SINCE the GFC it seems most people are a bit more careful with their money than before. I remember as a kid staring starry eyed in the showrooms of a few motorcycle shops when my uncle and aunty bought the latest and greatest mini bikes for my two cousins.
My parents couldn’t afford to buy me one at the time but if there was something like the little Atomik 70cc four-stroke machine you see on these pages then maybe I would have been powered two wheel equipped myself.
It costs under $700 which is a bargain, and we’ve had the bike here for around a year now. Originally it was bought for publisher Nigel’s son Damien who has since grown out of it and got a Honda CRF150 Big Wheel.
We also have a Kawasaki KLX110 in the fleet which has been passed around, because as we know kids don’t stay the same size as they get older.
The Atomik was the perfect middle bike for Damien as he went from KLX110 to CRF. Brianna was also at an impasse with her bikes. Our Shineray 250 was just too big for her so she was bike-less and complaining. So, the Atomik found its way to Chateau Pickett.
It is designed for kids in their mid to late teens but it is probably a bit small for her. That hasn’t stopped her riding the wheels off it though. She’s never really learnt to use a clutch properly yet (I’ve been slack) so the Atomik’s centrifugal clutch makes it easy for her.
The 4-speed gearbox is easy to use and she reckons it’s fun to ride. I think she would enjoy the bike more if it had the 125cc engine in it but it will do for now.
The bike also has disc brakes front and rear, and the shock and forks are sprung fine for her. Like anything suspension is a compromise to suit lots of different weight riders, and their ability.
Atomik is an Australian company who has designed the bike to its specifications and has them built in China. I think we are all aware that Chinese bikes have certainly got better over the years and we have had three machines on our fleet, a 50cc quad, the 70 Atomik and the 250 Shineray.
Yes, they don’t have the same quality as Japanese and Euro bikes, but I can tell you they have all been very reliable. Of course they are cheaper, and therein lies the main reason they have been so popular with families, they are cost effective fun for the family. Look at the $649 the little Atomik 70 cost. Are you kidding?While the bike keeps starting first go I’ll be even happier
Even though the name is called the MotoX it’s no race bike. You will not rock up to a junior MX or dirt track event and go head-banging with the other racers. I guess you could but the bike isn’t designed with this in mind, so therefore doesn’t have the best suspension or power for that job. But as a bit of fun for the whole family it’s hard to beat on a dollar per smile value.
Don’t discount Chinese bikes as rubbish. As I said earlier they are still generally behind in build quality compared to the long established brands but the difference is nowhere near what you might think.
Cost is not the only reason why Atomik keeps selling container loads of these bikes… [custom name=”bikeManufacturer” value=”Atomik”] [custom name=”bikeModel” value=”MotoX70″] [custom name=”model_year” value=”2011″] [custom name=”test_strap” value=”Cycle Torque Long Term Test– Atomik Pit Bike”] [custom name=”test_heading” value=”Budget fun machine”] [custom name=”test_intro” value=”Atomik’s MotoX70 gives lots of fun for minimal cost.”] [custom name=”issue_month” value=”October”] [custom name=”issue_year” value=”2013″] [custom name=”byline” value=”Test by Chris Pickett. Pics by Paterson and Pickett”] [custom name=”test_tester” value=”Chris Pickett”] [custom name=”test_photographer” value=”Paterson and Pickett”] [custom name=”test_category” value=”Family”] [custom name=”engine_capacity” value=”70″]
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