Why did mini bikes die?

[sparkwizard]

I don’t understand the regulation issue? Maybe small town life has me naive…

If it was sold as a mini bike, it would be regulated by some agency, so as a yard ornament, it wouldn't be regulated.

 

[KMC1]

 

[Skipp]

If it was sold as a mini bike, it would be regulated by some agency, so as a yard ornament, it wouldn't be regulated.

Well I guess I’m from wv…the patron state of yard art…if you don’t have some form of automotive product in your front yard on blocks or covered in weeds you’re considered an outsider and shunned but your neighbors!

 

[sparkwizard]

We here in North Carolina have automotive and agricultural yard art, plus laundry appliance front porch furniture.

 

[KMC1]

Well I guess I’m from wv…the patron state of yard art…if you don’t have some form of automotive product in your front yard on blocks or covered in weeds you’re considered an outsider and shunned but your neighbors!

Bruddah

 

[White Gas]

What killed mini-bike production in the United States--LAWYERS. Plain and simple, same thing killed go kart production in 2005. Product liability got TOO expensive. Briggs in the 70's would not sell engines to any 2 wheel vehicle producer and then in 1999 they did the same to the go kart producers. Briggs was self insured and they just got fed up with all the law suits. This is America blame someone else for your own stupidity and sue. There are more lawyers around than sand on the beach. Look at the number of billboards around the highway just offering their service.

LAWSUITS killed the minibike craze. Most of the low end to moderately priced bikes had NO HORNS, NO HEADLIGHTS, NO TAILIGHTS, NO TURN SIGNALS, NO GEARS, "NOT STREET LEGAL". You rarely saw any advertising showing a kid wearing any kind of protective gear like shoes, long pants, or a helmet. Quite the contrary, the ads usually depicted the "freedom" of wearing flip flops, shorts and sunglasses. The marketing was geared toward fun and freedom.
Funny thing is, the majority of us that rode these didn't live on a farm, or have access to acres of mowed turf or trails on which to ride. That lead to street riding on rural roads in the neighborhoods we lived in.
Fast forward a few years for product saturation and quite a lengthy list of lawsuits for kids being injured and wah-lah. Some of those automobile drivers may have been more negligent than the kids who got tagged. I know speaking for myself, i always tried to stay clear of any car at all times.
As previously stated, once Horns, headlights, tailights, turn signals, and gears were added to accommodate the local law enforcement...the craze was over.
Of course, as i've previously posted, that's what made this spot in time the wild wild west. Ducking in and out of alleys, popping in behind a house and cutting your motor off, racing to a field that led to another subdivision where you knew you could evade being pulled over. All part of the fun!!!

 

[sparkwizard]

You forgot to mention RR tracks.

 

[White Gas]

Can’t remember ever crossing one set of railroad tracks on my mini. Guess it’s cause the closest set was probably more than 5 miles away. We stayed pretty central in our travels, couple mile radius. Gotta’ remember eleven, twelve, thirteen years old.

 

[White Gas]

What killed mini-bike production in the United States--LAWYERS. Plain and simple, same thing killed go kart production in 2005. Product liability got TOO expensive. Briggs in the 70's would not sell engines to any 2 wheel vehicle producer and then in 1999 they did the same to the go kart producers. Briggs was self insured and they just got fed up with all the law suits. This is America blame someone else for your own stupidity and sue. There are more lawyers around than sand on the beach. Look at the number of billboards around the highway just offering their service.

Recently discovered that lil Indian mini bikes told Briggs to take a hike due to terrible vibration issues, not the other way around

 

[White Gas]

Recently discovered that lil Indian mini bikes told Briggs to take a hike due to terrible vibration issues, not the other way around

and yes I’m aware the early years from ‘59 or so used Clinton motors

 

[Mtpckts]

Oldmini are not dead look at the price now. We will pay for memory's. We want grandkids to have the bikes we had. Americans can make a great bikes. It's the lawyer's that ruined it, the kids got hurt not there fault It's the bike.

 

[White Gas]

Oldmini are not dead look at the price now. We will pay for memory's. We want grandkids to have the bikes we had. Americans can make a great bikes. It's the lawyer's that ruined it, the kids got hurt not their fault It's the bike.

Please don’t be misled by the thread title “Why did Minibikes Die”. I’m quite sure ⚡️wizard was referring to the PRODUCTION of Minibikes. The thousands of members and tens of thousands of posts x ten on this site are a true testament to the fact that Minibikes have only grown in popularity since the 60’s. The excitement lives on and will never be cooled… not by price, not by obscurity, not by time. If anything, the contagion factor is multiplying; so much so that I understand the libtards will soon be offering a vaccine for MINIBIKE FEVER

 

[RobertC]

Please don’t be misled by the thread title “Why did Minibikes Die”. I’m quite sure ⚡️wizard was referring to the PRODUCTION of Minibikes. The thousands of members and tens of thousands of posts x ten on this site are a true testament to the fact that Minibikes have only grown in popularity since the 60’s. The excitement lives on and will never be cooled… not by price, not by obscurity, not by time. If anything, the contagion factor is multiplying; so much so that I understand the libtards will soon be offering a vaccine for MINIBIKE FEVER

@White Gas ...please watch it on the political rhetoric.

Aside from that, I agree with your points on the popularity.

And let it be known...there is no cure for mini bike fever !!!

 

[Augiedoggie]

Oldmini are not dead look at the price now. We will pay for memory's. We want grandkids to have the bikes we had. Americans can make a great bikes. It's the lawyer's that ruined it, the kids got hurt not there fault It's the bike.

Yup. Very well spoken. We old farts enjoy re living our youth. I still enjoy the hell out of mini bikes as much as I enjoy my dirt bikes with 10 times more horsepower. The sound, smells and vibrations and sensations of a mini bike/trike/kart are all hopelessly addictive for us. And I would definitely refuse the vaccine for my addiction.

 

[sparkwizard]

There is just something exciting about carving a hard turn on 5 inch stud treads and no suspension.
If you can't make the turn, just lay it down, dust off and try again!