Adults embrace pocket rocket rage

Craig "Frog" Nicol on a pocket rocket motorbike.

SARAH HARVEY

THEY might be tiny but Ipswich adults are finding that pocket rocket motorbikes can really pack a punch.

Happy Jackson’s owner Gai Jackson, whose store sells the 49cc bikes, said they started out as strictly kids’ bikes, but had become an increasingly popular craze with adults.

While she tips quad bikes to be up there with their biggest sellers this year, she said the pocket rockets would continue to be popular with the punters.

“From kids just starting out to adults, pocket rockets are extremely popular here in Ipswich,” she said.

“Parents like them for their children because for a few hundred dollars they are reasonably priced, but very sturdy, solid bikes.

“There are quite a few places in the region for riders to take their bikes out for a run, but with some of the adults, they take their pocket rockets quite seriously.

“They do their own modifications and race them at Archerfield Speedway in Brisbane, because there is nowhere for them to have an organised and legal race in Ipswich.”

While the pocket rockets can reach about 50kmh straight from the manufacturer, racers can modify the bikes for faster speeds.

With Ipswich pocket rocket racers keen to start racing closer to home, Ms Jackson said she had a started a petition to show Queensland Raceways they had enough numbers to begin racing at the Willowbank site.

Although only in its early stages after Happy Jackson’s moved from Glebe Road to its new Brisbane Street premises in West Ipswich, the petition has already started to fill up.

Queensland Raceways general manager Keith Lewis said if there was enough interest from riders, they would look into the possibility of starting pocket rocket races.

“If there were enough people interested to make it financially viable, to cover the insurance and paramedic costs for each meet, we would be more than happy to talk about starting something up,” Mr Lewis said.

Ms Jackson said anyone who buys a pocket rocket should only ride them off-road – a sentiment shared by Ipswich Police Traffic Branch Senior Sergeant Troy Hamilton.

“They can’t be road-registered so they definitely can’t be driven down roads and suburban streets,” Snr Sgt Hamilton said.

In November last year Premier Anna Bligh announced the State Government would provide $1 million in funding and 745ha of land in Wyaralong, near Boonah, for a dedicated trail-bike facility.