Think drag racing is a total drag? Or that the Motocross could stand a little more innovation? A sports buff with a taste for the unconventional is sure to find pocket bikes a great new trend. From being a simple novelty, pocket bikes have become a passion for racing fans who are tired of the same old trends, and are ready to take a step toward a whole new way of looking at racing - from a view that's much closer to the ground!



The idea of pocket bikes started many years ago in the tech-savvy nation of Japan. Among the things Japan is famous for is miniaturizing popular large merchandise, while keeping all the features intact. The earlier term for miniature bikes in that country is "minimoto," an abbreviation for "mini motorcycle." The trend spread into Europe, and soon famous bike manufacturers like Italy's Pollini began catering to the minimoto crowd. The pocket bike craze was ready to take over the world!

It may come as a surprise to the curious to find that for such small things, pocket motorbikes are actually not cheap. Some really good racing models go upwards of $2000. Around $4000 buys a true enthusiast the equivalent of a Ducati - stylish and swift. The astronomical retail cost is mainly due to the amount of research spent on developing such a small but powerful machine. Parts for pocket motos may also cost a pretty penny, especially if some should happen to be high-performance and hard to find locally!

Italian and Japanese manufacturers are known to set the standard of quality for these vehicles. However, cheaper China-made knockoff pocket motorbikes are becoming increasingly available, and these are considered great bargains by new blood, who are just getting their feet wet in the pocket bike circuits. Some starter bikes could go as low as $200. For great bargains, one need not look any further than Ebay.com. Note however that "purists" do not regard buyers of knockoff import bikes very highly; such bikes are often ridden irresponsibly, and by doing this the buyers give the sport of minimoto racing a bad name.

Don't underestimate the way pocket bikes are making waves in the sports world. Valentino Rossi, a Grand Prix Moto GP champion rider, first started off as a pocket bike racer. These mean machines may be small but their enthusiasts definitely are not. Pocket bike racing tournaments are being held on a regular basis in various parts of the world, and champions are held in high regard among the enthusiasts' circles.