New Pocket Bike

[King Vino]

LOL, Anyone see that Honda now sells an electric pocket bike aimed at children, with a top speed of 18mph. This has to be the single most irresponsible corporate marketing I have ever seen. Here's the details,

The Honda® MiniMoto™ is a mini-replica of a street bike powered by a 150-watt electric motor. Designed for kids 8 to 14 years old, it speeds along at up to 10 MPH with thumb-operated variable speed and a large rear drum brake to keep you in control. The sturdy steel frame construction is set-up with front, side and rear safety reflectors and official Honda racing graphics. It even has its own vehicle identification number (VIN).

[XPS1210]

I rode one that a guy that I see every once in a while bought after seeing my scooter...

then he said, it was a waste of money and wish he'd have not waisted the $180 for it at schucks!

HAHA!

[King Vino]

Waisted? That's what happens to me after a cheesesteak sub :)

[SuperDaveJr.]

I dont think it's irresponsible...just pretty friggin ridiculous. What a dumb move for Honda. They need to concentrate on making GOOD streetbikes instead of little toys for 3 year old kids.

[marylandmark]

I am torn- business is business and it seems other companies are selling boat loads of these so Honda is getting in on the game as well.

Could be a good way to teach kids how to ride street bikes much the way people teach kids how to ride dirt bikes- start them small and work their way up the ladder. It is better that way then waiting until they are 16 and getting them a 600 (I know they make 250's but most people laugh when you pull up on a Ninja 250 regardless).

[samuelet]

One of the oldest marketing tricks in the book. Get the kids riding Honda, they'll be Honda people for life. They'll long to relive the "good ol' days": rriding my Honda, not a care in the world, wind blowing through your hair, grape popcicle dripping down your face, baseball cards in the spokes...

You know cigarette companies used to do this with candy cigarettes. The packages had the same color and paterns as the real brands, and kids who used to get the candy cigarettes would instinctively reach for the same brands as adults. Scary.

[Aviatrixie]

King... I agree that's irresponsable. When our son was 3 we got him an electric 4-wheeler called the Coyote. It had one speed reverse and 2 speeds forward... a slow walk and a fast walk. He had good safe fun on it and within a few months every kid on the block had something like it. A 3 year old on 2 wheels at 18 mph? Sounds like a good way to wind up with a crippled or dead child to me. :(

Mark... you have a 250 Ninja? Neat bike! It's on my short list of upgrades from my 185 Twintar right now. I'm in a dilemma now tho... a woman friend has offered to sell me her pristine 99 Bandit 600 for $1000... a deal too good to pass up but much more bike than I want or need. If it ever fell over I'd need 3 of me to pick it back up! LOL

Samuelet... I remember those candy cigarettes. And yes, it was insane... but I also remember being inundated with cigarette commercials on TV when I was a child too. It was a different world back then.

[XPS1210]

they still sell the candy smokes...

they just aren't labled that... they are "candy sticks" and don't have a red tip... they also market them with action hero's on the box... spyderman, superman, etc... My kid gets them from the play till you win crain games...

[marylandmark]

Mark... you have a 250 Ninja?


No- I was saying that most people's first bike is a 600- anything smaller they feel like they will outgro once they learn how to ride it.

I was going on the stance that it might not be bad for a 11-12 year old to have their first bike one of these that goes 10 MPH instead of getting a 600 that goes 150 MPH when they are 16-17.

When I was like 10 I had a Honda 50 dirt bike and learned to ride that way and then got a bigger bike and so on. I think that way is better than handing me the keys to a CR250 when I am 16. Same with this- start on a smaller bike (I know- they still could hurt themselves on it) but for sake of conversation this is better than having thier first bike some thing that can go 15 times faster.

[mrklaw]

my biggest problem with pocket bikes is the fact that your face is the same height as the bumper of most cars. Get the kid a metro II or something if you want to get them something slow.

[sooznd]

I agree the low height of the pocket bikes is the most dangerous feature. Wonder how long it will be until some parent runs over his own kid on one backing out the driveway?
You have drivers on cell phones barely paying attention to the road ahead--and they're going to be alert enough to look below fender level for some bike:(

[marylandmark]

Good point about being in traffic.

In my area these things are illegal to ride on the road- can use them on sidewalks, bike paths, parking lots and so on.

I know- kids will be kids and ride them on the street. To me they just don't seem any less dangerous than these skateboard with handlebars with motors I see doing 25-35MPH on the road. The sites that sell them brag that you don't need insurance or registration for them!

Like guns- they are all dangerous but teach a kid gun safety and they will respect the gun, handle and operate the gun safely. Teach a kid to wear his helmet, watch for other traffic (other scooters, people walking and so on) and they will be safe riders.

I can name 20-30 people that I know who's 1st time ever on a street bike was when they bought a street bike -most of which were at least 600's. If I thought about it for 10 minutes I can name a few out of that 20-30 who have died, who are paralyzed or who are disfigured. If I thought about it for 2 minutes I can name a few who wreaked their bikes within a week- which is most of them. If I thought about it for 3 seconds I can name who would have wished they learned to ride in a parking lot on a bike that went 10 MPH so they would have not been hurt as bad and would not have cost as much to fix- all of them!

[King Vino]

Theose things are just plain silly looking!

[SuperDaveJr.]

Agreed, it is a bit in the ridiculous/silly side.