True mini-bikes are hard to enjoy-they're far too cramped for a normal sized person to ride, they sit so low to the ground they're hard for drivers on public roads to see, and they're relatively slow with a single speed. The solution to this problem came from the original manufacturers of the first pocket-bikes, Kikker 5150. They decided to enlarge the entire bike and give it some serious style. Dubbed the Hard Knock Chopper, it has almost all the features of a full-sized bike, but it's small enough to be considered a moped by the Department of Transportation.
One of Street Chopper's many...
One of Street Chopper's many test riders decided to try out the new mini-chopper and was pleasantly surprised with the real Springer suspension coupled with the sprung seat! The 110cc motor provided more than adequate power through every gear. Even though a license is not required to ride the bike on public roads, unfortunately a helmet normally is.
A full-sized person can ride the bike without discomfort, as it sports 18-inch ape-hangers and forward controls, plus it's got a 110cc motor and a four-speed transmission! Kikker claims that the bike will do 55-miles an hour in Fourth gear and because it's a moped, it is allowed on city streets but not freeways. Other close to full-size features include an 18-inch wheel in the front and a 15-inch in the rear, each with 40-spokes. A chromed-rigid frame supports the machine with a matching chromed Springer frontend bolted to the steering neck. It even has a working headlight and taillight hooked up to the foot control for the rear brake. Speaking of brakes, the front wheel is attached to a rotor that's squeezed by a hydraulically operated, mini-four-piston differential bore caliper, while the rear brake is traditional drum style that's hidden inside the wheel hub.
With features that rival full-sized custom rigid bikes, it's no wonder why Kikker 5150 can't build the Hard Knock fast enough. Typically, the bike comes in a kit that's delivered in a couple of boxes. We decided to rip into those boxes and show how easy it is to put this bike together, using only the hand tools that most people already have in their garages.
 We've all seen large boxes...  We've all seen large boxes before, so we opened them up to show what's inside. Then we laid it all out on the patio behind the garage and went over the parts list to make sure everything was there. |  We had a little help from...  We had a little help from a friendly transient who would work for food. The poor guy's name is Ben, and he started by securing the Springer frontend to the frame. |  He attached the risers to...  He attached the risers to the top of the Springer... |