The Joys of Building a Homemade Minibike

One might ask: why make a homemade minibike, when there are so many fully-assembled models available for cheap at the shops? It may come as a surprise to some when collectors of fine commercial minibikes even go the extra mile to assemble bikes with their own two hands. Where's the charm? If you want a customized bike, you could just go to a repair shop and ask for some custom work done, and save yourself the time and effort, right?

There are, in fact, quite a few advantages to putting together a bike instead of buying it. A homemade minibike is normally cheaper then factory-issued bikes, since you have the freedom to buy the cheapest available parts, in the process completely waiving service and assembly fees. Moreover, the fun of building a whole new bike on your own makes for some pretty good memories. Building one for yourself, or for someone you care about, is a more precious memory than the cost of putting it together. Parents who want to share the joys of biking with their kids stand to gain a lot more from building bikes at home, instead of purchasing them at the store.

The first step to creating a homemade minibike is knowing what you want, and drafting plans for it. You must start off with an inventory of all the parts you need. It is not necessary to start off with very impressive parts right away; many minibikes use standard two-stroke 50cc engines. These could be noisy and pollutive if not properly configured, so if you don't know your way around engines, a capable technician should be able to help. Pocket bike engines are rather similar to lawnmower engines, with one big difference: their shafts are vertical, while lawnmower engines' shafts are horizontal. It is not advised that you opt to convert your lawnmower engine to a bike engine just to save.

You should be able to buy good aluminum frames, handlebars, etc, at your local bike store. Welding is also a must, so you should have good welding equipment at hand before you start your work. A homemade minibike stands as a hallmark of the owner's ingenuity and resourcefulness; it's up to you to make the best of what you have, and to make every moment count.