Quick question about pocket bikes...

ScottFla · 11-02-2009, 02:04 PM

Hi, I've only just gotten interested in pocket bikes and have been reading as many threads here as possible but haven't yet come across an answer. If I have missed the thread with the answer, I apologize.

My question is this: are the $200 pocket bikes decently reliable that they will last for a year or more? Anything to know about the cheap ones?

Thanks for any answers you guys may provide.

FastDoc · 11-02-2009, 02:28 PM

I've had a couple of the cheap PB's and here's my 2 cents.

No, they are not reliable and will not last. :?

That said, they are easy to repair, and parts are cheap and available if you know how to fix it and have the patience. Problem areas are the carbs, fuel petcocks, fuel tanks, footpegs, and fairings.

I bought two for $125 last year, let the neighborhood kids (and adults) play with them for a while, great fun, BTW and sold them for twice what I paid.

They are a lot of fun, quite fast (vibrate like a sumbitch though), and I recommend them. 8)

That said, they are built like $hit. :roll:

ScottFla · 11-02-2009, 02:36 PM

Hey, thanks a lot for the good honest opinion. Sounds like they are fun for what you get.

The cheaps one say they have aweight capacity of 290 or so pounds, is that almost true? I have a feeling I'd be riding one and I'm about 240 lbs.

I don't plan on any high jumps or anything like that but wonder if I'll be able to have a little fun on it.

Any particular dealer or brand to stay away from?Or are all the sub $200 pocket bikes all pretty bad?

FastDoc · 11-02-2009, 02:50 PM

I'm 175 or so and I looked pretty silly on them, but with a smile. I suppose the'd handle your weieght OK, just a little slower. Also goo to know, they have no cornering clearance despite what they look like. Unless you lean your body into the turn more than the bike ('hanging off') the pegs hit the street and break right away. No suspension so no problem there with your weight.

All the bottom line ones are the same pretty much. I bought mine used locally on CL.

I bought a HSUN bike from Scooterdepot (on the site here) and they treated me fine. They may have PB's.

FastDoc · 11-02-2009, 03:11 PM

This is like the one(s) I had:

http://www.usapocketbikes.com/mtx-pocketbike/

I forgot to mention, the muffler falls off the 'header' and will need to be welded back on. Stuff like that. All the time. Still fun though! :P

katoranger · 11-03-2009, 08:19 AM

Are you wanting a street or dirt bike?

If you want dirt then spend alittle more and get a 110cc or a 125cc pitbike. If you watch craigslist you can find them cheap alot of time.

Watch out for broken rear hubs. Really difficult to find parts. The better ones have a the sprocket bolted directly to the hub like larger dirt bikes.

I got a nice little 125 for $50 that needed some light work. Sold it to another member here for his son.

Allen

ScottFla · 11-05-2009, 08:36 PM

Next dumb question:

Are the pit bikes legal on national forest roads? The reason I ask is that if my son and I each got one, they would fit in our van, no need to worry about a trailer for bigger bikes.

FastDoc · 11-05-2009, 10:46 PM

I assume you are refering to the dirt bikes? No way the street pocket rocket would go on grass or gravel, much less dirt.

If that's the case, I don't see why not. Just make sure it has a spark arrestor.

katoranger · 11-07-2009, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottFla

Next dumb question:

Are the pit bikes legal on national forest roads? The reason I ask is that if my son and I each got one, they would fit in our van, no need to worry about a trailer for bigger bikes.

I think FL requires an off-road registration sticker. Might want to check into that and what is required.

Most of the time a spark arrestor is required. Aftermarket ones can be found. Cobra Mr Sparky, etc

I believe that you can ride them as long as all the rules are followed.

Allen

ScottFla · 11-07-2009, 06:34 PM

Once again, guys, thanks for the advice. It is appreciated.

vtr99 · 05-07-2010, 12:23 AM

We had a 33cc scooter we bought on Ebay. Paid $70 shipped! It was brand new, and had electric start. The engine was a Mitsubishi, and it was as reliable as you could hope for, but had no power. It would go pretty well on flat ground, but any hill would stop it cold. We just picked up a pocket bike today we found on Craig's List, and it also has a Mitsubishi engine, but it's the 49cc performance version. It has plenty of power! I expect it to be very reliable.

Oh yeah, it's the X7 model, or Super Ninja. It has a lot of machined aluminum parts, working horn, turn signals, speedo, and indicator lights for everything, along with a CVT transmission, expansion chamber type exhaust, and disc brakes front and rear. It looks amazing, and will do about 45mph. For about $300 there is a lot of cool hardware on one of these things. We have about half a dozen in our subdivision... Let the races begin!

DanteSD · 07-04-2010, 10:01 PM

the pocket bikes will not last, even with maintenance, parts are also a nightmare to locally find. Mine worked for 4 months even with constant air filter changing, carb cleaning, spark plug replacing, and c-clip twiddling.

Sold it for $90 not running condition, i did everything i could to repair the little bastard, new air filters, new fuel lines, new fuel filters, brand new coil, magneto spacing, replacing exhaust to engine gaskets, cleaning carbs, new spark plug, fixing the c-clip throttle adjustment, new pull starts, and compression tests.

Who new 49cc's could make you invest countless hours of work and eBay searching, missed dinners, and forum helps.

vtr99 · 07-05-2010, 03:38 PM

Not sure how anyone could have such bad luck with something so simple. These engines (if you had the classic 2 stroke Mitsubishi), are about as reliable as a Swiss watch. The key is making sure you run a quality 2 stroke oil at the right ratio. I'm sure there are some lemons out there, but they are super easy to work on. I've owned a couple of these and had virtually zero problems.

chris · 07-23-2010, 12:11 AM

search for usapocketbikes.com on bing and it should bring up a link. they have pocket bikes ranging from 179$ up to 2,500$ plus. the 179$ bike is pretty nice pb and its a great price for the bike it goes about 31 with an average sized rider but mabey a little slower for you. the bike is pretty reliable from what i have heard but you never know you might get a bad one.They also have replacement parts if u break something and there pretty cheap in most areas but on some parts they really rip you off and they also sell upgraded performance parts.Hope this was helpful

11-02-2009, 02:04 PM	#1
ScottFla Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Tallahassee, Fl Posts: 21	Quick question about pocket bikes... Hi, I've only just gotten interested in pocket bikes and have been reading as many threads here as possible but haven't yet come across an answer. If I have missed the thread with the answer, I apologize. My question is this: are the $200 pocket bikes decently reliable that they will last for a year or more? Anything to know about the cheap ones? Thanks for any answers you guys may provide.
	0

11-02-2009, 02:28 PM	#2
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	I've had a couple of the cheap PB's and here's my 2 cents. No, they are not reliable and will not last. :? That said, they are easy to repair, and parts are cheap and available if you know how to fix it and have the patience. Problem areas are the carbs, fuel petcocks, fuel tanks, footpegs, and fairings. I bought two for $125 last year, let the neighborhood kids (and adults) play with them for a while, great fun, BTW and sold them for twice what I paid. They are a lot of fun, quite fast (vibrate like a sumbitch though), and I recommend them. 8) That said, they are built like $hit. :roll: __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

11-02-2009, 02:50 PM	#4
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	I'm 175 or so and I looked pretty silly on them, but with a smile. I suppose the'd handle your weieght OK, just a little slower. Also goo to know, they have no cornering clearance despite what they look like. Unless you lean your body into the turn more than the bike ('hanging off') the pegs hit the street and break right away. No suspension so no problem there with your weight. All the bottom line ones are the same pretty much. I bought mine used locally on CL. I bought a HSUN bike from Scooterdepot (on the site here) and they treated me fine. They may have PB's. __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

11-02-2009, 03:11 PM	#5
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	This is like the one(s) I had: http://www.usapocketbikes.com/mtx-pocketbike/ I forgot to mention, the muffler falls off the 'header' and will need to be welded back on. Stuff like that. All the time. Still fun though! :P __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

11-03-2009, 08:19 AM	#6
katoranger Join Date: May 2007 Location: Altamont, Kansas Posts: 15,103	Are you wanting a street or dirt bike? If you want dirt then spend alittle more and get a 110cc or a 125cc pitbike. If you watch craigslist you can find them cheap alot of time. Watch out for broken rear hubs. Really difficult to find parts. The better ones have a the sprocket bolted directly to the hub like larger dirt bikes. I got a nice little 125 for $50 that needed some light work. Sold it to another member here for his son. Allen __________________ You meet the nicest people on a Honda Clone.
	0

11-02-2009, 02:36 PM	#3
ScottFla Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Tallahassee, Fl Posts: 21	Hey, thanks a lot for the good honest opinion. Sounds like they are fun for what you get. The cheaps one say they have aweight capacity of 290 or so pounds, is that almost true? I have a feeling I'd be riding one and I'm about 240 lbs. I don't plan on any high jumps or anything like that but wonder if I'll be able to have a little fun on it. Any particular dealer or brand to stay away from?Or are all the sub $200 pocket bikes all pretty bad?
	0

11-05-2009, 08:36 PM	#7
ScottFla Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Tallahassee, Fl Posts: 21	Next dumb question: Are the pit bikes legal on national forest roads? The reason I ask is that if my son and I each got one, they would fit in our van, no need to worry about a trailer for bigger bikes.
	0

11-05-2009, 10:46 PM	#8
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	I assume you are refering to the dirt bikes? No way the street pocket rocket would go on grass or gravel, much less dirt. If that's the case, I don't see why not. Just make sure it has a spark arrestor. __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

11-07-2009, 06:34 PM	#10
ScottFla Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Tallahassee, Fl Posts: 21	Once again, guys, thanks for the advice. It is appreciated.
	0

05-07-2010, 12:23 AM	#11
vtr99 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 92	We had a 33cc scooter we bought on Ebay. Paid $70 shipped! It was brand new, and had electric start. The engine was a Mitsubishi, and it was as reliable as you could hope for, but had no power. It would go pretty well on flat ground, but any hill would stop it cold. We just picked up a pocket bike today we found on Craig's List, and it also has a Mitsubishi engine, but it's the 49cc performance version. It has plenty of power! I expect it to be very reliable. Oh yeah, it's the X7 model, or Super Ninja. It has a lot of machined aluminum parts, working horn, turn signals, speedo, and indicator lights for everything, along with a CVT transmission, expansion chamber type exhaust, and disc brakes front and rear. It looks amazing, and will do about 45mph. For about $300 there is a lot of cool hardware on one of these things. We have about half a dozen in our subdivision... Let the races begin! __________________ 2002 TA WS6, 2002 Chevy Avalanche, 2003 Bonneville SSEi, Hensim HS250DB Enduro
	0

07-04-2010, 10:01 PM	#12
DanteSD Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 3	the pocket bikes will not last, even with maintenance, parts are also a nightmare to locally find. Mine worked for 4 months even with constant air filter changing, carb cleaning, spark plug replacing, and c-clip twiddling. Sold it for $90 not running condition, i did everything i could to repair the little bastard, new air filters, new fuel lines, new fuel filters, brand new coil, magneto spacing, replacing exhaust to engine gaskets, cleaning carbs, new spark plug, fixing the c-clip throttle adjustment, new pull starts, and compression tests. Who new 49cc's could make you invest countless hours of work and eBay searching, missed dinners, and forum helps.
	0

07-05-2010, 03:38 PM	#13
vtr99 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 92	Not sure how anyone could have such bad luck with something so simple. These engines (if you had the classic 2 stroke Mitsubishi), are about as reliable as a Swiss watch. The key is making sure you run a quality 2 stroke oil at the right ratio. I'm sure there are some lemons out there, but they are super easy to work on. I've owned a couple of these and had virtually zero problems. __________________ 2002 TA WS6, 2002 Chevy Avalanche, 2003 Bonneville SSEi, Hensim HS250DB Enduro
	0

07-23-2010, 12:11 AM	#14
chris Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 8	usapocketbikes.com search for usapocketbikes.com on bing and it should bring up a link. they have pocket bikes ranging from 179$ up to 2,500$ plus. the 179$ bike is pretty nice pb and its a great price for the bike it goes about 31 with an average sized rider but mabey a little slower for you. the bike is pretty reliable from what i have heard but you never know you might get a bad one.They also have replacement parts if u break something and there pretty cheap in most areas but on some parts they really rip you off and they also sell upgraded performance parts.Hope this was helpful
	0