A Beginners Guide to Pit Bikes and Mini Motos

For those new to the world of mini bikes, a pit bike is a small motorbike - originally used for travelling between the pits on race tracks. Today, they have gained popularity for being great fun, easy to ride motorcycles, often used in racing. Pit bikes started off life in the 60s before going through several design improvements to end up with the versatile bikes of today. Pit bikes are ideal for areas where space is a limiting factor, in addition to being much cheaper than an equivalent off-road full size motorbike.

These bikes vary in size and specifications, starting from as little as 4-5HP up to around 20HP. The 2-Stroke engines are high revving allowing for quick acceleration, which more than makes up for their lack of top speed (which does not make them suitable for road use). Their exceptionally small frame and lower power output make them ideal for kids wanting to have a go on a motorbike. The acceleration, simplicity and relative cheapness are what make these bikes so very fun to ride and has earned them their popularity today.

When choosing which bike to buy, it is important that the buyer ask themselves what they intend to use the bike for, i.e. serious racing, fun days, for kids etc. Pit bikes primarily differ in the power they offer, typically the more the more power a bike has to offer the more expensive it will be. A more expensive bike is also likely to have higher quality and more resilient parts, meaning the rider could ride it harder than a cheaper model.

Any newly purchased bike will come with an instruction manual from the manufacturer, it is imperative that the owner pay close attention to the startup procedures, run-in checks and maintenance guides. These will ensure the bike retains its top power levels as well as ensuring reliability. Mini bikes do not run on straight fuel, usually they will require mixing with specific oil in the ration of 25 parts fuel to 1 part oil, this is essential to ensure the engine is not damaged. Certain parts on these bikes can wear very quickly (many parts are designed like this purposefully) and so it is essential the owner become familiar with the functions of their bike and feel comfortable working on it. Fortunately, parts and spares for pit bikes are cheap compared to the equivalent for full size bikes.

Hopefully anybody thinking about buying a pit bike or mini moto has found this guide useful and will now feel more confident about their purchase. For those who already own a mini bike, you will find a wide choice of pit bike spares and parts at our online shop.