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.

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.