Hyper 16” Nitro Circus Motobike Kids’ Bike Review
After kid-testing the Hyper 20” Nitro Circus BMX kids bicycle, we experienced a little Christmas miracle of our own. We had just wrapped up the test and were evaluating our two rather profound conclusions.
First, BMX riding is an ideal way for our moto-obsessed youngsters to have fun and practice their skills when they can’t be on their motorcycles. Second, it’s never a good idea to round up two overly enthusiastic kid test riders and then expect them to be patient and wait their turn to ride the bike.
Then suddenly we see the big white and purple FedEx truck pull up to the house and deliver a Hyper 16” Nitro Circus Motobike Kids’ Bike right to our garage door. Again, it’s Travis Pastrana to the rescue!
Our six-year old test rider, Tindra—owner of a Honda CRF50F—found the 20” Nitro Circus BMX bike to be a little on the big side for her. Fortunately, the Hyper 16” Nitro Circus Motobike fit her perfectly. Better yet, it looked like a mini trick motorcycle!
I remember being obsessed with Evel Knievel as a kid. I used to wind up my Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle and launch the beat-up action figure across the linoleum kitchen floor. There was definitely a bit of nostalgia involved for me.
Now, as a semi-grown man and father, I figured that kids who already had “real” motorcycles in the garage would think that pedaling around a bicycle that looked like a motorcycle would be a little underwhelming.
Boy, was I wrong!
Tindra and her little buddies thought the Hyper 16” Nitro Circus Motobike was the coolest thing ever. Not only does it have an authentic looking motocross gripper seat, but it comes with rear monoshock suspension, number plates emblazoned with the iconic 199 of Travis Pastrana, and a star-spangled paint job that would look perfect at the helm of any hometown 4th of July parade!
Out of the box, the Motobike was partially assembled. Only the handlebars, pedals, and front wheel needed to be fit together—a 10-minute job in total. Assembly is completely intuitive to the point where reading the instructions is an optional exercise.
Since motorcycles have the clutch lever on the left and the front brake lever on the right side of the handlebars, I wanted to keep things congruent with Tindra’s Honda CRF50F. I loosened the 8mm bolt on the front brake perch, flipped it over, and mounted it on the right side of the handlebar. It is a perfect fit, and Tindra thought that it looked even cooler!
She immediately proceeded to ride the Nitro Circus Motobike up and down the street, impressing her friends—boys and girls—until I had to hop on a mountain bike and fetch her for dinner. The next morning, we rode down to the Malibu Creek barranca below our house to really put the little Motobike through the wringer.
Traction is great in the dirt with the full knobby tires. Not only does the rear mono-shock look cool, it works too! The front fork is a normal rigid fork, as the rubber boots are for aesthetics only. This is just as well, as it makes it easier for a youngster to balance.
The rear coaster brake is bulletproof and intuitive for kids, and the hand brake lets them practice using both brakes at once. The lever is small and close to the grip, making it perfect for younger hands, and it is fully adjustable.
At 25 pounds without training wheels—about average—the bicycle is easy for a kid to handle. When I asked Tindra what she liked best about the Hyper 16” Nitro Circus Motobike, she was at no loss for words:
- “I like that it looks like a motorcycle, but it doesn’t have an engine.”
- “Also, it has really cool colors. It’s blue, but like a cool electric blue with stars.”
- “It has a motorcycle brake, and a bicycle brake.”
- “The seat is really comfortable and feels great.”
- “The number plates are really cool, like a race bike.”
So, there you have it. A cool looking moto-bicycle that is light on the wallet but absolutely priceless in the world of kid-dom. The Hyper 16” Nitro Circus Motobike Kids’ Bike retails for $79, and is available exclusively at Walmart stores and walmart.com
Test Rider Profile: Tindra McKinley
- Age: 6
- Weight: 52 pounds
- Height: 44 inches
- Moto ride: Honda CRF50F
- Favorite motorcycle racers: Marc Márquez, Kacy Martinez
Thumbs up from parents
- Incredible value for $79
- Clear instructions, and very fast assembly
- Removable training wheels
Thumbs up from kids
- Hyper 16” Nitro Circus Motobike Kids’ Bike looks super-cool, like a mini motorcycle
- Motorcycle-style seat makes it easy to ride
- Rear suspension really works
- Easy to use coaster rear brake and hand-lever front brake
- Grippy knobby off-road tires
Hyper 16” Nitro Circus Motobike Kids’ Bike Review | Photo Gallery
