Pocket bike racing, which is also known in some places as Minimoto or Mini GP racing, is a type of racing on miniature racing motorcycles, which are known most commonly as pocket bikes. Pocket bikes racing takes place on kart tracks. It is an extremely popular sport in Europe and Japan, and is gaining enthusiasts in many other parts of the world, in particular in the US.
In general a pocket bike is approximately a quarter the size of a regular motorbike, and is powered by an internal combustion engine which is about 50cc outputting somewhere between 3 and 15 horsepower, which varies with the particular model. The machines have no suspension, relying instead on the tires absorbing the bumps. Most weigh about forty five pounds. Models for newcomers often produce about three to four h.p., while the more expensive racing models produce more power. The best pocket bikes for racing have a very favorable weight to power ratio. Accelerations and speed are often increased by modifying the basic pocket bike. Even though they are tiny, both adults and children can achieve speeds of sixty five m.p.h in organized racing leagues.
Pocket bikes are small and easy to transport, and they are cheap to buy which adds to their appeal to both adults and children. The lowest cost pocket bikes from China start at as low as $350 for a basic model, while you could pay as much as as $5500 for a top pocket bike from Italy. Children from the age of about 6 or 7 can be taught the basics about motorcycle racing while adults are able to feel the excitement of bike racing but not the risks involved in regular full size motorcycle racing.