They are the latest craze among riders, young and old. You can see them everywhere; parked at an empty parking lot, or some kid speeding by on one or a parent trying to teach his kid how to blast down the road with their butt just 12" above the tarmac! Oh, yes - mini choppers have arrived in a big way and they are all set to be the craze this season.

Mini choppers are small bikes with a four-stroke engine with capacity of 50cc-110cc. Pet sized versions with electric engines are available. Because of their small size and limited engine capacity, Mini bikes are not very expensive. So, if you buy a decent bike from a reputed manufacturer, your mini chopper is a machine that is virtually for life!

Most kids these days like to opt for mini bicycles as these look like real bikes. An example is the Hero-Honda lookalike from China with their finned cylinder and their upgrade kits that can fire the engine up to 200cc+. Such speeds allow the rider to experience the adrenalin rush of speeding past the road on a spindly frame mere inches above the road. Not a sport for the fainthearted, surely.

Unfortunately, Mini Bikes cannot be ridden everywhere. Many states have specific regulations pertaining to where these may be ridden. Many race tracks and gokart tracks are available for practice where riders of varying skill levels can practice for races. However, children must keep certain safety guidelines in mind.

Safety tips for children on Mini choppers:

• Mini choppers for kids are designed for children over the age of 12 years.

• Children should always ride under adult supervision.

• Children should always wear protective gear while on their mini bikes. This includes a helmet, elbow and knee pads and quality footwear.

• Never ride Mini choppers on busy roads and sidewalks. In most states, this is illegal, not to mention highly dangerous.

• Find out more about local laws and regulations before riding the bike.

• Do not go off road with mini shoppers. These are on-road vehicles.

• Ride mini choppers only during the daylight hours. This vehicle is not for nighttime riding.

• Mini choppers are not for pillion riding. These small bikes are built to carry single riders only.

It is important to verify that the mini bikes is in superb working condition before you take it out for a ride. By keeping the bike in working order, riding becomes easy and safe. However, kids are often in a hurry and may not take the time to perform the following checks each time they ride.

Check tire pressure before you take the mean machine out.

Oil and grease engine parts before each ride.

Check out the brakes and make sure that they are in great working condition.