CentrePointe Neighborhood Assoc.

‘Pocket Bikes’ Are Not Toys for Children

Sep 20, 2005

By Joseph Belef

We?’ve all seen the children around the neighborhood riding their pocket bikes and ?“just having fun?”. But parents should be aware of the risks when buying and riding ?“pocket bikes?”, also known as "miniature motorcycles" and "pocket rockets."
The bike craze began in Italy, where high-quality pocket bikes?—that cost $2,000 to $4,000?—are used in racing competition. The bikes were rare in the United States until a couple years ago when Chinese "knockoff" versions began appearing in stores. The Chinese made bikes are of lower quality and cheaper, with $200 to $500 price tags.
The typical pocket bike looks like a replica of a real racing motorcycle, except it is about a quarter of the size. They come in two types: those with electric-powered engines and those with gas-powered engines.
Pocket bikes are actually classified as motor-driven cycles, but they aren't legal for public streets. This has been a growing problem because these bikes are often marketed as scooters, which leads people to believe that they are street legal and do not require a license. The fact is, according to the Colorado State Patrol, it is illegal to ride them on Colorado's streets and roads.
Law enforcement officials call them dangerous. A big concern is that parents are buying the bikes for their children, essentially turning an adult sport bike into a toy, and causing a number of safety and legal issues. They are often sold at places like AutoZone, Pep-Boys, and Checker, and aren't advertised as being illegal to ride on city streets; they look like a toy, so parents buy them for their children.
On the street the dangers are obvious. Because they are so small, they are difficult for cars to see, drivers don't expect to see them among the larger cars and trucks. Some pocket bikes can go up to 50 mph, they're not always stable, and often the brakes are inadequate. With no age restriction and no registration requirements, police fear these miniature motorcycles may become a king-size problem.
--The state says it's clear: you can not ride them in the streets.
Also, the City of Aurora does not allow motorized vehicles of any type, including pocket bikes, ?“go-peds?”, or motor-scooters to be ridden in parks, on trails, or sidewalks.
Across the country numerous children have been killed riding them because they were hit by cars. In some cases the driver of the car did not see them, or because of the fast speed of the bikes, a child riding one darted out in front of a car and was run over because they driver could not stop in time. Other times, the children did not stop at traffic lights or stop signs.
So, play it safe. If you buy one of the bikes, do not allow your children to ride them except on private property (with permission of the owner), and only under the supervision of an adult. Nobody wants to see a child injured because they were ?‘just having fun?’.