Have you ever dreamt of being able to ride your motorcycle anywhere and everywhere? Of course you have, as that’s probably one of the main reasons why you bought one in the first place – to adventure with! Motorcycles, simply put, are adventure machines. They’re obviously designed to take you places, however, motorcycles each have their own capabilities and limitations on where they can go and what they can do. For instance, you wouldn’t take your R1 or Gixxer down a long, rutted, dirt road or trail would you? Well, maybe you might, but it wouldn’t be ideal. A dual-sport or adventure bike would be much better suited for such a task. But even these bikes have their limits. However, one type of bike can do all the above while not only putting a giant smile on your face, but also on any onlookers who happen to see you too! I’m talking about minibikes here, people.
Josh’s trick 1974 Honda Z50.
They may be mini, but they’re mega fun, and they’re not just for children. The Slow Adults Mini Motorcycle Club is a group of Honda Mini Trail enthusiasts who have taken restoring, riding and adventuring on minibikes to a whole new level. Most of the bikes they own and ride are Honda Z50s, but other makes and models are loved just the same. They’re keen on searching out and breathing new life into vintage minibikes that have been neglected, likely sitting in garages, sheds or even closets for years. Not only do the Slow Adults resurrect these mini fun-factories, they also improve and upgrade them by installing larger 125cc motors. After all, these are full-sized adults riding mini-sized motorcycles, so naturally a little extra oomph is a nice addition over the original 50cc powerplants. Furthermore, they’ve managed to get all their minis completely street legal, which truly makes the horizon of adventure possibilities endless.
Road closed. Oh really? Don’t mind if we do.
The beauty of these minibikes is that they can literally go just about anywhere. They can squeeze through tight places where full-sized bikes cannot and can seemingly bend the rules by riding on sidewalks and walking paths without pedestrians getting upset (so long as you do it respectfully). Anywhere you go on the minis is sure to rouse excitement and smiles from anyone who sees you riding them. There’s just something about grown adults on kid-sized bikes that brings people joy and makes everything all right. This is not to say, though, that the police haven’t taken notice and stopped the MMC, because they have on many occasions. But the police almost always pull them over more so out of curiosity than anything else, and when they’re done laughing, they send the minis off on their merry way.
We here at MO have said it before and we’ll say it again – it’s fun to go fast on slow bikes, and with these 125cc-powered minibikes, any more power would be too much.
“They’re exactly perfectly fun,” says Dan Burley, and I couldn’t agree with him more. What’s neat and exciting about these bikes is that you get to use 100% of the engine’s power almost all the time, which cannot be said for larger-displacement bikes. On top of that, fourth gear pinned only yields about 50, maaaybe 55 mph, so speeding tickets aren’t even a question. And besides, like I said earlier, cops are quite fond of the minis.
Stopping for a cold one.
I was fortunate enough to tag along with the Slow Adults MMC on one of their mini adventures at Bass Lake up in California’s Sierra Mountain Range where they showed me just how much fun you can have on such small, simple motorcycles. Needless to say, it was a blast and not only that, I’ve been searching for a mini project of my own so that I can join the Slow Adults for more outings. Anyone with any type of riding experience, whether seasoned or just learning, can hop on a mini because of how non-intimidating they are and instantly start enjoying the pleasures that motorcycles can provide.
Motorcycles can be a lot of things, but one thing is for sure, they’re always fun. Whether it’s just down the street or out through the countryside, The Slow Adults remind us that no adventure is too small.
Dan was riding so hard he lost his seat!
via www.motorcycle.com ............
