SuperTuning Pocket Bikes

Get To Know Your Mini Moto will delve further into the many components that contribute to a mini moto, namely the clutch and spark plug, and explain how each plays its part in these remarkable machines.

Clutch

The mini moto uses a centrifugal clutch to power the drive the sprocket, which in turn drives the back wheel of your mini moto.

When you start your mini moto the clutch spins as the engine ticks over. The clutch is engaged when you pull back on the throttle. The increase in speed of revolution of the clutch makes the clutch expand and grip the inside of the clutch bell which turns the sprocket that drives the back wheel of your pocket bike.

The clutch can be set up in different ways depending on the type of performance that you want from your minimoto. Adjustable clutches are not standard on mini moto’s but an after market Polani or Blata style adjustable clutch can be used in your new mini moto. These allow the rider to adjust the mini moto’s set up in according to their preference. Setting the clutch to engage too late when the engine has built up too much power may cause the clutch to slip and never fully engage. This can result in excessive wearing. However setting the clutch to engage too early, before the power has built up in the engine can cause your pocket bike to ‘bog down’, resulting in slow acceleration. The perfect set up is to get the clutch to engage just as the engine has built enough power to rocket the mini moto away, but without making the clutch slip, this is achievable through trial and error.

Spark Plug

Making sure that your spark plug is fresh is important in a two stroke mini moto engine. You can tell a lot from the color of the spark plug. The top part of your spark plug is covered in ceramic insulator which, when brand new is white. This part of the spark plug can change color according to how your engine is running. The plug should appear as a nice tan color when the engine is running perfectly, this indicates complete combustion. A grayish or white color indicates that the engine is running too lean which can result in engine damage. In this case you should clean and check your fuel system for any obstruction, check your fuel mixture, check for loose intake manifold bolts and carburetor mounting leeks, faulty gaskets and leaking crank seals. Anywhere that your engine could potentially leek and suck in fresh air can be the source of a lean condition.

A blackened or oily spark plug indicates improper combustion and is the result of running too rich. This can be caused by too much oil in the mixture or the spark plug could be faulty and misfiring. Check the fuel mixture and replace the spark plug.

So you recently purchased your first pocket bike, or maybe you’re performing a major upgrade. It’s a really snazzy bike but, you may be embarrassed to find out that two of them have exactly the same bike. This could burst your bubble a little bit, but fortunately this can be just a temporary problem. One of the benefits of pocket bikes is that you can customise them easily yourself! You can transform your pocket bike’s design, upgrade it, and change it into a snazzy customized pocket bike that is unique. All the parts you need are available at a pocket bike shop.

Your ordinary pocket bike can be transformed into a custom designed pocket rocket! If you’re at a loss as to where to find the parts you need, go to one of the many mini bike forums that you’ll find on the net. In these communities there are many members who will show you not only where to find the best bargains but also which parts and places to avoid!

Consider also paying a visit to a local dealer. It used to be that dealers didn’t stock parts for pocket bikes, but since the popularity of customising pocket bikes has exploded in recent years, many of pocket bike dealers have added parts and accessories to their stock to supply the ever growing demand. As well as specific individual parts, many chop shops now stock performance upgrading kits, including very full instructions. For those new to customising pocket bikes, this will help you enormously.

Some Parts to Upgrade

Fairings are parts that aren’t really necessary, but do make your bike look really good!  The fairings are plastic covers for your bike’s frame, and transform it into a sleek ’super  bike’.  There is very little you can do to alter their appearance, but you can change the color with paint and add some custom designs which is fun to do.

The tires can make a big difference if you are racing your pocket bike so this is unquestionably one of the main pocket bike parts you should contemplate upgrading.  Most pocket bikes are available with fairly low quality tires therefore an you would be advised to upgrade them.

Conclusion

You don’t have to have a bike identical to your friends. Just take care your custom pocket bike appears as cool as it performs. Using the internet or visiting a chop shop will give you a lot of accessories to choose from to make your custom bike unique and special. This may include trunks, headlights, horns, chrome wheels, saddles and saddlebags, tank pouches and tanks, decal kits, accessory designs, etc. If you’ve seen pocket bikes customised like this, you’ll know what a difference this can make!

Mini bikes have developed greatly throughout the years, they were first built with 4 stroke engines which usually came out of yard equipment such as lawn mowers. However today you are more likely to see a two stroke bike which has been designed to look the same as the larger motorcycles available today.

Mini bikes were first created by enthusiasts using spare parts which were found in their garage. These started to become popular in the 50’s with many people using them as ‘pit bikes‘ for drag racers. They were useful as they took up roughly around the same amount of room as a bicycle would in the trailer and were easy to manouvre and were a lot quicker than bicycles when used around the pit lanes.

The racers that created these would then often use these motorcycles at home and around their neighborhood where children would see them and want them as they liked the idea of a ‘mini motorcycle’. The popularity of these motos quickly grew and companies started to produce these bikes in order to sell to a growing market. The first mini bike companies which were set up to sell these mini bikes were companies such as Rupp, Arctic cat and Fox.

It is from these early designs that all other forms of mini bikes were developed. Firstly the pocketbike/mini moto was created, these are miniature racing replicas of GP bikes.

Pit bikes have also been created from the original designs, these now look like motocross bikes and are more commonly being used in competitions.

Also chopper mini bikes have been created, these are scaled down versions of larger chopper bikes including replicas of Harley Davidson choppers.

Mini bikes are now more popular then ever, with hundreds of thousands of new models being purchased each year. Why not take a look at what mini bikes are on offer at Minimotosgo.com. We have an extensive list of mini bikes for sale including Rupp minibikes for sale and mini dirt bikes for sale.

Also if any more information is required on mini bikes then there is all the information needed on the site.