Chinese pit bike

[donaldb]

My neighbor bought a 110cc pit bike made in China. It has hydraulic disc breaks front and rear, 4 speed, kick start, knobby tires, some kind of loud stock exhaust. It's a kids bike but the thing has a top end of almost 80. My big fat *** got on it yesterday (ok insert circus music here) and the little thing flew like a bat out of hell. My question is, has anyone else got one of these things? and are they safe for kids to ride? It looked like it was put together pretty good, w/the tiny tires and sharp rake it wants to turn very sharp, very little stearing motion/pressure on the handlebar and it wants to turn and turn very sharp. I think maybe it may be a bit to dangerous for young-uns. I guess my whole issue here is the safety concern, such a powerful little bike that goes so fast for the cheap price of about 600.00 new or used for about 300.00 makes them easy to purchase--is that a good thing or a bad thing?

 

[evil_henchman]

Putting kids on any bike is dangerous, that's what makes em fun. It's surprising how much power those little things have, my daughter's little TTR90 will haul *** with me on it. She named it "killer" and thinks it's out to kill her but she always gets right back on. Have you ever seen a pit bike MX event? Adults riding tiny little bikes, elbows and feet flying anything goes gladiator type of thing. What a blast! I wouldn't put a 5 year old on anything bigger than a PW50 but it doesn't take long for them to get on something bigger.

 

[jestal]

Any motorcycle ridden by young-uns without the proper gear and supervision is hazardous...nothing to do with where it is made.

Given the right supervision and place to ride and mandating helmets, boots, etc. just to kick start it, it should be as safe as any motorcycle.

Sounds a lot like a knock off of yesterdays 80cc motocross bikes at a cheap chinese price. Don't expect too much in the area of reliability or parts availability if/when it breaks.

 

[red2kcbr]

It depends on the kid, the training, and the maturity level. I know some 16-year olds that I wouldn't let on that bike. I also know that as a second or third bike, a young rider can do very well on something like that.

My son's first bike was a YZ-80, and it was pretty salty. He must have been about 9 or 10. Anyway, it was PLENTY of power, almost too much. By the time he outgrew it, he was ripping on it. But we were always off-road, with gear. Sure, he was scared of it at first, but he got over it. I never did. I was scared shitless of that little two-stroke demon! Damn, that bike was fun.

I know this: a small motorcycle is WAY less dangerous than a 4-wheeler. Check the stats. Here's one example:

FOR RELEASE: August 18 , 2005

CONTACT: Pamela Williams

Office of Communications

405/271-5601

New Study Documents ATV Injuries in Oklahoma

During an 11-year period in Oklahoma, more than 350 persons were hospitalized and 62 persons were killed from injuries on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), according to a recent study published in the Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association.

The study noted that from 1992 to 2002, of those persons killed while riding ATVs, 38 suffered brain injuries resulting in their deaths, and another 24 persons were killed from other types of injuries. The number of injuries doubled in 1999 and 2000 from the previous seven years and tripled in 2001 and 2002. The study used data collected by the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Injury Prevention Service.

Oklahoma’s data is similar to data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which indicated that nationally, there was more than a 100 percent increase in ATV-related injuries and deaths from 1997-2002. The CPSC also noted that per riding hour, children under 16 years of age were 54 percent more likely to be injured than persons over 16 years of age. Recreational drivers were found to be 14 times more likely to be injured than non-recreational drivers and the least experienced drivers with less than one year of driving experience were seven to eight times more likely to be injured than those with more experience. Ninety-five percent of injured children were found to be driving ATVs larger than recommended for their age.

“ATV riders should understand the substantial risks of serious or fatal injuries associated with riding ATVs,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Crutcher. “Parents should know that ATVs are difficult to operate, and children often do not have the cognitive and physical ability to drive these vehicles safely. In fact, compared to bike crashes, an ATV crash is six times more likely to send a child to the hospital and 12 times more likely to kill a child.”

In the Oklahoma study, children younger than 16 accounted for nearly half of the fatal and nonfatal brain injuries and nearly one-quarter of the spinal cord injuries.

ATVs can travel at highway speeds and weigh up to 600 pounds. Many studies have shown that ATVs roll over frequently. The CPSC estimates helmet use by ATV riders would reduce the risk of death by 42 percent and the risk of nonfatal head injury by 64 percent. “Based on these estimates, universal helmet use in our study would have prevented 199 nonfatal and 16 fatal brain injuries,” Crutcher said.

Public health officials offer the following recommendations to prevent ATV injuries among children:

· Children under 6 should never ride ATVs.

· No child under 16 should operate an adult-sized ATV under any circumstance.

· Never carry passengers on ATVs.

· An adult should supervise all children driving ATVs.

· Children should never drive ATVs on public roads.

· Always wear a helmet and goggles when riding ATVs.

 

[madmike2]

I've seen pictures of kids wearing leathers racing the mini-pocket bikes. So why not the others? ATGATT, some candid instruction and a safe learning environment.

 

[tripletango]

Re Chinese bikes. This is probably off the point but basically it applies.

The Chinese bought Benelli and will be in MotoGp in a couple of years. They are as usual on the move

I built roofing plants and sold roofing products in China, still sell in China but now marine stabilized antennas for TV on ships.

Going on a roof in China is easy, there are no safety rules. As with anything else there are pretty much no rules vis a vie

If you fall off a roof you are basically classified as an ***** and this type of thinking pervades,

If you are a parent and you let your kids ride a 100 hp bike or any other type of bike that is your decision and the consequences are yours,

Actually there are no 100hp bikes but the essence of the thought is there,

The Chinese have very few rules and regs in day to day living.

The authoritarian gov't is a different situation. No comments here.

We write rules to protect total idiots.

The Chinese just let nature take it's course,

 

[FJRandy]

Don't worry about that bike. The crank will shred well before the kid learns to keep the throttle pinned.

Trust me on this one. My two friends learned the hard way.