What is Pocket Bike? All about Pocket Bike
Last Updated on July 16, 2022 by Nafi
A pocket bike is a small motorcycle considerably one-fourth of a regular motorcycle. It’s originally made as an entertainment machine. But it’s later used in many racing competitions. Despite its mini size, it’s used by both young and adults. Its height is up to 20 inches, and its length is about 1 meter. The weight of most pocket bikes is from 20 to 25 KG.
A pocket bike comes with of course a small engine from 40 to 50 cc rated. It has a look of a full sports bike. Many of these pocket bike’s model is designed for competition that produces a power of up to 17 hp. But that is not ideal for a standard pocket bike. Most pocket bike models offer less power usually below 3 hp. They often don’t have suspension features but rely on tires for shock absorption.
Moderate features of the Pocket bike
As of its height and body weight, it’s officially rated for 13+ riders and within younger. But as a part of the fun, it was being operated by adult people due to its sports fashion and look.
The popularity of pocket bikes rose when Asian Imports were introduced to the North American market in 2003. During that time price of a pocket, a pocket bike went down to as little as $200. As it was then new, it was hardly regulated and so many people believed it’s legal on the road. Some pocket bikes come with a 4-stroke engine and an electric motor but they are not that common.
Conception about pocket bike
A pocket bike is informally referred to as Minibike maybe because of its use at the Minimoto race. But packet bike is more considerable as a sports bike than being a mere fun machine. There are many other differences including sports graphics on the body. The misconception behind considering this as a mini bike has a big reason. The entry of pocket bikes into North America as cheap models was not approved for their intention of the competition. They were thought of more as a toy than an as unique motorcycles.
Legal Stand on the Pocket bike
For a certain period of time, pocket bikes were thought to have no regulation and are free to use on a public roads. But as things were growing up, local law enforcement agencies were asking their state authority for a legal order about how to regulate them. The law in North America changes in the mid-2000s to remove previously undefined and unregulated pocket bikes from public through-ways in America as a safety concern.
Pocket bikes as a fun vehicles did not get citations when used on the public road due to a lack of any regulation from any regulatory authority. It’s been never legal in North America on its roads and highways due to safety reasons. Besides, it has a small height and size that makes it hardly visible on highway roads from the big vehicle. Laws are now being enforced in most states and provinces to handle those who operate pocket bikes on public roads.
The UK has been practicing legal position about the pocket bike since the 1990s since it’s been famous in Minimoto Race in Europe. Like North America, It’s not legal to run a pocket bike on public roads, or lands. They have also restrictions to operate these bikes in private spaces where noise pollution was a concern for the local people. The death of a rider from Louth in 2006 stoked up public attention about the pocket bike. UK law was changed again including a provision to seize and destroy these pocket bikes that ran on the public roads.
In 2004, LA Times reported that Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) estimated the number of 2345 injuries from pocket bike use in the US.
Pocket Bike racing
Minimoto is a famous pocket bike racer that originated in Japan in the 1960s. It later spread out as a professional sport in the 1970s. In the 1980s, It spread out in Italy and took another 10 years to reach most of Europe. Many MotoGP racers raced in Minimoto. They include Valentino Rossi, Loris Capirossi, Nobuatsu Aoki, and Daijiro Kato.
Pocket bike manufacturers
Since the pocket bike has been legally ignored and criticized by the states, it’s been discouraged by the state trade union with no help in developing a factory for the machine’s production and marketing. So most of the pocket bikes in the US and countries of Europe are imported from outside with controlled minimal use.
Still, California-based Razor is another brand, and Mototech has been established as a pocket bike manufacturer in the market mostly based on online selling. Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and some local shop in the different country now sells pocket bike with home delivery facility.
The battery in a pocket bike
One or two 12V lead-acid battery is used in a pocket bike for the Ignition system and other electrical components in case of availability. The spark fire in a pocket bike engine works at the same mechanism as in other motorbikes. The current of the battery is boosted to some thousand volts and then brought into the spark plug to spark fire up the compressed oil or gas in the engine.
But there is still an electric pocket bike that works on an electric motor. Those pocket bikes are less powerful with a power of around 700 watts. So the battery life on the go is 40 to 50 minutes on a single charge.
Safety
Most pocket bikes of different manufacturers have EPA Approved safety tag that indicates that the machine will cause harm to riders’ health. In this case the, bike guideline of the highest lifting weight of 165 should be maintained by the riders accordingly.