Author Topic: Those miniture pocket bikes (Read 3783 times)

Maniac · « **on:** October 05, 2005, 01:20:30 PM »

Quick question for all of you:

Anyone have one of those little pocket rocket bikes? You know the one's I'm talking about, they look sort of like clown race bikes. If so, do you actually use them or are they one of those things that you buy thinking is really cool, but grow quickly tired of?

Asking for a friend who is looking at possibly getting into the business of selling parts for these things, but he's curious to see if there is a good market first.

PeteSC · « **Reply #1 on:** October 05, 2005, 01:55:52 PM »

I don't have one, but thought about buying one.
There are scads of them at the racetracks I go to, running around the infield.
I think your buddy missed the window of opportunity.
There was a huge boom of these things for a while, with everybody in the world selling them. (Gas stations, anybody) You can go on ebay and buy a container of them for under $100 each. The Chinese knockoffs have flooded the market, making it difficult to sell the better models made by Blata and Polini....which go for 3-4 times the price of the chinese stuff.

A lot of kids have ended up getting hurt or worse on them, (Due to STUPID PARENTS!!!!) as well as dumb adults. A lot of areas are starting to prohibit them on any public property....streets, parks, etc.

As far as selling parts, I'm not sure what type of parts he wants to sell.
I think there are probably a handful of chinese made engines being used, and maybe some wheels, tires, and stuff are universal, but not sure about the frames.

I'd have him look at ebay, and see if this is something he wants to dive into.

A buddy has one of the Blatas. He rides it occasionally.....

tacoman · « **Reply #2 on:** October 05, 2005, 02:43:58 PM »

I agree with Pete, I think the window of opportunity has passed. The novelty has worn off and the cops, with all the problems these things have created, have zero tolerance. I would be worried about liability issues too. I was at a friends house who bought a couple for his kids a year or so ago. They're in the back of the garage unused. Lots of road rash from the kids going down. His wife rolls her eyes when you mention the things.

Landry · « **Reply #3 on:** October 05, 2005, 02:59:30 PM »

My friend bought one. He won't but a REAL bike, but he throws away his cash on one of those. Go figure. Anyway . . .

It's all bent up now (handlebars, and some other stuff) because his dad (also an idiot) wadded it coming around a corner too fast.

Then, he had the gall to say it was all becuase the pocket rocket was a "crotch-rocket," and they just don't handle right. Truth be known, he doesn't ride that well. Just because he can put 2,000 miles on his Harley in a year, doesn't mean he knows jack about riding.

Idiots.

Maniac · « **Reply #4 on:** October 05, 2005, 03:05:37 PM »

Yeah, thats pretty much what I expected.

I'm not sure what kind of parts he was looking at selling, I -think- it was racing parts.

land_shark · « **Reply #5 on:** October 05, 2005, 04:07:10 PM »

I bought a cheap chinese knockoff from www.minipocketrockets.com ($235 shipped to my door) and have had an absolute blast with it. A friend of mine also got one, and we make it a point to meet up once a week at a nearby parking lot, set up some cones and race for a couple of hours.

Considering how cheap they are, it's amazing they can do the stuff they do. You can really flick them around make for some pretty interesting runs. Bring a toolkit whenever you ride it anywhere, cause you'll need it

Even when my competition moves away next month, I'll still have it as a wicked awesome dog-walking machine.

...but yeah, I think the window has passed. It's so easy to get them cheaply, can't imagine he'd have a good time selling them.

billybandit · « **Reply #6 on:** October 07, 2005, 01:07:16 PM »

Yeah I got one. Got one of those Chinese cheapo jobs. It is a laugh but I don't ride it on the road and my garden doesn't have enough paved area to use it properly. Plus the pull starter knackers every 5 minutes. If you have a bit of land you could use it on, go ahead, they're good for the money

I think there are still people buying them, but so many places offer them really cheap. I have heard of places selling 5 for £400, so to make a profit you'd need to be selling a fair few

B6mick · « **Reply #7 on:** October 09, 2005, 05:12:29 AM »

Bloody pocket bikes, grrrrrr.
Because of the laws here, one could ride one without a licence or rego, till a couple of months ago. The state government along with the police shut the loop hole in the law. The buggers where everywhere, riding on the road. problem begin they are so small even with a 6 foot 6 rider on board you dont see then behind other traffic.
As for the chinese cheapo jobs, ask around, John Lord here in outer Melb, runs a gocart team and is a 2 stroke wiz, he ended up with one to fix and wave his magic wand at, his words not mine, "Total chineses cheap worthless crap". Now when it comes to 2 strokes John nows his shyte, and he is known to make a silk purse out of a pigs ear.

billybandit · « **Reply #8 on:** October 09, 2005, 06:37:22 AM »

I'm not surprised, they run on lawnmower engines. But you get what you pay for, so I'm quite pleased with my £124 (delivered) minimoto. Just wish I had somewhere I could use it lol

PeteSC · « **Reply #9 on:** October 14, 2005, 10:11:35 AM »

Blata motorcycle maker wants compensation from Chinese seller of Blata fakes
BLANSKO, South Moravia (PDM staff with CTK) 14 October - Czech motorcycle maker Blata is seeking tens of thousands of euros in compensation from a Chinese company that sells fakes of its quad bikes, manager Lukas Vasicek told CTK yesterday.

Vasicek said that Blata will provide the exact amount, including the costs of the fakes' destruction, later.

On Tuesday, customs officers seized a container of 160 counterfeit Blata quad motorbikes in Malta.

Blata should today submit the terms of an out-of-court settlement to the maker of the counterfeits. If the company refuses to accept or react to the terms, Blata will file a complaint in a Maltese court.

"We will go all the lengths to see this through, although a trial may last for weeks or even months," Vasicek said.

Until recently, Blata has ranked among the fastest-growing companies in the Blansko region, but has had to cope with the sale of Chinese-made fakes of its products for the past eighteen months. The company has allegedly lost more than CZK 160 million owing to the sale of the fakes this year.

In future, Blata plans to call on Chinese authorities to take legal action against companies that produce illegal copies of its products.

Premier Jiri Paroubek, who visited Blata recently, has promised help to the company in its fight against counterfeits of its products that have flooded the world. Also, the Industry and Trade Ministry asked the Czech Embassy in Beijing to provide help to Blata.

wyntrblue · « **Reply #10 on:** October 14, 2005, 10:30:46 AM »

i love minimoto's, there great fun if you can find somewhere to run them and have a few friends to run them with :)