Mini-bikes engage young engineers

JONATHAN CAMERON/Manawatu Standard

RIDING HIGH: Feilding High School engineering teacher Roger Emerson is revving up for the mini-bike race days at Manfield Park this month.

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What happens when you let teenage grease monkeys tinker with mini-motorbikes at school?

You have to kick them out of the classroom when you want a cup of tea at the end of the day so you can go home for dinner, says Feilding High School teacher Roger Emerson.

In the past year, the engineering programme had “exploded”, with schools all over the country picking it up and signing on for the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Mini Moto Grand Prix at Manfield Park.

On October 20 and 21 more than 200 teenagers will hoon around the 1.5-kilometre circuit on 50cc midget motorcycles which they have designed and built to earn unit standards.

“They look like stuffed turkeys when they’re sitting on them,” Mr Emerson said.

The event has tripled since its inception last year, with 15 schools racing over three days compared to four schools racing on one day.

To make races fair students race in weight classes. This year the lightest teen weighs 45kg and the heaviest 140kg.

Former world superbike champ Aaron Slight would hopefully arrive in time to see a mini-version of his bike being raced by Feilding student Troy Simonsen.

Mr Emerson created the programme several years ago to get students interested in learning.

“I felt that we must deliver courses that prepared 17-year-old school leavers with skills, experience and interest for future employment.”

The course is cross-curricular and combines English, maths and science.

“They make their own exhaust systems, which is basically positive and negative gas pressure.”

The change in students was dramatic and the interest it stirred had exceeded his expectations, he said.

“They get up in the morning and come to school rather than just lying in bed.

“Last year I had one class of Year 12 and 13 combined, this year there’s two classes of Year 12 and a class of Year 13.”

And more students are knocking on his door asking for a place on next year’s programme – including two girls.

The kids put together a $380 mini-bike kit which comes with brakes, an engine and wheels.

Kiwi ingenuity comes in handy when they make their finishing touches, Mr Emerson said.

The kids worked out plastic wine corks make good handle bar stoppers so parents had a few good weekends, he said.