In 1977, the CPSC was unsuccessfully lobbied to add federal regulation to Minibikes. Whilst laws vary by state, Minibikes became unlawful for use on public through-ways due to lack of safety equipment, lights, and their diminutive size causing visibility issues. Further, it is not legal to use Minibikes on a property in proximity to a population if cited for noise pollution. It is not legal for Minibikes to be used on public roads or land. Minibikes do not meet Federal safety standards for use on public roads. In some jurisdictions, it is not legal to operate minibikes in certain places or without regulatory-specified special equipment. ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) This section needs expansion with: examples and additional citations. Recently there has been a trend of adult sized electric minibikes. Currently, machines can still be found at various retailers for less than $800. Popularity declined steadily, but leveled off in the early 1990s. By 1976 the bubble had burst and less than ten manufactures continued to make minibikes. Sales peaked in the 1973, with 140,000 units between manufacturers. Traditional motorcycle manufacturers also released models inspired by aspects of minibikes, most famously Honda with the Z50A, though this style was affectionately known as a Monkey Bike, a slang-term due to its street-legal demographic requiring a seminarian riding position. Īs the market for minibikes developed, a variety of cottage and major industries offered models, including Arctic Cat, Rupp, Taco, Heath, Gilson, and Fox. So popular and simple was the design, the June of 1967 Popular Mechanics magazine included an article with plans. From the mid-1960s into the 1970s, the popularity of said machines would see over a hundred manufacturers attempt to market machines, an inexpensive venture due to the absence of patents. Lil Indian would go on to manufacture tens-of-thousands of minibikes in their 40+ years. The Michrina brothers are credited with creating the minibike but failed to patent the design or trademark the term when founding their Lil Indian brand in 1959. The Michrina Brothers would create the first commercial minibikes by drawing inspiration from this Pit Bike, delivering 3 prototypes to Troy Ruttman to sell through his dealership. 1961 Honda 50 minibike, Honda Collection Hall transport museum, photographed in 2010

Taco mini bike chopper