Some more intresting reading taken from the Daily Telegraph newspaper on 14/7/05.

Bikes hurt more than your pocket

By JAEDENE HUDSON

July 14, 2005

THE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has launched an investigation into the safety of popular miniature motorbikes.



The bikes, known as pocket bikes, were bought from the internet by many parents as Christmas presents last year.


They can cost up to $1500, but cheaper versions costing as little as $200 have recently flooded the market, prompting concerns about the quality of these bikes.


Although they can reach speeds of up to 70km/h, there is no requirement for them to meet any safety guidelines relating to brakes, steering, throttle control and foot peg strength.






Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer Chris Pearce said the bikes were not capable of being registered for road use.


"[They] should not to be confused with legitimate off-road mini bikes," he said.


"We are concerned about the level of safety that these bikes provide."


An investigation is under way in the US, where the bikes have been blamed for a number of teenage injuries and deaths.


Despite the concerns, Mason Salim, part-owner of Crazy Pocket Bikes in Caringbah, said customers could get a quality bike from about $499: "The problems are related to bikes that you can get [on the internet] for $200. We have had a few of these bikes coming through. Most people end up throwing them away."


"I have even heard of bikes snapping."


Mr Salim said with no brand names it was hard to let people know which bikes were better but advised potential buyers to look for the quality of the welding, the brake set-up and to make sure the throttle worked properly.
http://www.crazypocketbikes.com.au/

Joe Leone, owner of Kartatak, a go-kart track in Arncliffe that offers pocket bike riders a place to legally ride their machines, said suppliers were bringing them into Australia for as little as $300.


He said the quality dropped dramatically within a few months.
http://www.kartatak.com.au/

The law in NSW restricts the use of motorised scooters to backyards and other private property, such as a farm.


An RTA spokesman said the use of motor vehicles such as scooters, skateboards and mini replica bikes (pocket bikes) on road or road-related areas was subject to fines of at least $900 for operating an unregistered and an uninsured motor vehicle. The rider may also incur a $375 fine for operating a vehicle without the correct licence.