Which is faster, an electric pocket bike, or a gas pocket bike? The speed would depend on the pocket bike. Currently, you can more easily find a faster gas pocket bike than an electric pocket bike. In the future though, this may not be the case. There are several electric cars out now that can easily smoke even the fastest gas cars when it comes to speed. When electric motors become more popular, you can bet there will be more faster electric pocket bikes on the market, but for now, gas pocket bikes are generally faster.

Which one costs less? At the time this article was written, you can get a gas pocket bike that goes faster than an electric pocket bike that costs around the same price. In the long run however, a gas pocket bike will cost more for you to use than an electric pocket bike, because you will have to pay for gas. The cost to charge an electric pocket bike is much less than the cost it takes to fuel a gas pocket bike.

Which has more choices? By far, currently there are much more gas pocket bikes being made than electric pocket bikes. This is one reason why they are generally cheaper. In a few years that may all change though!

Which requires less maintenance? Gas pocket bikes require more maintenance than an electric pocket bike. Gas motors require more work and upkeep than an electric pocket bike.

Which one is better for the environment? Without argument, electric pocket bikes are more environmentally friendly than gas pocket bikes. Electric pocket bikes produce no exhaust, no smell, and they run a lot quieter.

All in all, deciding which one is better will be a matter of opinion. Gas pocket bikes currently are generally faster, but electric bikes are cheaper to use and require less maintenance.

In my opinion, I think electric pocket bikes are much better than gas. I don’t like smelling exhaust, I like how quiet they are, and the fact that electric pocket bikes run clean and don’t pollute the air is a big plus to me. In a few years you can bet that electric pocket bikes will have caught up with gas pocket bikes in terms of speed, and when that happens there won’t be any contest as to which one is better!

It may look goofy to see an adult riding an electric pocket bike, but it isn’t as uncomfortable as it may look. The great thing about an electric pocket bike is that unlike a full sized motorcycle, kids and adults can enjoy and ride the same pocket bike. One pocket bike can provide fun for the kids and even the adults in a family.

When looking for an electric pocket bike make sure you check its max rider weight. Some bikes are recommended for ages 6+, while others may be made for ages 12+.

Some electric pocket bikes can handle weight up to 300 lbs, making it possible for them to handle riders of all sizes and all ages.

With the sudden influx of pocket bikes, many Americans may believe that this is a new sport. But small, motorized bikes have been around since the 50’s. They appeared soon after mechanized racing karts became common. There were goofy contests such as “jousting.” Two riders would ride at each other while holding rolled up newspapers and try to pop a balloon tied to their opponent’s helmet. After the 60’s, the mini bikes became relatively rare in the states.

During the 70’s, pocket bike racing became a serious sport in Japan. They used inexpensive and low-tech bikes for racing. In the 80’s the Italians took the sport up a notch and began racing better quality, high-tech bikes. Still, the bikes they first used were powered by relatively weak engines with no more power than an electric screwdriver.

Photo taken by: Looking Glass

By the later 90’s the sport had spread all over Europe. In 1996 the Swiss Pocket Bike Championship was created. This championship grew to include other pocket bike clubs to eventually become one of the largest in the world. Over 120 people compete in 8- 11 races every year. The races, which are held on different tracks, are divided up by the age and sex of the participants as well as the type of pocket bike (junior, stock or racing).

Pocket bike racing remains one of the fastest growing sports in Europe and is also spreading to other countries in Asia and North America. In certain European countries the races are even televised. Italy remains the number one producer of Minimotos, though the machines they create are now much more powerful than the earlier models. The Chinese have recently began making the bikes, which although of a much lower quality than their Italian counterparts, are nonetheless much less expensive.

Many of the top motorcycle racers first learned their sport on a Minimoto. World champs who began on pocket bikes include Valentino Rossi (Italian), Loris Capirossi (Italian), Nobuatsu Aoki (Japanese) and Daijiro Kato (Japanese). However, an English motorcycle instructor named Alec Tague holds the latest land speed record. Alec, who is 39 years old and 5 foot 10, reached 78 MPH on his 12-inch bike. The old record, held by American Dave Myers was 63.888 MPH.

Modern pocket bikes that have not been souped up usually have between 4 and 14 horsepower. Entry-level bikes produce 3 to 4 hp, while racing models can have the power output of 11 to 12 hp. Most bikes weigh around 40 pounds and run anywhere from $200 for a low end Chinese model, to $5,000 for a well-crafted, top of the line Italian bike.

Gerry runs the site PocketBikeInfo.org which is a source of Pocket Bike/Minimoto related articles. Everything from maintanance to racing PocketBikes.

For more information please visit: PocketBikeInfo.org

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