My 2006 Daytona minibike

My ninth motorcycle - a 2006 Daytona minibike

I originally purchased this bike as a training tool for a female friend of mine who wanted to start riding motorcycles for the first time in her life.  I recently purchased a 1978 Hondamatic for her on eBay, and wanted to train her on something smaller and less valuable than a 1978 Hondamatic in mint condition.  So this minibike was originally purchased for her.  However I'm keeping the minibike for a couple reasons:

  • After sitting on and riding the bike, I feel it is too small for her to train on.
  • After riding the bike I couldn't resist modifying it.
  • After modifying it, I now like it and want to keep it.



    Here's me and the bike just before our first ride together.  In my usual fashion, I was warming up the engine.


    After a couple runs, I decided to really give her the test.  I decided I would try my luck at jumping curbs.  Unfortunately, though the bike is rated at 240 lbs., the cheap, cheezie footpegs buckled under my 155 lb. visage like a cheap tent.  Here are the results of that accident:

                                                                          Here's my field dressing.  Not bad, eh?

    This was taken post-scrubbing.  Though the wounds are clean, as you can tell, I'm not a happy camper.


    The repair was pretty simple.  I just took a piece of EMT pipe and cut, drilled, squished (in a bench vice), and ground it to fit the bike.  Total cost for this "much improved" footpeg is about $.25. for both pegs.  Total time spent was about 30 minutes.  The pegs are solid as rocks now.  It's hard to believe that the factory peg (shown in this picture), with all it's bends and cuts, is cheaper to manufacture than it's homeade counterpart.  Someone needs to get on the phone to China and hip these guys that cheap doesn't always have to mean cheezie!


    I quickly decided that I didn't like riding with my legs spread-eagle.  So the OEM handlebars had to go.  In my usual fashion, I decided to go with baby ape-hangers (purchased from the junk pile at a bicycle store for 10 bux).  Here's a picture of Alison and I as we test out the new baby apes and the bike's "2-uppability."  We actually rode the minibike to the store the other day for some eggs.  One-up she has a top speed of about 35 mph (the bike, not Alison).  2-up top speed is about 25 mph.  The ride is surprisingly luxurious.  A lot of suspension travel makes the minibike ride very cushy.






    I hope you enjoyed my minibike page.  I will probably add to this page as I further modify my minibike and my antics continue.

    Another bike joins the gang!

    Well it looks like a new steed has been added to the stable:


    Alison got tired of riding "bitch" on my minibike, so she got one of her own.  Before the new minibike even showed up, Alison was hitting me up to "customize" her bike as I had done to mine.  So we went to the local bike shop and found some handlebars for her (the bike, not Alison).  Alison's handlebars are really nice BMX handlebars she got for 30 bux.  Mine came out of the junk pile and had to be bent, but were only 10 bux.  Amazing how much they look alike, eh?  Like my bike, I removed her front fender and number plate so that I could manage the brake cables to fit the new, taller handlebars.  We've been out riding a few times and Alison absolutely loves it.  We went to Starbucks this morning to pick up a copy of the New York Times.  People were scared beyond the capacity for rational thought.

    I'm starting a gang called, "Hell's Minions."  Admission into the gang costs $200.00 and comes with a free minibike.  E'mail me if you want to join.  We did a "drive-by-fruiting" the other day to keep one of the neighbors in line.  We're looking for left handed people because they can throw fruit and still throttle with the right hand.


    Yes...we are a gang.  Look for more to come...


  • This page is up February 6, 2006 at 11:20 PM and was updated February 27, 2006 at 1:15 AM.


    If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please

    e'mail me.

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    All pictures & material Copyright © 2005 Donnie Frank