Child's Play
child's play
CYCLE WORLD TEST
what's new for '02
Does anybody really need a $10,000 minibike
JIMMY LEWIS
JUST WHEN YOU WERE FEELING PRETTY groovy about showing up at the track with your carbon-fibered-out, hot-rod YZ250F, some guy unloads an aluminum-framed minibike with a bottom-feeder TTR125 motor. And everyone in the pits is drooling over the thing. Strike one. Strike two happens during the first Vet Junior moto, when halfway through the race it sounds as if some knuckle-head with his throttle stuck wide-open is about to bowl you over from behind. It’s the minibike guy again, and worse, he dives under you going into a turn!
Strike three comes when the hottest babe in the pits-jeez, she must be the trophy girl!-walks over to the minibike guy and starts chatting with him about his bike. Man, she’s even sitting on it. No, now he’s showing her how to ride it. He’s going to take her trail riding on it next week. This just isn’t right!
Nor is a $10,000 minibike. But that’s just what Brown Brothers Racing is selling. And selling a lot of them, too. Our testbike was number 102, to be exact. Brothers Duane, Chris and Brent Brown started out with a BMX shop, yet always had an interest in dirtbikes, specifically Honda fourstroke minis like the XR75. Wanting a bit more than these bikes’ stock chassis could deliver, the
bros began making complete chromoly frames
more than a decade ago. After temporarily branching off into “real” businesses to eam a living, they regrouped in 1994 and built an aluminum-framed XR100 for the cult-like Langtown Backyard Supercross, starting a phenomenon that is just now achieving storm-watch status.
Combined with a few big-bike projects like aluminum-framed YZ400s, the minibike frame business took on a life of its own. The bulk of the early calls were from women ordering XR100 or XR200 motors in CR80-sized alloy chassis. Right about this time, Yamaha introduced the four-stroke TTR125, and it wasn’t long before the perfect “chick’s bike” was created. Or the ultimate backyard supercrosser, for that matter. With limited riding time due to bad weather last winter, the BBR boys stepped up to the plate and began producing all of their frames in-house. From their Kent, Washington, facility (www.bbrmotorsports.com), they now craft all of the pieces to make installing an XR100, XR200 or TTR125 engine into one of their bigbeam frames a nobrainer. Engine-specific motor mounts, exhaust systems, intake manifolds and airbox boots were developed, and a common 1.7gallon plastic gas tank rounds out the package. Honda CR80 rear subframe, shock, swingarm, inverted fork and wheels bolt onto the BBR main frame, and CR125/250 tank shrouds give the finished product a big-bike look.
Because we had one laying about, our testbike’s donor motor came from a $2399 Yamaha TTR125, then was bolted into a BBR rolling chassis, which retails for $6500. Most buyers go the turnkey, ready-to-ride route at $8500, or opt for a custom-tailored version at 10-large, which gets you essentially what we ended up with here. Our motor was treated to a Powroll 150cc kit ($530, www.powroll.com), consisting of a hotter cam, a bored and re-sleeved cylinder with higher-compression 11.5:1 piston, and stiffer clutch springs. And to gain a bit more zap, we replaced the TTR’s stock 22mm carb with an XR200’s 26mm mixer.
So the chassis could handle Adult Mini-class warfare, we set-up our fork and shock with BBR’s Super Heavy Springs, and then had Race Tech install Gold Valves front and rear ($500, www.racetech.com).
Our bike’s entire assembly process took just one evening, with everything bolting right in place. Those familiar with do-it-yourself chassis kits will appreciate this. Even better, the first time we took the bike to the racetrack, everything worked. It didn’t take multiple attempts to resolve things like cable routing, chain alignment or the pipe melting the airbox, and there weren’t any “Why did I ever do this?” issues. The BBR frame is super sano.
Trickness aside, though, we are duty-bound to report that the completed bike-engine mods and all-was S-L-O-W. But then what do you expect from a 150cc air-cooled fourstroke? Yes, a $3200 80cc two-stroke will run away from the BBR TTR, but that’s not what this bike is all about. This bike is an easy-to-ride, lightweight four-stroke with really good suspension. And it just so happens, of course, that racing one against a bunch of overgrown, overweight “kids” dumping loads of money into their own slow fourstroke minibikes is pretty popular in Southern California right now-witness the 80-bike lineup in the Adult Mini class at the recent White Brothers Four-Stroke Nationals.
The BBR is also hell-for-stout, sloughing off abuse that would have a stock TTR 125 tied into knots. Despite the fact that it weighs-in 4 pounds lighter than a standard CR80 frame, the BBR box is extremely rigid and overbuilt. The Brown brothers and their oversized test crew have never broken one. With the standard suspension settings, the BBR’s ride is extraplush, thanks in part to the added weight of the TTR motor, which weighs roughly 12 pounds more than the CR80 twostroke the suspension was meant to haul around. This makes it an exceptional trail ride. The overall handling is similar to that of the donor CR, but way more solid. There is zero noticeable flex in the frame, particularly compared to a stock TTR.
The suspension is light-years ahead of the standard TTR, as well. And with our Race Tech set-up, even former World Four-Stroke Minibike Champions were happy. Everyone who rode the bike couldn’t believe that a mini could absorb bumps so well. And talk about flickable: Showing the drainplug to anyone jumping next to you is child’s play!
As for engine performance, or lack thereof, though the modified 150cc motor makes decent torque, you can rev it to valve-float and all you’ll get is about 12 bhp, no more, no less, about 20 percent more than stock. But, the TTR has a better blend of power for a Novice rider than any two-stroke mini could ever hope to deliver. There’s plenty of friendly pull through mud, up steep hills or in technical sections. Plus, compared to hopped-up XR100 motors that can become fragile, the TTR is virtually indestructible. As trick as this bike is, maintenance consists only of routine air-filter cleaning and the occasional oil change.
So, do you really need one of these? If you race in the under150cc Four-Stroke Adult Mini class, then yes, you do. Within one year of its introduction, TTRs filled more than half the starting line at races like the White Brothers Nationals, taking most of the top 30 places. And at this year’s event,
BBR TTRs-including ours, which finished second with your faithful scribe aboard-nabbed the top four spots.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a bike that fills the void between minibikes and 125cc motocrossers, and you’re leaning toward four-stroke power, then the BBR is the only option with really good suspension. Sure it’s pricey, but you get what you pay for. And judging it by the fun factor alone, this bike has a smile-per-dollar ratio that rivals anything out there. U
BBR TT150
$10,000
