The best money I've ever spent!

I don't know why I didn't do this sooner. I guess I didn't want to be one of those dads that forced their kids into something they didn't want to do as a way of maintaining my youth. Maybe I thought the price was too expensive. Whatever the reason, I got over it. Last week I had a crazy idea and my wife didn't stop me. I gave her a chance, but I don't know if she thought I was serious. What the heck am I talking about? Why scroll down to see what the fuss is all about!

For the grand total of $255 and two days of waiting, this is what showed up on the doorstep. It is a Razor MX350, kids mini electric dirt bike. I've seen these in the stores and always kind of thought that it would be fun. I was right about that, but I'll get to that in a second. It is a 24v, 250 watt (0.33 hp) mini dirt bike. No suspension and it only comes with a rear brake (like a good flat track bike should!). The tires are 12" bicycle tires. In the box it was fully assembled with the exception of mounting the handlebars to the triple tree. The controls were already attached to the bars. I also had to install the front fender. There was a small charge on the battery that let me try it out right away.

Now the box says that the maximum weight is 140 lbs. While you may find it hard to believe, I come in at slightly a few more pounds than that. Despite having to keep my knees splayed apart, I could ride it with no problem. Getting off the line and riding up any hills has the motor working overtime to get me moving. I estimate I can get it to about 10mph with the throttle pinned for a minute or so. My cul-de-sac is a natural asphalt oval. I can ride it for multiple laps without letting off the the throttle. I gave the girls some quick rides to get them hooked and put it on the charger for the night.

Before I let the kids on it, I had to be sure to fully explore the performance envelope and do a complete safety check. Because the Navy wants me to be safe, I suited up in my racing gear so that if the worst should happen, I'd be fully kitted up and within regs. I'm glad I did as I felt the bite of fate when I got too cocky with the power. My family was well entertained and I came out unscathed. I got some new scuffs on my knee pucks to add to my collection. I could see how having a few of these around mixed with some boredom and a group of like minded guys might end up with a few funny "hold my beer" experiences.

Over the weekend, I got my oldest trained up so that she could ride by herself. She was a bit hesitant, but took to it pretty quickly. She is too tall for it, but at least she'll feel safe being able to quickly put her foot down if needed. The throttle is an on/off switch vice being a true throttle so she had to modulate her speed by gradually holding it on longer and longer as she became more comfortable with the bike. One issue is that the brake lever is sized for an adult. She has trouble getting a good pull on it. She compensates by putting her feet down. That won't be enough in real trouble situation. I'll have to think of something to fix that. My youngest is too small to ride alone. I put her in front of me and let her control the throttle. The results speak for themselves. She is more of the daredevil of the two. She already had her first whiskey throttle experience in the garage. She's going to be trouble!

I foresee much fun in the future. Hopefully I can give the girls (and my wife) a taste of why I am so Motorbike Obsessed using this little toy. I have already researched upgrading the batteries, motor and motor controller as well as how hard it would be to put in a pull start 5hp engine. The answer to all these questions is "not hard". The Razor line has a few bikes including one rated to move a 220 pound adult with suspension and dual disc brakes. My dad has a 20 acre property that would be perfect for a pack of these for all to enjoy over a big holiday weekend.

Another thing that happened is that I quietly launched a Patreon page. You can find it here. Right now  I only have two tiers. I don't have any cool swag yet. Soon I plan on having t-shirts, my own stickers and even a key chain or something similar. All of the money raised on Patreon will be used to bring the reader more content.

Things are heating up with my move. A few more blog updates will be coming after the weekend, but before I know it, it will be time for my hiatus while I get the family settled in Japan. Even though the blog may be silent, you can rest easy knowing that I'll be snapping pics and taking notes for some posts while I get my life in order. Stay tuned for that. As always, ride safe friends!

Blue