TradeMe $250 pocket bikes - any good?

**CookMySock** · 21st January 2010, 20:59

Any of the chinese minimoto bikes are fine. You WILL be working on it extensively. If you don't want to fix your bike, then forget it.

The welding is shit. The sparkplug is shit. The manual is shit. The tyres, bearings, brakes, footpegs, fairings, grips, and most everything else on them are shit also, but hey thats what you get with a chink minimoto bike.

If you want to just ride, then buy a Blata. $4-6k. Take your pick.

Steve

**Z1_ZPF_BOY** · 21st January 2010, 21:41

These bikes arnt that bad. They have sum cheap bits that need replacing at first like the spark plug, foot pegs, and carb needs to be maintained well. But like any bike, if you don't know what ur doing wen fixing one, ur gonna be in trouble. If u know what ur doing and enjoy an hour or 2 standing at the work bench fixing it then u will be fine. Alot of un-mechanically minded people buy these hoping for weeks of riding without any commitment to it's upkeep, but if u r mechanically minded they r really enjoyable. Once u sort out the little defects at the start then they r great, the main problem is the carb. Chinese bikes will always be better quality for money, they may not be as reliable, but being a quarter of the price, (like others have said) you can't go wrong.

Buy one, double check all the nuts and bolts, get some gear, then come on over to a track day and have some fun, and if anything does go wrong, the friendly group of minimoto-ers will be more than happy to help. THEY R LOADS OF FUN!!!

**Z1_ZPF_BOY** · 21st January 2010, 22:35

... Or if you have a slightly bigger budget then this bike is great. It's very fast, reliable, and is a proven winner.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=261234737

**The Everlasting** · 22nd January 2010, 06:43

^Yeah that one is heaps better,might be a bit dearer,but at least you won't spend hours fixing it.

**imdying** · 22nd January 2010, 09:43

I've had 10 times the fun out of my slow air cooled chinkers than I've have had out of my ZPF. The ZPF is a lot faster though

**CookMySock** · 22nd January 2010, 10:03

Originally Posted by Z1_ZPF_BOY

... Or if you have a slightly bigger budget then this bike is great. It's very fast, reliable, and is a proven winner.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=261234737

Yes, but you will limit your track time. It's well up in the classes and you will get to stand and watch everyone else race.

Also you might think "very fast" is not an apt description for one of these little bikes, but trust me it is. If you are new to pocketbikes, I strongly suggest you stay with a standard air cooled bike until you have some experience.

Steve

**imdying** · 22nd January 2010, 10:28

Yes, you definitely want a water cooled bike like a ZPF, but you'll still want your air cooled bike when you get it... like he says, more classes to race in, and just as importantly, they're better suited to car park racing... plus they're cheap enough that all your mates can buy them, and there's more fun in greater numbers

**CookMySock** · 22nd January 2010, 10:42

Yup thats it. If you have the cash, get both! Then you will be non-stop on the track except for the kids and the ladies classes. If race officals will permit it, you can ride the aircooleds in the higher classes (riders will smirk at you) but putting the watercooleds in the standard aircooleds races will make people glare at you and ruins their fun.

Again, the cheapie aircooleds are fine. Just expect to become an expert on them (half the fun of it.) They are just a chainsaw with wheels and brakes. There are lots and lots of experts at the track, and you will know everything about them in a short amount of time.

Steve

**imdying** · 22nd January 2010, 12:16

Originally Posted by DangerousBastard

Just expect to become an expert on them (half the fun of it.)

Definitely.

Once you've learnt how to adjust the chain and the brakes, that's most of the hassles taken care of... the rest are just things you'll strike like crap or no fuel hose clamps, exhausts snapping off etc.

**White trash** · 22nd January 2010, 12:19

Buy one, chuck a spark plug, fuel filter, new wheel bearings in them and replace the nuts that the chinese seem to make out of putty and you'll be sweet as.