For the majority of the today’s fastest Grand Prix racers, their racing careers began on pocket bikes, or as they’re better known around the world: minimotos. Some riders started as tots on micro-displacement dirt machines, but most of today’s champions all honed their skills by dragging their knees in local parking lots that served as impromptu circuits thanks to a few cones or/or some chalk lines. Today, electric minimotos have become increasingly common, but it’s hard to argue these e-minis lose some of the charm and “big kid bike” experience offered by internal combustion engine minis.
Like pretty much any product on the market, there are high-end offerings as well as cheap Chinese knockoffs and other budget options. A competitive mini typically runs for a grand or two, but one can get fully setup to race minimoto for as little as a few hundred dollars. The low speeds, the light weight, and the fact the riders are only inches off the ground all make minimoto racing relatively safe, even for young kids. Obviously proper safety gear plays its part as well.
Minimotos have the distinct ability to instill a lifelong passion for two-wheeling in young pilots. Dr. Laura Ellis, the owner of the Axcess Racing Team, is particularly dedicated to trying to help grow two-wheeled motorsport and preserve it for future generations. One of the many ways she accomplishes this is via putting on Minimoto competitions at every round of the MotoAmerica series to demonstrate to parents how easy (and cheap!) it is to get your child into minimoto racing, and to hopefully in turn (intern?) create some of the next generation’s professional riders.
But just because these small-displacement bikes may be geared towards kids, that doesn’t mean fully grown adults cant have a blast competing in minimoto. There are adult minimoto leagues that allow grownups to enjoy participating in motorcycle racing for a fraction of the cost typically associated with motorsport competition. Though it is admittedly more popular overseas than in the States, there is a domestic minimoto presence. Here’s some footage of some adults going wheel to wheel on these tiny scoots. The examples seen in this video are both machines made by ZPF, one of the better minimoto manufacturers out there. It’s hard to deny it looks crazy fun. There is also a really fun video from a few years back from when Rossi and (Jorge) Lorenzo were teammates on the Movistar Yamaha team, during which they race against each other on minimotos at an indoor gokart track.
Blata pocket bikes are widely considered to be the Ducati’s of minimoto. This Blata example is a series 14 model, it retails for $3,500, and its 39cc engine is capable of making a ridiculous 16HP (at 13,500rpm and 8nm at 12,000rpm. They sport disk-brakes, a 19 Dellorto carb, and an air-cooled five-port engine.
In addition to watching adults, a quick YouTube search reveals that you can find footage of almost anyone on today’s MotoGP grid cutting their teeth on minimoto machines. This includes footage of Valentino Rossi, as well as one of my favorite throwback videos which shows a young Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro racing them some minimoto.
Whether you’re looking to pass your addiction on to your offspring, or you yourself want to take part in some small-wheeled scoot competition, minimotos are a great choice. You can find an Italian-made ZPF minimoto for sale here on Craigslist in Phoenix, Arizona with a price of $1,000.
You can find a 49cc Blata minimoto for sale here on Craigslist in Kokomo, Indiana with a price of $650, and you can find the series 14 16hp original Blata minimoto for sale here on Craigslist in Los Angeles, California with a price of $1,999.