been on one?
owned one?
any funny stories?
or reasons not to get them?
or any that are better than the others?

i started researching them today and you have the egay ones for like 3 bills, and then i found the "true race pocket bikes" for like 2500...
out of control...

i think they would get old fast so i was just curious if anyone has experiences with them...


edit: i think the mini choppers would be a better option, but i still think its a waste of money... i'd rather get a made in china enduro for a couple hundred more...

 

[FirstAccord]

dood, my friend just bought one from pep boys for like 500 dollars, yeah, its cool, but it gets old. I read an article in the paper the other day that said almost all places are going to ban them, cuz theyre not street legal, but they cant be used on the sidewalk either....so...you pretty much have to ride them on private property only.

 

[FirstAccord]

which sux.

 

[reckedracing]

a whole group of people had them at the last "car show" i went to, which was really just a parking lot type showing...

so i guess they were selling them, but there must have been 8 riding around together, i was just waiting and hoping someone would dump, or drive into a car or something...

nothing cool happened, but they got real annoying real fast.

 

[jeffie7]

Pocket bikes are great if used for IMO what they are ment for

one of two things

1. pit bike
2. Racing!

If the racing scene picks up down here I will buy a pocket bike and no not a piece of shit pepboys one

good pocket bikes run anywhere from 1000-3500+ depending on what options you get

pep boys I think max out at 20mph and their bad ass options are WOW headlights!!!!!

the good pocket bikes do anywhere form 40-80mph depending on how they are geared as with what motors/upgrades you have on them

one of the bike shops around here has a fully stock pocket bike "one of the better ones" and he was able to keep up with RT4 traffic the road has a 55mph speedlimit


If you get a pocket bike don't plan to use it on the streets becuase you will just get a ticket, have to walk it home, or have it impounded.

 

[posol]

its a lot of fun...

but really, its fucking useless and a waste of cash.

 

[jeffie7]

Originally posted by pissedoffsol@Jun 25 2004, 04:05 PM
its a lot of fun...

but really, its fucking useless and a waste of cash.

not if you race a lot but once again maryland has yet to get a big racing scene going so till then I wont buy one

when theres a race everyweekend I might pick one up =)

 

[NotUrAverage_Si]

I tried to sit on one and couldn't figure out how to see past my knees.

Some guy dropped one recently...his face was all cut up (no helmet) and so were his arms and legs. I'll pass on pocket bikes.

 

[Celerity]

For riding gear, you should have the same gear that you would have on a real bike.

Racing them has GOT to be a load of fun, and something I would really do. Lets say that on non-autocrossing weekends I could throw it, a small bag of tools, soem gas in the back of the truck - And whamo, $10 entry fee and have some fun.

That would make it the cheapest kind of motorsport out there. Even cheaper than karting.

-> Steve

And you don't need a full garage to enjoy one fully.

 

[jeffie7]

Originally posted by NotUrAverage_Si@Jun 25 2004, 04:30 PM
I tried to sit on one and couldn't figure out how to see past my knees.

Some guy dropped one recently...his face was all cut up (no helmet) and so were his arms and legs. I'll pass on pocket bikes.

Sounds like he was a "in the bike world" squid "some one who wears no gear". As stated before you should wear riding gear just as if you were on a bike.

 

[dveit]

lol, that's a funny looking pic. they all look like giants.

i think that they would be fun to ride, but I would never buy one myself.

why waste a grand or more on a bike you'll get tired of in a few months IMO.

 

[jeffie7]

Originally posted by dveit@Jun 25 2004, 06:25 PM
lol, that's a funny looking pic. they all look like giants.

i think that they would be fun to ride, but I would never buy one myself.

why waste a grand or more on a bike you'll get tired of in a few months IMO.

once again if you get into racing then it's not so bad

why make a track car you cant use that cost $$$$ if you're just going to get tired of it? some people enjoy doing stuff like that and make it a serious hobby

 

[B16RacerN2NR]

Originally posted by dveit@Jun 25 2004, 06:25 PM
lol, that's a funny looking pic. they all look like giants.

i think that they would be fun to ride, but I would never buy one myself.

why waste a grand or more on a bike you'll get tired of in a few months IMO.

i got one 2 weeks ago brand new for $250 (my step-dad's friend sells them and he gave one to me at cost) anyway...they are pretty fun, my step-dad just ordered one from italy through his friend for $1100. it's a 3 speed and it's capable of up to 75mph!!! IMO, is it worth it? yes! but to some it's not. it all depends, is it worth it to you?

 

[dveit]

well if i could get one for $250 then that would be a different story...

 

[MugenCRX]

I like the video posted a while ago of all the tiny asian children racing them. I thought that that was the REAL purpose for pocket bikes.

 

[MikeBergy]

pocket bikes are stupid IMO, just get a real bike

 

[jeffie7]

Originally posted by dveit@Jun 25 2004, 10:51 PM
well if i could get one for $250 then that would be a different story...

You can get them for 250ish at pepboys


and

pocket bikes are stupid IMO, just get a real bike

Does it suck that you can race 5-6-7-8 people on a empty parking lot? You can really get into the racing it's pretty competitive.

You wanna know what really sucks? Driving 3-4 hours and spending 200 bucks to do a track day on a real bike then either trashing your bike or killing yourself. fun fun fun

Another guy died last weekend at the track that makes 2 weeks in a row for deaths at race tracks =)

Pocket bikes are a little more forgiving and still very fun

so Mike have you ever been on a GOOD pocket bike? not a cheap POS but one of the nice ones? Ive NEVER heard anyone complain about them

 

[jeffie7]

old school CBR =)

12HP!

ATM.0M1 Mini Racing 3.7 hp a/c
(Blue Bird) Steel Frame, Aluminum rims, 6.5" B slicks, rear brake only (front optional) $1,379.04
ATM.0M2A Mini Nouva Super Racing 6.5 hp a/c
(ATM) Chrome Molly Frame, SHA 14 Carb., Std. pipe 6.5" T-4 slicks, F&R brake $1,813.79
ATM.0M2W Mini Nouva Super Racing 9 hp w/c
(ATM) Chrome Molly Frame, SHA 14 Carb., Std. pipe 6.5" T-4 slicks, F&R brake $2,005.14
ATM.0M3E Mini Nouva Super Racing Junior 4.2 a/c
(Polini) SHA 14 Carb, FMI spec pipe, 6.5" T-4 slicks, F&R brake $1,552.67
ATM.0M4A Mini Futura Base 6.2 a/c
(Polini) CM Frame, SHA 14 Carb, race pipe, 6.5" T-4 slicks, F&R brake (150/122 mm) $1,977.57
ATM.0M4W Mini Futura Base 6.2 w/c
(Polini) CM Frame, SHA 14 Carb, race pipe, 6.5" T-4 slicks, F&R brake (150/122 mm) $2,147.49
ATM.0M5 Mini Futura Special 11 hp w/c
(Polini/Malossi) CM Frame, PHBG 15 Carb, QT throttle, race pipe, 6.5" T-4 slicks, F&R brake (150/122 mm) $2,877.92
ATM.0M6 Mini Futura Junior 4.2 a/c
(Polini) CM Frame, SHA 14 Carb, FMI spec pipe, 6.5" T-4 slicks, F&R brake (150/122 mm) $2,180.33
ATM.0M7A Midi Futura Base 6.2 hp a/c
(Polini) CM Frame, SHA 14 Carb, race pipe, 6.5" T-4 slicks, F&R brake (150/122 mm) $2,316.58
ATM.0M7W Midi Futura Base 6.2 hp w/c
(Polini) CM Frame, SHA 14 Carb, race pipe, 6.5" T-4 slicks, F&R brake (150/122 mm) $2,640.94
ATM.0M8 Midi Futura Special 12 hp w/c
(Polini/Malossi) CM Frame, PHBG 18 Carb, QT throttle, race pipe, 6.5" T-4 slicks, F&R brake (150/122 mm) $3,060.52

 

[BigJ]

My friend bought one off ebay a bit ago. His is supposed to do like 62mph and has a 8hp motor. Best part is, it has a speedo I think.

In my area, these thigns are legal aslong as you wear a helmet and they have headlights at night, and you yield to traffic as if you were on a pedal bike.

 

[MikeBergy]

Originally posted by jeffie7+Jun 26 2004, 09:47 AM-->

dveit

@Jun 25 2004, 10:51 PM
well if i could get one for $250 then that would be a different story...

You can get them for 250ish at pepboys


and

pocket bikes are stupid IMO, just get a real bike

Does it suck that you can race 5-6-7-8 people on a empty parking lot? You can really get into the racing it's pretty competitive.

You wanna know what really sucks? Driving 3-4 hours and spending 200 bucks to do a track day on a real bike then either trashing your bike or killing yourself. fun fun fun

Another guy died last weekend at the track that makes 2 weeks in a row for deaths at race tracks =)

Pocket bikes are a little more forgiving and still very fun

so Mike have you ever been on a GOOD pocket bike? not a cheap POS but one of the nice ones? Ive NEVER heard anyone complain about them

No, I actually haven't been on any pocketbikes. The closest thing, was a trail 90 that my cousin had, it was fun, and I didn't have to scrunch down to fit on it. I can see how it would be fun, but my cbr cost less than a lot of those nicer pocketbikes, so I cannot justify spending any money on something that will not be legal on the streets, and although you talk about spending a lot of money on track days and the risks involved, most people that go to those events know and accept the risks. for someone that isn't interested in the practical side of owning a regular bike, but wants some cheap fun on the weekend, I agree that these might be a good option.