If you have ever watched Street Motorcycle Racing with Super Bike factory sponsor riding celebrities as the take corners at speeds of 160 plus miles per hour dragging their knees on the track, then you know how dangerous that sport can be. Imagine yourself as a factory sponsored rider on a crotch rocket in full gear and the training you would need.

Well, it just so happens I myself was in the same shoes as most “squids” when I signed up for Super Bike School many years back in California. At the time they were riding Ninja 600’s and nothing like today’s race bike technologies and believe me we were racing around afterwards in the novice class and were no where near those 160 speeds, especially not in the corners.

Learning to race motorcycles is fun as you come in to set up for the turns, your mind goes into slow motion, but it takes a while to get use to doing it in a fluid motion or even close to the finesse of the professional riders. One new technology on the horizon are the Holographic Technologies, which are getting closer to becoming reality. Imagine watching an image of a factory rider in front of you setting up the turn and executing it perfectly? You would match your bike to the holographic projection and attempt to mirror you actions to it.

By doing this you would be able to visualize it and then watch the video of yourself doing it for critique by the Super Bike coaches. Such an application for this technology could also prevent motorcycle accidents in traffic as you learned to maneuver your bike in all situations. I would recommend super bike school to all motorcycle riders, because these skills are important to avoiding all the idiot drivers out there. Think on this.
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Before you ride your new pocket rocket , there are a few important safety tips you should follow. Obviously these are not all encompassing, meaning you should use a little common sense and follow the manufacturers recommended safety rules as well.

The number one rule, as expected, is to wear a helmet . This really falls in the common sense category. Any vehicle that you don’t strap yourself to with a seatbelt should have a helmet worn when driving. Whether it’s a bicycle, motorcycle, moped, pocket rocket or bike – head protection should be the main priority. It doesn’t take much of an impact to crack open your skull, whether you’re an adult or a child.

Wear elbow and knee pads . In the event of a crash, most likely you’ll be laying the bike down of falling over rather than running into a still object. Knee pads are of most importance, as “dragging a knee” is a common method of taking fast corners, we don’t need to convice you not to drag your bare knee across asphalt do we?

Don’t ride on public roads. While we’d like this to fall into the “common sense” category, most people don’t follow this rule. These 24″ tall pocket rockets were not meant to be driven on the street. They don’t have tags, turn signals or a horn. They’re tiny compared to the already hard to see motorcycles, and you’ll likely get run over by a car that never saw you coming.

Don’t do crazy stunts. This is another no brainer, but often unfollowed safety tip. It only takes a YouTube search for “pocket rocket stunts” to see some of the things you probably shouldn’t be doing if you value your safety. Not only could you get hurt, you could hurt or possibly kill innocent bystanders. In addition, your pocket rocket probably wasn’t purpose built to handle jumping objects and riding wheelies, the added wear and tear will likely damage your bike.

In summary, the most important safety tip is to use common sense. In addition to the above tips, avoid excessive speed (they call these “rockets” for a reason) and remember that others around you are at risk too. Wear a helmet, if anything else. Brain injury is permanent, while skinning your elbow isn’t. Have fun and stay safe.
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Minimotos are fast becoming very popular for leisure riding and also for competitive racing use. There has been a marked move towards improving the performance and power characteristics of these miniature racing machines. One such easy way to enhance the performance of your minimoto is to fit a rocket key. The minimoto rocket key is designed with a 10 degree offset and is a direct replacement for the standard straight cut item. Here are the easy to follow instructions for rocket key fitment:

Fitting a minimoto rocket key

1) Firstly remove the pull start unit from the right side of the minimoto engine, which is held in place by 3 hexagonal head screws and 1 bolt attachment to the cylinder head area.

2) On removing the pull start unit the flywheel will be exposed. The flywheel is retained with a 8mm bolt in the centre. Remove the 8mm bolt with a socket and wrench. In order to stop the flywheel rotating whilst undoing the bolt wedge an Allen key in between one of the flywheel fins and lodge it against the footrest support bar.

3) Once the retaining bolt has been removed, the flywheel can be extracted. There are 2 available methods of extraction.

Method 1 – There are two threaded holes in the flywheel, screw 2 long M6 threaded bolts into these 2 holes and turn evenly in a clockwise direction to prise off the flywheel.

Method 2 – Use a purpose made flywheel puller.

4) On removal of the flywheel, the stock key can now be observed resting in its machined slot in the crankshaft end. Using a small pick simply prise the stock key from its slot.

5) Install the new minimoto rocket key in the vacated slot. Note that the 10 degree offset of the new rocket key should point to the right (towards the front of the machine).

6) Once the rocket key has been fitted in its slot, refit the flywheel and secure with its retaining bolt. It is a good idea at this stage to use some thread locking compound on the retaining bolt. Refit the pull start unit and secure.

Now experience and enjoy the power gains from your newly fitted minimoto rocket key.
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I purchased my very first Yamaha FZ6 motorcycle 3 weeks back. It is a brand new 2008. Since then, I’ve been able to do some riding and find out what this bike has got.

Some background… I’ve owned two Yamaha bikes prior to purchasing one. They were both Yamaha R6 sport bikes. These R6s were both FAST… VERY fast. And, wouldn’t you know, I like to go fast. This issue was, though, that they were not at all comfortable for longer trips. You sit laying over the gas tank with hands and arms at an strange angle when holding onto the handlebars.

One of the criteria I set forth when contemplating a new motorcycle, and eventually the Yamaha FZ6, was comfort. The other was power and speed. What I encountered in the FZ6 was a much more straight up riding position (FAR more comfortable for both rider and passenger) and a spunky R6 motor.

One major distinction, other than the two points I mentioned above, is that the Yamaha FZ6 lacks fairings on the sides to cover the engine and components like the R6. I never really had a preference one way or another, but now that I own the bike, I becoming fond of the “naked” look.

So, how does the Yamaha FZ6 stack up to my criteria? Fabulously!!

The Yamaha FZ6 is everything I knew it could be. The upright riding style is far more tolerable for extended rides and, to me, makes the bike easier to maneuver. In the speed department, it’s still breaking-in and I have not exceeded about 8,000 RPM. But even in this lower range, it’s got definite torque and power. And from what I’ve heard, the bike is a rocket-ship above 8,000 RPM. I’ll keep you updated after I start really seeing what it’s got.

My only criticisms thus far are the design of the seat, and the wind screen. I don’t particularly like the design of the seat… I’m accustomed to the R6 seat. This is entirely an aesthetic complaint and has little to do with actual comfort. The seat can be swapped, however, and there are myriad of after-market seats available that can give it some personality.

As for the windscreen, it doesn’t deflect air as much air above the rider as it should. At reasonably high speeds, I’m sure this could present a problem. Looking around, I’ve come across the Puig racing windscreen that I’ve heard remedies the situation, to an extent. This will probably be one of the first additions I make to the new Yamaha FZ6.

Thanks for reading about my first impressions of the Yamaha FZ6 motorcycle.
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Mini bikes are small motorised vehicles, because these are propelled by an engine they are classed as motor vehicles. It is because of this they must comply with regulations if they are to be ridden on the road.

If you are to ride a 49cc mini bike on the road, firstly you must have the appropriate license, in the UK you will need to be 16 years old and hold a provisional license. This allows you to ride registered vehicles on the road as a learner.

You will also need to undergo a compulsory bike test (CBT) which then allows you to ride legally on the road.

If you have all this you need to ensure the mini bike is road legal. 99% of mini bikes are not road legal and are nowhere near high enough standard to be classed as road legal. Therefore it is quite a task in order to get a mini bike road registered and legal, and thus most people do not attempt to do it.

The mini bike will need to pass an SVA test, this is probably going to cost more than what you paid for the mini bike itself. But if you still want to get it legal, then your mini bike will need to be fitted with front and rear lights, indicators, speedo and also must undergo tests to ensure the mini bike is built to a high enough standard (which no mini bike is).

The bike must also be restricted to a certain speed if you are 16, and noise regulations etc. must also be taken into account. As you can see this is a lot of hassle, hence why people rarely bother to do it.

If you do not follow this route to get your bike on the road, then it is not allowed to be ridden in any public place, this includes public parks, pavements, or roads. The only place which these are allowed to be ridden is therefore private land.

If these bikes are ridden illegally on the road then police have the power to seize and crush your mini bike, and if you were caught riding it you could face having points on your license or could face a prison sentence.

Not really worth riding the bike illegally is it? These days however people are still not getting the message and still ride bikes illegally which gives other mini bike riders, such as myself a bad name. There are a growing number of incidents of bikes being seized and crushed in the UK every year.

So the next time you think about riding your mini bike illegally, make sure you know what the dangers of doing this is, or you could be in with a huge shock!
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Throughout this article I’m going to go through all the major types of Mini Motorcycles, and give a brief idea or trait of each one. To begin we will start off with the “Pocket Bike”.

The Pocket Bike is cousins with the crotch rocket. These two Bikes are very similar in design and sleekness. When sitting on a Pocket Bike your body is bent over the bike making you and the bike as aerodynamic as possible. The Pocket Rocket is made for the streets, and can reach speeds as high as 60+mph.

Our next vehicle will be the Mopeds. Mopeds are great mini motorcycles for a number of reasons. Mopeds best trait have to be the fact that they can reach numbers as high as 100 miles per gallon. With such high mpg numbers, you can’t go wrong with a moped when your trying to save money on transportation. Not to mention you can get an electric moped and avoid fuel completely.

ATV’s are also under the category of Mini Motorcycles. These mini vehicles have an endless list of uses. With an ATV you have the best of both worlds. Whether your trail riding with your friends, or helping out around the house doing some yard work.

Mini Motorcycles are great for many different reasons. Whether you simply want to have some fun, save some gas money, or help do work around the house, Mini Motorcycles have it all. I myself have an ATV and a Moped, and i wouldn’t trade ether of them in for the world.
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