Into Production: BBR MM12P - Riding Impression - Dirt Rider Magazine

"I have fully made the transition from sitting to standing and am in the air. I'm also analyzing the landing to make sure I've cleared the hazard. My body position is in the middle of the bike to be able to make any needed adjustments to its attitude. I've jumped front wheel high in case I don't clear the roots. I don't want to land with my front wheel loaded in roots; I want to land on the gas and accelerate toward the next section."

BBR-the pitbike-possessed family dirt bike business from the Pacific Northwest-worked feverishly to put the finishing touches on the MM12P Production Race Bike in time for this year's MiniMoto SX in Las Vegas. And they made it. The night before the fastest minibike pilots in the world were to battle it out inside the Orleans Arena we grabbed a brand-new MM12P for a quick test.So what is the MM12P Production Race Bike? Well, it's BBR's filler for a hole in the minibike market. It's not a custom-made BBR factory bike, and it's far from an inferior toy bike that can and will break parts which aren't for sale. It's a bike you can pick up from a BBR dealer and race any major pitbike race on. It's competitive but affordable (starting at $3999) and is assembled in Auburn, Washington, at BBR's home, so parts availability and experienced customer service is a phone call away.Warning: This is not a toy. It's not a playbike, and while it looks like it's about the right size, it's not a good stepping-stone for little Billy on his way to full-size bikes. It's purpose-built to race in adult minibike races and has the teeth to prove it.Right away you know this bike isn't bought at an auto parts store. And thank goodness. We've had our share of bad experiences with knockoff bikes breaking and scaring the crap out of us; we don't need that anymore. The production frame is forged and extruded 6061 aluminum. The swingarm is BBR's forged SuperComp unit with optional leverage blocks for fine-tuning the rear feel. The MM12P also comes stock with a Marzocchi 35mm fork and BBR's own SuperShock. There is suspension adjustability all the way around on this thing. Add in the Works Connection clutch perch and lever, solid BBR handlebar, Daytona 150cc motor and real motorcycle fasteners and this bike is as confidence-inspiring as a two-foot-tall rocket can be.The bike I tested was newer than new. In fact, I'm not sure it had even been started. With a few healthy kicks it fired up, though, and the 150cc Daytona motor grumbled and barked with authority.I'm not the best minibike rider around here. Heck, I'm probably one of the worst on staff at Dirt Rider, but it didn't take an expert to know this little bike was ready to rip. During our session the bike's power was most impressive. I know I wasn't letting it all hang out (emphasized by Duane Brown of BBR encouraging me to "let it rev" to really feel the power). But I did get it opened up enough times to say this bike is as capable as you are comfortable.

Oil cooler included.

The power delivery starts low, awakes with a roar and scorches to the end of any feasible minibike track straightaway. The power was easily strong enough to seat-bounce me over technical MiniMoto SX obstacles, and the suspension dug in nicely, too. In fact, at 175 pounds I was worried the little bike would start to give. But it didn't. It simply held its form and responded with big-bike-like manners. The only oddity was with its steering radius. The little BBR seems to hit the steering lock early and that meant diving to an inside rut was done more with a rear wheel slide than a front wheel dive.Photo shoots are hell on bikes-especially little bikes with modified motors. We shoot a corner, turn around, shoot the corner again, turn around, shoot the corner again...you get the idea. Bikes usually get overheated in a hurry, and with an air-cooled 150cc ripper like this, you can really worry about stressing the system. This bike held up great, though. The clutch on the brand-new bike seemed like it needed some laps to break in properly and resist grabbing. I stalled the MM12P a lot since it wouldn't fully disengage at first. About an hour of photos and testing had this little guy purring without hesitation. The bike seemed to free up considerably, especially in the transmission during our test, and the clutch issues slowly disappeared as well.In all, the bike proved to be a solid ride that is worthy of a positive endorsement. And to say that in this market, without going full-factory and over-the-top, is saying a lot. This might be the bike the minibike faithful have wanted all along. After all, if you were to build this bike on your own, with similar components pieced together, you'd be looking into the $8000 range, minimum.