First of all, a little history just to get us set up here: the loud and zooming pocket bike first made its appearance in Italy and Japan. They were, and continue to be all the rage, amongst an underground set of thrill seekers, and the initial buzz has crossed the Atlantic (or Pacific) over to the shores of the U.S. However, when they first debuted over in Europe and Asia they were quite expensive (in the thousands of dollars), and this subsequently cut some would-be fans out of the possibility of owning one.


Thankfully, this has changed as the industry has blossomed, matured, and can now benefit from better economies of scale. Pocket bike manufacturers have figured out better ways to produce these noisy zoomers for less, through a better use of technology such as in the engine, so that buyers are now being reached where they’re at in a much more realistic way.

Now, if you’re looking to buy an out-and-out cheap pocket bike, as many first-timers tend to do, there are a couple things to keep in mind. First of all, you will find these possible deals mainly through online auctions and when the European manufacturers or wholesalers need to get rid of a bunch of these mini-motorcyles in order to generate a cash flow quick. They may have overestimated demand on the road and are, in a way, cutting their losses so they can reconfigure their strategy. Keep an eye out for these types of situations.

A word of warning if you’re going to be a first-time buyer of a cheap pocket bike: a lot of the ones that come over from Asia for cheap will not have their parts supported in the US. If something breaks there’s a bad chance that you’ll be up the creek unless you are an ace genius mechanic. You will still probably be able to hit upwards of 45 or 50 miles per hour rocketing on these bikes however.

Finally, when buying your first pocket bike, you should understand some issues around safety and the law. This cannot be covered authoritatively here, but here’s some things to keep in mind: Get the correct gear; be it a helmet, gloves, whatever. Suggestions on your safety gear should be available in the manual with any pocket bike you might purchase. These things are no joke and there’s a reason their name rhymes with “rocket”. You absolutely must consult your own local laws so that you can ride with peace (and speed) knowing that no cop can give you grief for all the fun you’re having.

Always wear your protective gear when riding electric or gas pocket bikes. Because of the speed of these vehicles, there is definitely a risk that if you fall off and onto a hard surface, or a sharp edge, you stand to absorb quite a beating. If you’re follwing the precautions, wearing gloves, a helmet, a riding suit, then you have just drastically increased your chances of getting out of a serious crash with notably less damage to your body.


It is generally acknowledged that a child under 12 is simply too young to mess around on a pocket bike. Seriously folks, these things can go up to 50 miles per hour. You have got to monitor your kids if they are not old enough to ride. I am not trying to lecture here, but just be a little smart: it will go a long way.

Check the weather conditions before you go out to ride. I personally do not recommend riding when it’s raining or snowing out. This is just common sense, as are most safety precautions, but you’d be surprised by what some people will try to impress their friends. I am not trying to paint the picture that pocket bikes are not safe. In fact, I’d say quite to the contrary. They’re neutral, and all you have to do is exercise rationality in your decisions surrounding them.

Keep good care of the mini bike. Fine tune the engine and check gas levels. Get to know your bike so that you can see if something is out of wack. Even just listening to changes in the vroom sound it makes will alert you to parts that may be loose, but nothing can substitute for reading your manual and having mechanical knowledge of the integration of engine and functioning.

When wearing a helmet, please strap in your chin strap. What is the point of wearing it if you’re just going to leave it loose and flopping around on top of your head. As soon as anything out of the ordinary happens it’ll fly right off. Merely by checking local laws for pocket bikes you will be able to know if a helmet is strictly required by the legal authorities. Knowledge is power. Do your homework.

Sometimes because of how small these bikes are, one may lose their balance or drop their foot on the ground inadvertently. In case this happens, you may want to be wearing elbow and knee pads. Besides the skull, these are the most vulnerable parts of you that could be injured should such a thing happen. Lastly, wear smart shoes like sneakers. Make sure your laces are tied. And treat yourself to a good pair of gloves which will give you enhanced precision in your steering capability.

Believe it or not, this phenomenon has its roots in Japan and Italy, both sites of fine manufacturing and engineering throughout the years. The Japanese especially have proved their mettle in making things smaller without giving up the quality; often even improving upon what has originally been developed elsewhere such as the United States.


Did you know that the 110cc super pocket bikes can quickly reach speeds up to 70 miles per hour. That is movement, baby! The feel of the wind and the air just zipping on by your head is exhilarating to say the least. But don’t take my word for it. Jump on one yourself.

These miracles can be had for anywhere from a cheap $200 on up to $3,000. You will get what you pay for. Merely consider your budget, but know that if you buy a really cheap one its parts will not be supported by your local mechanics and motorcycle shops.

Now, the super pocket bikes in particular are just out of this world for the speed freaks in all of us and the daredevils too. They weigh approximately 90 pounds and have gas tanks that can last for about 30-40 miles. They have serious engines, especially on the upper-end, modeled after Hondas, and people love to race them. Many dirtbike and motocross racers have taken a fancy to them and people will take them on tracks like that.

Beware of buying a super pocket bike from China as it will probably not come in the greatest condition and will take months to get to your house. Like I said, you get what you pay for generally. Check local sources like Craigslist for classified listings or even eBay. Buying used from a neighbor is a good way to go and they can probably give you some good tips as well. You will also have an idea how honest that person is.

The engine size of these super pocket bikes ranges from 45cc all the way to 125cc, and 2 stroke engines. Now the technology is just superb in the better of the offering available to consumers, and you can likely get a solid one for not much money at all, possibly even less than $1,000.

Finally, they are just plain fun as heck. Who doesn’t love the speed of zooming through the streets or in parking lots, performing tricks for your friends and on-looking girls. It just doesn’t get any better than this, folks. You will be not disappointed as you enter the awesome world of super pocket bikes for now and forever.

Get a front caliper with pads for your Rocket or Cobra model and you’ll be off and running in no time. Do a quick search or talk to the people in your racing club about the issues that come up while you’re driving around. Just don’t be that guy who lets his pocket bike parts degrade and get out of hand; this is a recipe for disaster as we all know from experience whether it be in the racing field or even just from neglect and laziness.

Some people think scooters and mopeds are the same thing as pocket dirt bikes and they couldn’t be further from the truth. They obviously don’t know what they’re talking about, so I would suggest that if that’s what they have said to you then do not listen to them try to tell you what kind of pocket bike parts you need to get your ride up and going again. I have seen this turn out rather poorly for some good buddies of mine who listened to an imbecile. Is it worth a broken arm? I don’t think so. Those people won’t pay for your bike’s repair or maintenance or hospital bills to say the least.

You now have no excuse to not take care of your used pocket bike. Education and proactively taking care of our hobbies is the way we are able to enjoy them day in and day out.

The engine goes at higher speeds and temperatures than a 4-cycle engine. That is why there is some concern over exactly how much you have to fiddle with it in order to maintain your bike. It’s somewhat likely that while involved in pocket bike tuning you will realize that your cylinder will need to be replaced somewhere in the order of every couple years. That’s all right, but it just sucks to be you when that couple of years rolls around. Hopefully you will be more on top of things because of the knowledge you’ve gained here.

I always recommend to people that they read their user’s manual before doing work on their engine or other parts. Each pocket bike is different and will require different things. For instance, you may need a gas to oil ratio of 50 to 1, or you may need 25 to 1, depending on the type and quality we are dealing with here. And I can’t tell you that information. You’ve got to do your own homework on this one. Always be safe, smart, and speedy. These are my three S’s. of pocket bike tuning that have not let me down in the engine department for as long as I personally can recall. SO I now offer them to you, my friend. Go forth. Be safe. Ride that thing like the devil!

I hope I have passed on a little of my insight concerning how to tune your pocket bike so that you won’t make the same mistakes that I have. Luckily, I learned from my mistakes, and I went on to race and fly through finish lines. You can too, now.