Pit bike
Encyclopedia
A pit bike is a small off-road/on-road motorcycle
originally used for riding around the pits or staging area of a motocross
race. Since the early 2000s pit bike racing, a sport similar to motocross, has become popular in the United States, especially in Southern California. The term has also been applied to the use of bicycles in similar venues.
to ride around the pit areas of dirt bike races and race events across the United States. The fairly cheap price and the mobility of these bikes made them easy to use at racing events. Popular dirt bike movies like Crusty Demons of Dirt 3 which came out in 2001 show how these small motorcycles can be used to do things other than just riding back and forth in the pits. A part of this movie shows people using Z50’s to jump huge bicycle jumps in someone’s back yard. This movie and movies like it made people realize what these little bikes were capable of. It did not take long for the pit bike trend to catch on.
By the time the trend caught, Honda had changed the name from Z50 to XR50 in 1999 and made great changes to the bike. A few of these changes include a plastic gas tank, single rear shock, spoke wheels, seat, plastics, total redesign of the frame, and the total appearance of the bike. As teenagers and young adults began to show interest in Z50’s, companies started to be formed which make upgraded aftermarket parts for pit bikes that make them comfortable and powerful for bigger riders. Some of these parts include heavy duty suspension, tall handle bars, tall seats, and big bore kits. As more and more people put these upgraded parts on their Z50’s their popularity grew and lead to pit bike races across the United States.
In 2002 Kawasaki came out with the KLX110. This bike, as with Honda’s XR50, was designed for smaller riders. The 110 is bigger and faster than an XR50 and has a greater top speed so it needs fewer parts to make it comfortable for bigger riders. Pit bike riders realized this and started moving their focuses to the KLX110. Fewer parts means riders did not need to spend as much money on upgrades as they would with the Hondas.
Due to the popularity of the sport, many pit bike race series have appeared in various parts of the United States. Some examples of such series are the 2-Up Minis and Masters of Minis race series, both located in the North East, the Sho-Me series in Missouri, and the annual Mini Moto Supercross race held the day before the final round of the AMA Pro Supercross
series in Las Vegas
, NV.
In late 2004, a small Utah based minbike importer called USA Motortoys began importing a pit bike bearing many striking similarities to the SDG Speed Mini. They called this bike the Pitster Pro. Over time many more pit bike companies introduced bikes into the market. Currently available production pit bikes include Pitster Pro, SSR, Piranha, G2 Moto, and Pit Pro. Companies like OGM, Thumpstar, and Sikk MX, either no longer have any pit bikes for sale, or no longer have any pit bikes available that are competitive with modern offerings.
is slowly being taken over by pocket bikes
. that generally have speeds up to 60 miles per hour. Slick tires are an absolute must for any avid supermoto racer. Being the fastest paced discipline with speeds up to 60 miles per hour, Supermoto generally has the most serious injuries.
s and riding around like BMXers
. Most skateparks do not allow pit bikes because the torque can tear up the wood. Metal and concrete parks are the best for pit park. Slick tires are preferred but knobby tires can still be used. The dangers are similar to the injuries of BMX
.
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
originally used for riding around the pits or staging area of a motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
race. Since the early 2000s pit bike racing, a sport similar to motocross, has become popular in the United States, especially in Southern California. The term has also been applied to the use of bicycles in similar venues.
History
The name pit bike originated from the use of a Honda Z50Honda Z50R
The Honda Z50R refers to a motorcycle produced by Honda Motorcycles belonging to its Z Series family of mini bikes. It began production in 1979 as Honda's answer to the increasing demand for mini dirt bikes to be used on the track, as opposed to their traditional trail bike used more for leisure,...
to ride around the pit areas of dirt bike races and race events across the United States. The fairly cheap price and the mobility of these bikes made them easy to use at racing events. Popular dirt bike movies like Crusty Demons of Dirt 3 which came out in 2001 show how these small motorcycles can be used to do things other than just riding back and forth in the pits. A part of this movie shows people using Z50’s to jump huge bicycle jumps in someone’s back yard. This movie and movies like it made people realize what these little bikes were capable of. It did not take long for the pit bike trend to catch on.
By the time the trend caught, Honda had changed the name from Z50 to XR50 in 1999 and made great changes to the bike. A few of these changes include a plastic gas tank, single rear shock, spoke wheels, seat, plastics, total redesign of the frame, and the total appearance of the bike. As teenagers and young adults began to show interest in Z50’s, companies started to be formed which make upgraded aftermarket parts for pit bikes that make them comfortable and powerful for bigger riders. Some of these parts include heavy duty suspension, tall handle bars, tall seats, and big bore kits. As more and more people put these upgraded parts on their Z50’s their popularity grew and lead to pit bike races across the United States.
In 2002 Kawasaki came out with the KLX110. This bike, as with Honda’s XR50, was designed for smaller riders. The 110 is bigger and faster than an XR50 and has a greater top speed so it needs fewer parts to make it comfortable for bigger riders. Pit bike riders realized this and started moving their focuses to the KLX110. Fewer parts means riders did not need to spend as much money on upgrades as they would with the Hondas.
Due to the popularity of the sport, many pit bike race series have appeared in various parts of the United States. Some examples of such series are the 2-Up Minis and Masters of Minis race series, both located in the North East, the Sho-Me series in Missouri, and the annual Mini Moto Supercross race held the day before the final round of the AMA Pro Supercross
Supercross
Supercross is a motorcycle racing sport involving off-road motorcycles on an artificially-made dirt tracks consisting of steep jumps and obstacles. Professional supercross contest races are held almost exclusively within professional baseball and football stadiums.-History:Supercross was derived...
series in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, NV.
Japanese children's mini-cycles
Some riders choose to purchase a stock Japanese mini-cycle intended for a young child's use and perform various upgrades. These upgrades usually cost several thousand US Dollars, and can be very time consuming.Production pit bikes
Since 2003, starting with the SDG Speed Mini, an alternative to upgraded kids' bikes became available. In 2003 Xtreme Motor Corp, a company founded by ex-motocross champ Guy Cooper, and SDG began producing fully upgraded Chinese pit bikes. These pit bikes were designed around the Honda CRF-50's frame and used larger displacement engines, as well as tall handle bars, stronger suspension, and various other upgrades. The demand for these production minis was not quite as great as these companies had anticipated. SDG struck a deal with Tucker Rocky Distributing and their Speed Mini became instantly available to Tucker Rocky Dealers throughout the US. These bikes sold slower than expected, and some remain in dealerships around the US.In late 2004, a small Utah based minbike importer called USA Motortoys began importing a pit bike bearing many striking similarities to the SDG Speed Mini. They called this bike the Pitster Pro. Over time many more pit bike companies introduced bikes into the market. Currently available production pit bikes include Pitster Pro, SSR, Piranha, G2 Moto, and Pit Pro. Companies like OGM, Thumpstar, and Sikk MX, either no longer have any pit bikes for sale, or no longer have any pit bikes available that are competitive with modern offerings.
Pit bike racing
Pit bike racing is a competition sport similar to Motocross. A typical pit bike event consists of numerous classes designated by bike types racing for a set amount of laps on a track during two or more "motos" or outings. The winner is determined by the highest average position at the end of the event. Trophies are often awarded.Motocross
Motocross is the most common discipline of pit bikes. Before someone begins racing their pit bike, they need to upgrade their suspension from stock. With jumps putting you 10+ feet in the air, motocross has a very high chance of injury. Knobby tires are a must for any dirt racing.Supermoto
SupermotoSupermoto
Supermoto is motorcycle racing on a circuit that alternates between three types of track: flat track, motocross and road racing, using motorcycles designed for that purpose...
is slowly being taken over by pocket bikes
Pocketbike racing
Pocket Bike racing, also known as Minimoto or circus racing, is a category of racing where miniature racing motorcycles are raced around kart tracks...
. that generally have speeds up to 60 miles per hour. Slick tires are an absolute must for any avid supermoto racer. Being the fastest paced discipline with speeds up to 60 miles per hour, Supermoto generally has the most serious injuries.
Pit Park
Pit park is perhaps the newest discipline for pit bikes. Pit park originally started with people taking a pit bike to skateparkSkatepark
A skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, aggressive inline skating and scooters. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, quarter pipes, spine transfers, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, pools, bowls, snake runs stairsets,...
s and riding around like BMXers
Freestyle BMX
Freestyle BMX is a synonym for BMX stunt riding, a sport branch that hails from extreme sports. It consists of six disciplines: street, park, vert, trails, dirt and flatland .-History:...
. Most skateparks do not allow pit bikes because the torque can tear up the wood. Metal and concrete parks are the best for pit park. Slick tires are preferred but knobby tires can still be used. The dangers are similar to the injuries of BMX
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
.