Mini Moto Tracks [Archive] - Caithness.Org Forums

hereboy

10-Oct-05, 20:22

The questions could have been picked a wee bit better, if you ask YES/NO questions then you need to give people the option of being able to answer YES or NO not just tick a box...

Does the tick signify YES/NO or just the fact that you acknowedge there is a question?

Sorry for being pedantic but garbage in, garbage out. Ifyou ask clearly defined questions then you get better answers = better data = better information.

Plus you can only tick one of the boxes which makes no sense as the questions are not the opposite of each other... therefore the results are mince.

Try again Bill....

Doleve

10-Oct-05, 20:28

A track or place they could be used is needed before an accident happens. Where could one be situated?

hereboy

10-Oct-05, 20:36

Bill, How about:

As far as MiniMoto is concerned I agree that a/some minimoto track(s):

should be built in Caithness and funded 100% by the council.
should be built in Caithness and funded by private donations/council.
should be built in Caithness and be funded privately.
should not be built in Caithness and that’s the end of that!! Kids today don't know they were born, I'll pocket money you if you're not careful, I remember when Caithness was all trees - etc, etc...

Rheghead

10-Oct-05, 22:03

I am old enough to remember the same idea in relation to skateboard rinks/stunt parks. Frankly crazes like this go as quick as they come. Public money could be spent on such a track but we will find that no kids will be using it in a years time.

History could repeat itself, but if the council has money to burn then yeah build one but preferably remote from fowkies houses.

Bill Fernie

10-Oct-05, 22:48

I doubt if it wouldbe council money that would be used although a bit of spare waste ground might be foundif there was agroup rasing money for one. A sakte board park is under construction right now at the Grizzly Park and the money was raised by the Pultenytown People's Project to build it. It is costing about £30,000 I understand.

EDDIE

10-Oct-05, 23:27

Well for me i wouldnt be in favour of a mini moto track I dont think its a good thing to engourge purely from the safety aspect as much as a mini motor is nice boys toy to own but its also not a easy thing to drive and giving the position your sit on the bike and the speed it goes at it you could give yourself serious damge to your self if you fall off whether your wearing safety gear or not

XR2

11-Oct-05, 07:45

I think its a good idea to have at least one track. Build a decent track similar size to Golpsie and as well as mini motos you could also have karting and possibly Caithness Car Club may be intersted in using it too.

brandy

11-Oct-05, 08:45

i agree with the track!
the other night i came home and a group of about 5 boys were riding theirs down the street and back
i went out to see it never seen one up close
poor things you could see them stiffening up thinking i was going to lay into them
when i asked if i could see their bike and thought it was cool looking even if it would fit my 2 year old!
their jaws about dropped!
but you know as soon as i started taking to them they opened right up telling me
all about the bike how fast it would go the costs everything!
even asked if i was going to buy my boys one!
they were very polite and asked if our kids were in bed and if they were they would stop
i told them no that it was about half an hour to bed time and they said they would go soon so they wouldnt bother them!
we talked a few more min and as they were leaving i heard one of them whisper to his mate in a shocked voice.. hey shes nice!
so makes you think they are all not little thugs causing trouble!
they even said the only places they could ride off road was at the airport and some dissued place but that they were always run off! so a place to go would be great!

98elite

11-Oct-05, 09:38

Eddie wrote:

Well for me i wouldnt be in favour of a mini moto track I dont think its a good thing to engourge purely from the safety aspect as much as a mini motor is nice boys toy to own but its also not a easy thing to drive and giving the position your sit on the bike and the speed it goes at it you could give yourself serious damge to your self if you fall off whether your wearing safety gear or not

I Have to say that I totally agree with Eddie, we really should not be encouraging our kids to be using these bikes, I have two boys that have been desperate for a mini moto for months ( all there mates have them, and most have the cuts to prove it), I did a good bit of research and found some horrendous stories of kids hurting themselves badly on them, I have discussed these with individuals that have been living and breathing motor bikes all their days and they all say that the riding position is terrible, they are difficult to ride and they are an accident waiting to happen, certainly wont be purchasing one for this house, also I think they will be a passing faze as the kids will get fed up with them spending more time lying in the garage or shed waiting on spare parts than out on the track as they are far from reliable, which is maybe a good thing at the end of the day.

jambo

11-Oct-05, 10:09

I think a track in Caithness would be great for all the youngsters to use.

At the moment they are using the Caithness Glass Site at the Industrial Estate, but this cannot go on forever. A track would give them somewhere to go and keep them off the streets.

Lets hope we get one soon.

Donnie

11-Oct-05, 12:49

People are going to ride them no matter what so it would make sense for there to be an allotted space for them to do it. At least the police wouldn't have to keep moving them on and the parents would know exactly where they are using them. As for safety concerns, it's up to the parents to make sure they are wearing all the required safety gear.

Rheghead

11-Oct-05, 13:03

A track would have to be placed out of town or in town but where no residential areas are going to be affected.

Would young fowkies go out of town? How are they going to get their Mini Motos to the track? They would have to take them along the road or get them in a car. A lot of kids would feel uncool if they were dropped off by Mummy or Daddy so they will be tempted to go along the road.

Anyway, a rebel without a cause would see a dedicated track as naff so a track wouldn't appeal to those that we want to see off the road mostly.

I am not against a track but would it be futile providing one?

hereboy

11-Oct-05, 13:50

Pocket rockets aside, the poll is still mince though...

18 people want a track and 9 people want a fund - what about the people who do not want a track or a fund? where is their vote? Also you have to choose between a track or a fund - you can't have both... what does that mean?

This poll looks like it was devised by someone in politics!

ahem! ;)

Karen M26a

11-Oct-05, 14:42

Minimotos sound like real fun, but I really do NOT like the noise they make. I really do not think they should encourage the people who use these bikes to meet in places enmasse.

Think of the sound pollution - could be awful for people living a few miles downwind of a minimoto track and not very pleasant for the surrounding birdlife, wildlife and people who might want to enjoy a peaceful stroll in the area.

Does anyone know if the police are enforcing insurance/tax, etc on these vehicles?

Donnie

11-Oct-05, 14:57

Does anyone know if the police are enforcing insurance/tax, etc on these vehicles?

Um no. :roll:

rainbow

11-Oct-05, 18:06

I know of someone who lets their children ride their bikes on the pavement, and said they are allowed to do this. The Highway Code prohibits cycling on a pavement, so why on earth would it be legal to allow a motorised bike, that goes faster than a 'push bike' on a pavement. By all means build a track somewhere, but as a council tax payer do not expect me to be happy at funding it, if they can afford bikes, helmets, knee pads etc, let the parents of the mini motorists pay for it.

Naefearjustbeer

11-Oct-05, 19:16

Does anyone know if the police are enforcing insurance/tax, etc on these vehicles?

You cannot get insurance mot road tax for these things that is why it is illegal to use them on public roads. If someone got caught breaking the law on one they could be charged with motoring offences and collect points or a ban.
It is not just kids that ride these things I know a few adults (big boys toys) that ride them. Anywhere with public access means you need to be road legal so that means supermarket car parks, pavements etc are all illegal places to use them. I honestly reckon that the police are turning a blind eye to the use of them at the glass factory as it is keeping the riders away from more dangerous spots like pavements and the open road. If a member of the public gets injured by one of these bikes I would expect a complaint would appear and the police would be forced to take action and start moving the riders on / confiscating the bikes from repeat offenders.

Bill Fernie

11-Oct-05, 19:17

Sorry if the poll does not hit the mark but it was sent in by a young person looking to see if there is support for a track.

I would also point out the following -
As they are motorised vehicles, just like scrambling bikes and quads, they have no access rights to paths and tracks around the town or in the wider countryside - this means that they should not be used on pavements to avoid being on the road either! This effectively means that unless you have the landowners permission or are correctly licensed etc for the road there is a limited availability of areas in which such vehicles can
be used legally.

I am raising this as motor bikes in all shapes and sizes have been the source of some comment by access takers and are of ongoing concern to land managers/owners such as the Council.

Comlaints about a range of small motorised bikes are rising and the police are sure to begin taking more action against anyone using them on public troads, pavements or footpaths without insurance and tax etc as they are classed as motorised vehicles and subject to the same rules as any other motorised vehicle.

No doubt all the usual penalties for contraventions of the law might be imposed inlcuding fines and penalty points or bans from driving.

Attention is being drawn to them in a number of ways particularly as some are being driven around late at night and they have very loud roar.

The price of these small vehicles is apparently as low as £90 - £130 and so many parents might be tempted to buy them for Christmas. Anyone doing so should remebr they are not toys and consider all the usual safety gear that should be used inlcuding helmets etc. And think about where they will be used as at the moment there are no designated places although any private ground might be suitable if permission can be gained. There may be areas of tarred ground that owners might allow use if it does not interfere with anything. Areas in car park places at the airport etc might be possible if owners will allow it.

hereboy

11-Oct-05, 20:46

Bill,

Noted that the poll was sent in by a young person but maybe you could have helped him/her out a bit by structuring it a bit better so it had some meaning. Currently the only way to guess the level of support for the track is to add up the total of the number of people who participated in the poll as a whole.

Seems like there is overwhelming support from the users on this web forum for the county not to have a track based on the number of people not voting for either option.

Thats 29 for and 2057 against - the nay's have it!!

Ah well - poor mini motos... such is life - it may be a peaceful Christmas after all. ;)

buggyracer

11-Oct-05, 22:51

Im in favour, could a bigger circuit not be made that karts a and vars could also use like the one in golspie, it is very popular and well used??

riggerboy

12-Oct-05, 09:19

if we look deep enough into any thing then we will find horror stories, have you ever had your kids out to the quads? there are so many horror stories about them that its scary , however sometimes we need to live outside the box and enjoy ourselves , how ever we should try for this track as this will keep the kids off the street, remember these mini motos are not just for kids, if you go down to golspie on a track day you will find many a adult having huge fun on these little toys,

Eddie wrote:

Well for me i wouldnt be in favour of a mini moto track I dont think its a good thing to engourge purely from the safety aspect as much as a mini motor is nice boys toy to own but its also not a easy thing to drive and giving the position your sit on the bike and the speed it goes at it you could give yourself serious damge to your self if you fall off whether your wearing safety gear or not

I Have to say that I totally agree with Eddie, we really should not be encouraging our kids to be using these bikes, I have two boys that have been desperate for a mini moto for months ( all there mates have them, and most have the cuts to prove it), I did a good bit of research and found some horrendous stories of kids hurting themselves badly on them, I have discussed these with individuals that have been living and breathing motor bikes all their days and they all say that the riding position is terrible, they are difficult to ride and they are an accident waiting to happen, certainly wont be purchasing one for this house, also I think they will be a passing faze as the kids will get fed up with them spending more time lying in the garage or shed waiting on spare parts than out on the track as they are far from reliable, which is maybe a good thing at the end of the day.

98elite

12-Oct-05, 10:13

Mini Motos, The Law and You
After an increase in complaints about mini motos police in Dumfries and Galloway are focussing their efforts on the problems caused by the illegal and inappropriate use of these machines.

Officers will attempt to educate parents on the laws governing the use of mini motos while dealing appropriately with persistent offenders.

Sergeant David Burns of the Dumfries mobile support group said: "The illegal use of mini motos is causing increasing unease across the force area. We regularly receive complaints about young people riding them on roads, footpaths and in parks without helmets, insurance or even a licence.

"While they are sold as toys these bikes can reach speeds of up to 60 mph and accidents involving mini motos have resulted in serious injury and even death.

"We want to get the message out that these machines can be very dangerous before the worst happens and we have to deal with the death of a child."

In a bid to tackle this growing problem the Home Office has released guidance on the use of petrol driven mini motos, go-peds, electrical and petrol driven scooters and some off-road motorbikes. The guidance is as follows:

Q. Where can I ride my mini moto legally?

A. On private land and only then with the permission of the land owner. In the case of public recreation areas the owner could be the local council, Forestry Commission or another public body.

Q. Are there any other legal restraints on the use of mini motos?

A. Any riders under 16 must be supervised by a responsible adult and all riders must wear an e-marked or kite-marked crash helmet.

Q. Can I ride on the road?

A. Only if you are over 16 and have a driving licence and tax and insurance for the vehicle. These bikes cannot be used on footpaths or cycle routes under any circumstances.

Q. If someone is using their mini moto illegally, dangerously or in a way likely to cause a nuisance to others what can be done?

A. Police have several options depending on the circumstances. The options are as follows:

Once a warning has been issued the bike can be seized and the owner can reclaim it after paying a fee of £105
The rider can be prosecuted under road traffic law and, if found guilty, fined and given points on his or her licence. If the rider is too young to have a driving licence the offence will be kept on file and the points deducted when the licence is issued.
Illegal or nuisance use of these bikes can be used to provide evidence for antisocial behaviour orders.
Police will always try to find a voluntary compromise with the parents of children misusing mini motos.

Parents are advised to make sure their children have somewhere safe and legal for them to use the bikes before they buy them.

98elite

12-Oct-05, 11:28

Rigger Boy wrote:

if you go down to golspie on a track day you will find many a adult having huge fun on these little toys.

In responce I have to add that Racing motos that are used around the country would set you back 2k + they are not to be compared with these chinese copies which are rubbish. You look on ebay for a minimoto and you see the odd really expensive one and no one buys it cos its a rip off!!! NO its expensive coz its a racing one!!

CHINESE MINIMOTOS ARE:

Poorly built
You CAN'T race them
Kids are riding them on the road
They are unreliable

I could go on.........

Proper racing minimoto's that are used on track days are: Bianchi BMS, GRC, Polini,
BZM, Passini, GEM,.........................

You can argue that they are a bit of cheap fun but what we are seeing is kids flying about all over the place on these bikes at speeds up to 50mph without the correct PPE, Scary.

To set up a track in the county that was to the correct standards, that was managed and insured as Golspie is would cost a fortune, In an age where obesity amoungst kids is at record levels, we should be encouraging children to take up ACTIVE sporting activities, these days in doors there's the Playstations/Nintendo's etc, now out doors we still want to encourage them to sit about, If money were available it has to go into sporting arenas such as those that Orkney and Shetland have enjoyed for some time now, not into an expensive track to serve a passing faze. how many parents could afford the 2k+ helmets, leathers etc that you would need to spend on equipment that was suitable for a track day event such as those run down in Golspie??

SJR

12-Oct-05, 13:39

Over the years i have done far more damage to myself on push bikes than a life time ofmotorbikes,scramblers,quads,banger racing etc!!!I have never been in plaster yet for any accident on anything motorised, including minimotos(cheap ones and proper racing ones.
Between my friends and myself we have been hospitalised far more often because of accidents received while cycling than the daft things done on anything motorised.
That aside most of the idiots ive seen on roads with minimotos on the road apprear to be older than 16(that is a guess), if they get caught by police that is their problem!!, but not everyone with minimotos is a nusance

golach

12-Oct-05, 14:22

motopitcrew

12-Oct-05, 14:34

Idont know why you think that these machines are dangerous ive had bikes cars moto/x you name it none of which are dangerous
However when mixed with a riderthe machine on its own is safe its the driver or riderthat is dangerous

hereboy

12-Oct-05, 15:41

oh how times change - I can remember when my mither thought it was dangerous to put cow-horn handlebars on my racer bike. Apparently her logic was that because they were low and wide, I would be far more likely to go over the handlebars and kill myself.

The only real issue with cow-horns as it transpired was they were a pain in the neck to ride on pavements and down narrow alleys etc because they were so wide.

Maybe these minimotos should be fitted with cow-horns to keep them off the pavements and stabilisers too when I think about it, to stop young-uns from going heels abeen when turning quickly at speed.

Anyway....

lasher

13-Oct-05, 12:27

Surely its better the kids spending money on these things than on drink and drugs and hanging around the streets causing trouble!!!

SJR

13-Oct-05, 13:34

I am not saying there is anything wrong with the minimotos, i am just saying if you are over 16 and get caught riding them on the road its your problem. As dangerous as it is, sometimes, i find it amusing seeing adults riding them down the cliff in wick!... I wont be thinking that though if one of them runs into my car!!!
The council should provide a place for things like minimotos,karts, scramblers etc. I do remember the things said to me when i was in my early teens about me being on the road with motorbikes and quads(with no helmet etc). I usually told the nosey gits where to go! The council provided a place for horses to go at newton hill, but you were public enemy no1 for having something with an engine, and there was no where you could gop with motorbikes. I (and we) never tryed to wind up our neighbours, but there was the odd 'incomer' who you could not please, so they got as much cheek as other road users who took exception!

riggerboy

13-Oct-05, 16:58

arent we missing the point here a wee bit
yes mini motos are dangers to public if ridden in the wrong places
however if the rider is say and 8 years old with the correct ppe and under audlt supervison, in a controlled enviroment, then yes i think these are toys to be enjoyed, its like everything else if its abused then yes its dangerous, but i still think we can have the fun that was intended to have on these toys/bike call them what you will.

as for a vested interest your right i have, the bikes you speak of @ £2000 and are built for racing, but if you go down that path then the mountain bikes at £99 are far to dangerous to play on as the real ones sell at over £3000 so we have many levels to which we can argue what is a good one and a bad one.

does anyone know if the castletown airstrip is still there, if so would you be able to rent it for the kids to play on and have mini competitions at the weekends maybe even have a club that would be able to run this?

luckystrike

13-Oct-05, 17:31

does anyone know if the castletown airstrip is still there, if so would you be able to rent it for the kids to play on and have mini competitions at the weekends maybe even have a club that would be able to run this?

It's a no go zone due to insurance issues with the land owner. Plus the ground is so poor you'd do more damage to your moto than yourself.

Seems the police have no issue with motos running at the caithness glass factory. Wonder why that would be??? I plan to load the car up with as many motos and moto riders as legally possible, and head through one weekend. Any Thurso peeps interested in coming through?

Course Wick track, Wick rules. If we're not welcome no problems.

Naefearjustbeer

13-Oct-05, 19:40

As far as I am aware a group of thurso lads closer to 40 than 14 years old go through already and use the caithness glass car park.

beeth

13-Oct-05, 20:13

riggerboy

14-Oct-05, 09:48

the police dont mind people using the glass factory at the moment but i`m sure that someone will complain some where along the line, how about a group of us knocking our heads together and coming up with something for the kids/charity and if the adults what to join in we could all have the fun, if any of you have been to golspie then you`ll know that they have age related races up to say 16, so that all the kids have the same chance.they also have a inspection service, someone to look over the bikes and deem them fit for racing.

Rheghead

14-Oct-05, 11:34

minimotos, well there aint nothing else to do is there? this is the fashion at the moment. not being funny, but i would rather my kids doing something that is supervised rather than roaming the streets looking for trouble or something to do that could lead them into trouble

When I was in my teens, my friends got together to get a charity allotment for growing veg. We had great fun down there as well as pride in our produce. We gave all the produce to a nearby old folks home.

OK mini motos do sound like fun as well (I wouldn't mind having a go) but there is stuff to do if young folks are given the opportunity and the encouragement rather than them relying on 'off the shelf' instant amusement.

Doleve

14-Oct-05, 13:57

rheghead, you are saying about having a pride in building stuff yourself.
when i was growing up i spent the winters, when i could not go outside, building radio controlled models, but it can be very expensive, £300+ per model, and mum and dad were supportive, buying me the parts.Of coarse you can by off the shelf model cars and planes for about£100(1/10th scale) A lot cheaper. Same as pointed out by riggerboy, you can by mountain 'style' bikes for£99, but proper mountain bikes cost £1000+, and you can hurt yourself equally on either, like a cheap minimoto or racing one. Supervision, and proper use will help minimise accidents, so hopefully a track or area to use them away from traffic would be excellent. And if built to a certain size etc, it could be used by the car club, or for supermotos, or go karts etc, so it would not be for just what is a passing fad.

Moira

14-Oct-05, 16:47

I've cast my vote as being in favour of a minimoto track. I think the interested parties, kids & adults alike should get together & see what would be possible in the way of available land, funding etc. so that everyone can enjoy this & other related motorsports in a safe & supervised environment. A track should obviously be located well away from residential areas.

I live near the "Caithness Glass track" & find the continual "demented wasp" sound from these machines really annoying [mad] I hasten to add I've not complained to anyone about this - just shut my doors & windows when the noise "gets to me". I do believe in "live & let live" and understand from others that they are great fun.

Come to think of it, I've not heard the bikes today - so maybe one of my neighbours has complained or - even better still - they've found a buyer for the old CG premises ??!! Happy mini-motoring :D

riggerboy

15-Oct-05, 08:25

has anyone been up to see the powers that be at the wick airport, maybe one of the landing strips would be available on a sunday afternoon, if i remember rightly the car club used it a while back.

Bill Fernie

24-Oct-05, 20:44

hi the reason you would not have hear dthem on Friday was that the Caithness Glass Factory was bein gused by the new developers New Park and Tulloch to unveil their plans to a wide range of people and the bikers had been warned off.

They may be back as their will be some months befor work begins on changing the inside of the building and getting it ready for new occupants.

We were told that when the owners arived a day or so earlier they found the bikers and unfortunately an ambulance as one had come off and hurt himself.

I have heard from another source that in Sutherland land was earmarked by one of the esates for bikers and it was beingused. Unfortunately here a death ocurred. Make sure any young folk are wearing all the safety gear they can possible put on as accidents will happen particularly in a racing environment.

Compaints are also being received about the bikes being used at Newton Hill Forest and as they bikes are not allowed in that area action will inveitbaly be taken agsaint anyone using the forst tracks which have been organised for disabled people and not bike riders. Horses and many dogs use the forest not to mention childrten so bikes are a no go in that area. There is still the possibility of other tarred areas at the airport industrial estate but sking permission is the best way forward. Even the police would rather see these bikes being used in an off the road place than around the streets. If on the street they are liley to be charged with all the usual driving offences and face fines for lack of insurance, road tax and so on.