The mini-moto craze continues to grow
I had the opportunity to attend this year’s Smoky Mountain Small Bore Rally again, and the weekend was truly bigger and better than ever. I am amazed every year at how much time, imagination, and of course money these folks devote to their passion for these small size and displacement motorcycles.
As of the time of this writing, I had not heard any official count on the attendance, but there were literally hundreds of small, and some not-quite-as-small, motorbikes all over Townsend, Maryville, and the Tail of the Dragon region over that weekend, June 11-14. There is such a camaraderie, a kinship, among these riders. Everyone treats each other with such kindness, respect, and enthusiasm.
Here’s a few of my favorite photos from across the weekend, with some of the most trick mini-motos I’ve ever seen!
They come early, and they come ready. The bikes are as varied as the riders.
This was a super-trick Honda Grom that was the 2025 raffle bike. $10 per ticket got you a shot at bringing it home.
A 60-mile day ride stopped at Dragon City Pit Stop, in nearby Maryville, TN. I enjoyed checking out the wide array of amazing minis, while visiting with old friends and making new ones. They are a welcoming bunch.
One of the day rides saw a group visit a local “Haunted Castle”, if you can call it that. I also got a big deck screw in my rear tire while here. Thank God for tire plugging kits and helpful friends.
A nicely done Honda Super Cub. The Yoshi pipe hints at what’s “under the hood”.
This was one beast of a Honda Monkey. I wonder if I could hop up mine like this…?
This one blew my mind. Looks straight out of the custom scene in Japan.
Another Monkey that grabbed me by the throat, made me stop and stare. I like that stretched swingarm setup. That engine barked when he blipped it.
This little Yamaha was mean-looking and sounding. Some of these guys spend over $25K on their custom mini-motos. Amazing machines.
It was a thrill to once again attend this year’s Smoky Mountain Small Bore Rally. The riding was beautiful, the bikes were absolutely amazing, and the friendship was warm and genuine. I’ve been very much enjoying this little niche in our wider motorcycling community, over the past couple of years. From “monkeying around Daytona“, to spending a weekend blasting around the track at Barber Motorsports Park, and these yearly Smoky Mountain rallies, This is such a fantastic corner of the motorcycling world. I love this community. I think you will too.
Mike Boyd
For more on the annual Smoky Mountain Small Bore Rally, click here:
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