My job is the Anti Social Behaviour Co-ordinator for a local council and those mini motos are one of the many issues I have.

You can only ride a mini moto on private land with the permission of the landowner. If the rider is riding on public land in a reckless and adangerous manner which breaks the road traffic act and you know where the rider lives then DO contact the police as they may be able to serve something called a 'section 59'. This is were the rider gets a warning which lasts for a year. The warning is on both the rider and the mini moto. So if the rider is seen on another bike/mini moto then it can be conficated or if the mini moto is being riden by someone else then it can been taken away then also. If yu want more info let me know!!

Thanks Zanny, does this apply to ALL councils or is is just where you are. We have a problem round here with the same kids all the time. It is enough to drive a sane person nuts!!!

A lot of lads round here do enjoy a good kick around with a football which is refreshing to see

I have a motorbike and love to go out with hubby and pals......but the one thing that really ticks me off is seeing young people on any form of motorbike be it mini moto or some scrappy off road thing, with no Skid lid (helmet)...no protective gloves or any other protective gear..

They tear about parks and green land making a total nuisance of themselves and they can do serious harm to people and other animals....

One of the member of this very site had their lovely dog or their friends dog was killed by an ar*eh*le on bike that was not insured or anything!..whilst they were out walking their beloved pet! and the git never stopped! (sorry was a while ago I just remember how tragic the situation was)

Mini motos in the right environment are fine.
However, we have idiots round here that race around on the road with them, or indeed on pavements, causing a noise nuicance, and behaving stupidly.
They try and taunt the police into giving chase, but the police around here are not allowed to chase them, nor indeed apprehend them except when there are a certain number of police under certain strict conditions which will prevent the muppets from injuring themselves. BEfore now a mini moto idiot has been injured in a persuit, and has sued the police force for acting irresposibly, which is ridiculous.
I'm all for banning them, and crushing those that are caught. (The bikes, not the riders, although.......)
They do nothing to enhance the respectability of the real 'bike riders, such as myself, who have taken the time and effort to buy a proper 'bike, take the tests, buy the correct safety gear etc...

We have an issue with them on the beach here where they are illegal. Families with young children barrelling up and down the beach, teenagers acting like idiots and all where people are trying to enjoy the seaside. We now have police on off road bike patrolling the area and EVERY time we see one we ring. Last weekend we supplied the licence plate of the car they arrived in and gave a description. We always make sure we ring there and then and often see the police dealing with them on our way back. The police are sick to the back teeth of it and often say 'not again'.
As far as I'm concerned, if you can't prove you have the land to ride them on, you shouldn't be allowed to buy them

Sections 59s are the law. It depends on how your local Police force deals with them. The best thing to do is to contact the Police switchboard and ask to spoke to your local beat manager (beat bobbie) and ask their advice on the methods of dealing with the mino motos. You only need to 'suspect' that a person is riding the mini moto to serve a warning but you need prove to sezie the mini moto though.

Hope that helps.

Mini Motos are a problem here too, so far I have only seen them up & down the cycle/pedestrian path...never wearing crash helmets or any appropriate protective clothing.. I flatly refuse to move over for them , run me or mine over and you wil have that "toy" surgically removed from somewhere very uncomfortable.. its mean, but sometimes I really wish they would do themselves a serious(ish) injury thus teaching them as lesson about what they are doing before they hurt someone else!! personally my belief is they shoud not be on sale to any one under 25 and not sold to people who do not have a full Motor bike licence..
Police should seize and destroy all motos found to be un taxed un insured and un MOTed or ridden by non licensed riders on public roads..

Rachel

Yep we have the same prob but the numpty's round here ride them on the public footpath

Saw one twonk on his mini moto, trying to race his mate who was riding a trials bike with no helmet, just a pair of jeans and had sawn half the exhaust off his bike to make the bike sound 'better' needless to say I was on the phone straight away to the coppers and they had been trying to catch the lad with the trials bike for weeks cos he's been causing aggro. Unfortunately this lad aint stupid and doesn't keep the bike at his home he keeps it with a mate who lives in our street.

The best tho was watching another of their mates trying to pull wheelies on his scooter

My husband bought Harvey a MiniMoto for Xmas (against my wishes) So i went out and got him a nice new Mountain bike as well...................
Nearly 8 months on and he has NEVER ridden it (the MM that is) and i am glad,He was 8 and a half and i feel without learning to ride properly -its an accident waiting to happen,and in public places they are a noisy nusciance,
We do have somewhere he can ride it but he doesn't want to as it scares him a little.Which suits me fine,i never wanted him to have it in the first place.
(i admit to having had a go though and it was great fun,i loved it)
Needless to say hes always out the front on his Mountain bike bless him.