Article about Pocketbikes
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Article about Pocketbikes
Tiny bikes with lawnmower engines race off shelves for as little as $149
BY BILLY ***
FLORIDA TODAY
Computers, stereo speakers, M&Ms, fast food -- consumer trends suggest smaller is better, SUVs notwithstanding. And when it comes to a certain species of motorized wheels, the phenomenon known as pocket bikes has been downsizing since the 1980s.
But 2004 might go down as the year a flood of cheap Chinese imports made these tiny motorcycles -- their seats elevated as little as 21 inches off the ground, powered by no more juice than a common Weed-whacker -- as affordable as lawnmowers. Going for as little as $149, according to a recent People magazine article, some analysts say as many as 530,000 pocket bikes have been sold in the States since late 2003.
"My son is 4 years old, and he'll be getting one for Christmas," says Luthrell Church, who sells full-size motorcycles at House of Power in Palm Bay. "I can set him up with a pair of training wheels, andexpose him to riding byteaching him about safety."
For Church, more partial to racing high-end Honda YSRs at competitive tracks as far away as Georgia and North Carolina than playing with Chinese miniatures, nothing competes with the rush of riding close to the asphalt. "I love it. I wouldn't trade it," he says. "When you're doing 45, it feels like you're going 100."
Although the latest Chinese pocket bikes have gauges indicating top speeds of 60 mph, even their most enthusiastic advocates say that's a fantasy on 47cc and 49cc motors. But Church's designs on supervising his son are prudent, because you don't need to study an operator's manual or get a driver's license to hop aboard. Many aren't street legal, but that doesn't stop pocket bikers from mixing it up in traffic.
"There are so many varieties of these little scooters out there, and we've got our hands full because there's no uniformity with the laws, with what's legal and what isn't," says Sgt. Pat Chambers of the Rockledge Police Department. "Parents are buying them for their kids, and a lot of them are winding up on the sidewalks, or even on the streets.
"We've had a lot of close calls with pedestrians. Fortunately, you can usually hear it coming because it sounds like a swarm of angry bees."
Given the massive numbers of pocket bikes circulating across America during the past nine months, surprisingly few injuries have been reported. In fact, the first fatality was recorded in New York City last week, when a 19-year-old driving without a helmet was killed at 3 a.m. while eluding police on a pocket bike he had recently purchased.
"That's why it'd be hard for me to recommend one of these things for a 15-year-old kid," says Kirk Amendolare, 25, of Satellite Beach. "I've seen teenagers tearing down the street on Go-Peds (motorized scooters) without any protective gear, and I know these things really tempt kids that age to open it up."
Amendolare's complaints about pocket bikes have nothing to do with speed.
Like his friends, he purchased his small bike from an Auto Zone for $495, only to discover a taillight and headlight had been broken during shipping. The box instructions indicated consumers should deal with the manufacturer, not Auto Zone.
"I love the bikes, but the customer service is no good at all," he says. "They got back to me with a headlight, but it wouldn't fit inside the shield. And it's really hard to find parts."
A local Auto Zone, which carries Terminator bikes for $449 and Choppers for $499, referred queries to its national office in Nashville, Tenn. The national office did not return phone calls from FLORIDA TODAY.
At Palm Bay Mowers, certified technician Rob Lee says he's had "quite a few" pocket bikes come through his shop for repairs this summer, primarily from teen owners. Fortunately, he says, "Most two-stroke engines are very easy to fix, so we can turn them around pretty quickly."
But at A1A Lawnmower Shop in Satellite Beach, Steve Bollinger calls the new imports "cheap, horrible garbage with junk engines you can't get parts for," and for that reason, "I won't touch 'em."
Brand names notwithstanding, the pocket-bike wave may be around for some time. Palm Bay's Church says he'd like to see a designated track where enthusiasts can race their bikes safely.
"I still think it's a good idea," Church says. "The kids are really interested, and if they had a place to go to, they could stay out of trouble and learn safety skills all at once."
BY BILLY ***
FLORIDA TODAY
Computers, stereo speakers, M&Ms, fast food -- consumer trends suggest smaller is better, SUVs notwithstanding. And when it comes to a certain species of motorized wheels, the phenomenon known as pocket bikes has been downsizing since the 1980s.
But 2004 might go down as the year a flood of cheap Chinese imports made these tiny motorcycles -- their seats elevated as little as 21 inches off the ground, powered by no more juice than a common Weed-whacker -- as affordable as lawnmowers. Going for as little as $149, according to a recent People magazine article, some analysts say as many as 530,000 pocket bikes have been sold in the States since late 2003.
"My son is 4 years old, and he'll be getting one for Christmas," says Luthrell Church, who sells full-size motorcycles at House of Power in Palm Bay. "I can set him up with a pair of training wheels, andexpose him to riding byteaching him about safety."
For Church, more partial to racing high-end Honda YSRs at competitive tracks as far away as Georgia and North Carolina than playing with Chinese miniatures, nothing competes with the rush of riding close to the asphalt. "I love it. I wouldn't trade it," he says. "When you're doing 45, it feels like you're going 100."
Although the latest Chinese pocket bikes have gauges indicating top speeds of 60 mph, even their most enthusiastic advocates say that's a fantasy on 47cc and 49cc motors. But Church's designs on supervising his son are prudent, because you don't need to study an operator's manual or get a driver's license to hop aboard. Many aren't street legal, but that doesn't stop pocket bikers from mixing it up in traffic.
"There are so many varieties of these little scooters out there, and we've got our hands full because there's no uniformity with the laws, with what's legal and what isn't," says Sgt. Pat Chambers of the Rockledge Police Department. "Parents are buying them for their kids, and a lot of them are winding up on the sidewalks, or even on the streets.
"We've had a lot of close calls with pedestrians. Fortunately, you can usually hear it coming because it sounds like a swarm of angry bees."
Given the massive numbers of pocket bikes circulating across America during the past nine months, surprisingly few injuries have been reported. In fact, the first fatality was recorded in New York City last week, when a 19-year-old driving without a helmet was killed at 3 a.m. while eluding police on a pocket bike he had recently purchased.
"That's why it'd be hard for me to recommend one of these things for a 15-year-old kid," says Kirk Amendolare, 25, of Satellite Beach. "I've seen teenagers tearing down the street on Go-Peds (motorized scooters) without any protective gear, and I know these things really tempt kids that age to open it up."
Amendolare's complaints about pocket bikes have nothing to do with speed.
Like his friends, he purchased his small bike from an Auto Zone for $495, only to discover a taillight and headlight had been broken during shipping. The box instructions indicated consumers should deal with the manufacturer, not Auto Zone.
"I love the bikes, but the customer service is no good at all," he says. "They got back to me with a headlight, but it wouldn't fit inside the shield. And it's really hard to find parts."
A local Auto Zone, which carries Terminator bikes for $449 and Choppers for $499, referred queries to its national office in Nashville, Tenn. The national office did not return phone calls from FLORIDA TODAY.
At Palm Bay Mowers, certified technician Rob Lee says he's had "quite a few" pocket bikes come through his shop for repairs this summer, primarily from teen owners. Fortunately, he says, "Most two-stroke engines are very easy to fix, so we can turn them around pretty quickly."
But at A1A Lawnmower Shop in Satellite Beach, Steve Bollinger calls the new imports "cheap, horrible garbage with junk engines you can't get parts for," and for that reason, "I won't touch 'em."
Brand names notwithstanding, the pocket-bike wave may be around for some time. Palm Bay's Church says he'd like to see a designated track where enthusiasts can race their bikes safely.
"I still think it's a good idea," Church says. "The kids are really interested, and if they had a place to go to, they could stay out of trouble and learn safety skills all at once."
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