Mini Bike Camping

[robert]

I reeally want one of these to play with now but I don't have anywhere to ride one other than my best friend's farm/hunting property. There's a well used one in front of the pawn shop next to the local supermercado I shop at occasionally but they want $500 for it. LOL You can buy them new for that.

I've wasted a couple of hours watching these dudes get nuts on various Chinese minis and go-karts. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVZZXDUomcSyDv_pYtYpTcw/videos as well as a couple of others.

Since I'd need to be road legal around here I've been looking at the Sherpa Trail 125 and Classic Pro Trail 125 Examples as well as the these scooters 150cc Zuma style. These little Monster 125cc bikes were popular in the Philippines and they'd make them look like little Ducatis or Honda Groms. They seemed to hold up well to the roads over there and the guys modding them, some seriously modded and very quick.

 

[rnArmy]

I've got one of those little mini baja minibikes. One of the best things I did to it was put a torque converter on it. Much better than the cent. clutches.

 

[hour]

I've been considering a mini bike for similar purposes or if for nothing else, scooting around isolated camp sites in the mountains. Balloon tires appealed but the bulk of these wide things was deterring. Built a 66/80cc mountain bike (not my pic, I used a Kent KZR) for $100 new and added a complete motor kit for about $110 - $220 said and done with a better chain. Got it going over 30mph and it was a ton of fun, but a car hit me and totaled it.

Since the engine kit was swapped over to a beach cruiser that won't be much fun on mountain camping trips, I'm looking at Hawks / Magicians / some of the other chinese smaller pit bikes.

$800 for a Coolster M125

$1,000 for Magician

Street legal potential on the M125 and I think the Magician and Hawk both are

 

[lowrider1]

About 10 years ago I bought a 1991 TW 200 for $500. It was beat pretty bad and the guy want $2K. I offered $500 and he took it. I spent maybe $200 and a few hours and I'm still riding it and it still looks kinda rough but is totally reliable and very capable. There are deals to be had, especially if you can/will do your own work. I did splurge on an ATV tire for the rear a few years back and sprocket to allow it to crawl...great bike just wish it had disc brakes!!

 

[BritKLR]

I'm waiting for the the full "Adventure bike" treatment for the new Honda Monkey mini bike.......tank bags, aluminum panniers, crash bars, heated grips, windshield, titanium GPS mount, rotopax fuel cell mount, etc.....then I'm all in for a "long way round" adventure!

 

[F350joe]

I really like this Russian 2wd bike that comes apart, floats, and is super light. http://www.moto2x2.com/en/

 

[Explorerinil]

That looks like a knock off of a rokon trail breaker.

 

[dwh]

That looks like a knock off of a rokon trail breaker.

Except the Rokon doesn't come apart easily and costs 4 times as much.

Otherwise about the same...200cc, 200lbs.

 

[fjatheart]

Is anyone modifying pit bikes for camping? Seems like suspension and selectable gears would make them a win compared to mini bikes and not the weight of a TW200 or similar, especially if it’s just used for smaller outings from the campsite and not your main vehicle. Was looking around for something to go on the back of our

 

[ricardo]

The tw200 would be a good bike but they might be a little out of your price.

Yamaha XT 225 Serow, wonderful little engine made for years with the exact same models, fully street legal and build like a "Real" Bike..

The TT's are the "Hunters choice" so the prices fluctuate depending on the season and the are you are buying from.

Mini Bikes, I'm a Ergonomics freak, please don't even get me start it..

Also a few years back, 50cc engines with bicycle suspension where the range, but the fever is gone by now, aka Cheap, the are "Full size" Lite and actually very fun to ride but require above average skills

 

[ricardo]

Except the Rokon doesn't come apart easily

some Russian company make a Swap bike that uses "open inner tubes", they are very little and easy to take apart..

the videos are around, extremely capable, especially on imposible to ride terrain..

 

[BeardedHombre]

My buddy and I are gonna do some Mini Bike touring here this summer. Building boxes for it now!

 

[robert]

It's moving out of the mini-bike territory, but I'd really like one of the Honda CT125 (that aren't here yet, of course).

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/honda-ct125/

 

[MTVR]

My buddy and I are gonna do some Mini Bike touring here this summer. Building boxes for it now!
View attachment 568292
View attachment 568293
View attachment 568294
View attachment 568295

The Honda MSX125 is viable, but it's one of those "some assembly required" motorcycles. The stock tires, brakes, suspension, and ergonomics are all crap. Michelin, EBC, Ohlins, Sato Racing, and the flat handlebar manufacturer of your choice are there to help.

 

[MTVR]

i went with a pair of Coleman C200UEX bikes. $1,000 for both. im 240lbs and they move me around easily at 20-25mph so thats fine for what well be doing. my wife weights about 130lbs so i figure she can carry 100lbs on here bike if need be. we plan to do some overnight camping in the desert so i got a few saddle bags for the bikes and also installed a water bottle holder (extra cant hurt) the bags fit perfectly over the fake gas tank. i can fit a 1g gas can in each of the side bags plus additional gear. all and all id say we can now carry what we need to have a fun trip. i was a bit worried we wouldn't be able to take much but that's no longer the case.

the bikes have centrifugal clutch's so well have to oil them every few hours. maybe when i get back ill swap them out with torque converters but for now theyre fine. from what ive read the engines are pretty reliable and most importantly, the bikes fit perfectly in the van underneath the sleeping platform. im a little concerned with the gasoline so ill be transporting them empty then when we get to the campsite or about to get there ill fill up a few Wavian cans that i have.

With all due respects, Coleman mini-bikes are utter utter crap. And as others have pointed out, they're not even street legal, which is required even in a lot of off-road places.

I don't know how else to put it- If you can't afford better motorcycles, then you simply can't afford motorcycles. I don't know how to put it in context- the pair of tires that I go through in one track day alone, have a manufacturer's list price higher than what you paid for each of those motorcycles. Given how little you paid for those motorcycles, I would be concerned about what your safety gear looks like- my helmet alone, cost more than both of those motorcycles put together. It would be tough to buy decent bicycles for what you paid for those motorcycles.

PLEASE take one GIANT step back, before approaching motorcycles again. There are so many WONDERFUL motorcycles out there. Even something as crude and impotent as the TW200 would be a MASSIVE improvement over where you are now.