SuperTuning Pocket Bikes

Hartlepool Borough Council’s cabinet committee is due to meet next week to discuss proposals to create the club in partnership with the Durham Bikewise Mini Moto Club.

Last year the Mail launched a Stop Mini Moto Madness campaign to highlight the

problem of parents buying mini motos for their children, which can be dangerous if used while unsupervised and illegal to ride on public land.

The Bikewise club was established to offer parents and children an option to ride their mini motos in a controlled and non-competitive safe environment away from the illegal use on the public highway.

A committee report by Mayor Stuart Drummond, said: “This well established club now attracts riders and parents from across the North East, including the Cleveland region.

“By offering riders a safer alternative to riding on the public highway, this reduces incidents of nuisance and anti-social behaviour, as well as teaching the riders about health and safety and discipline.”

Bikewise is registered with the Auto Cycle Union (ACU), the body governing mini moto events, and only accompanied children with a specific classification of machine can attend events.

But, riders can provide their own machine or loan a Bikewise owned mini moto.

Two registered clerks of the course, who are qualified and trained under ACU rules, would run the events and a team of course marshals ‘police’ the course.

Staff are trained first aiders and all activities are comprehensively risk assessed.

The report added that the Bikewise Club is prepared to offer the use of their vehicle, trailer, cones, clothing and equipment, mini moto machines, plus the use of their website.

The cost of setting up a regular event would be around £15,000 and councillors are asked to consider granting a £6,000 donation towards costs.
That funding would help pay the clerks of the course, maintenance of machines and vehicles, fuelling and a contribution to marketing.

The council has already set up a motorcycle youth project, alongside the police, which aims to teach riders how to handle their bikes in a controlled, legal and safe environment.

Project leaders are now trying to find a suitable location, with the advantage of indoor facilities, for the mini moto club.

The location must then be approved by the council and registered through the ACU.

The council’s cabinet committee is due to meet on Monday at 9am at the Civic Centre to discuss the proposal.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 1:44 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.