The Emergence of the Pit Bike

The emergence of the pit bike can be traced back to the advent of pit lanes in racing. A pit lane is a section of the racetrack where the team garages are located. During race preparations and the race itself, mechanics, staff, or racers used makeshift transportation to move around the pit lane and the track area.

Most often, this turned out to be a bicycle, which was part of the racing inventory and was listed as a pit bike. Depending on the team's activity and budget, a variety of two-wheeled vehicles could serve as a pit bike: BMX bicycles, mopeds, minibikes (such as the Honda Monkey, Honda Z50), lightweight fifty-cubic-centimeter motorcycles (Honda Dax), and finally, children's motocross bikes, which were most commonly used on motocross tracks.

In general, it was a light and compact vehicle, requiring minimal expense, easy to operate and transport along with the rest of the racing gear. The entire team adored these small two-wheeled helpers! They organized playful races, where participants, improvising joyfully, sparked entire battles. These mini-races quickly and easily won the audience's favor and became a tradition for racers, akin to spraying champagne on the podium.

Anyone could participate in the race, be it a racer, mechanic, or even a spectator. Put on a helmet, grab a pit bike, and ride! The rules for such competitions were invented on the fly, but the existing competition regulations always served as the foundation.

Over the years, the main technical requirements for the motorcycles were established: a four-stroke horizontal air-cooled engine and a drive wheel no larger than twelve inches (12"). In half a century of racing participation, the power and speed of these small motorcycles increased to a level requiring physical training, and motocross competition organizers designated an entire class, minimoto, which forever secured its place in people's hearts as the pit bike.