Extreme Motos is an Australian store selling Chinese-made dirt bikes, quads and pit bikes. Are they worth it?
In this unbiased and unpaid review, Frontaer really wanted to see if they’re genuine. We did the research so you don’t have to.
Let’s begin.
Extreme Motos Australia
Extreme Motos sells their own gear as well as being a dealer for Atomik and DMX dirt bikes. They aren’t new to the market having been selling these out of their Sydney warehouse for years now.
With the cost of living continually rising, it’s little wonder why more parents don’t buy these. The cost of Japanese and Euro equivalents are seriously high. Then you gotta buy the gear too.
Now, Extreme Motos has all their dirt bikes made in China. This explains why their prices are so cheap. In years gone by, the reputation of these machines was low.
Not a day would go by when you wouldn’t hear of poor reliability, bad craftsmanship and difficulty in ordering parts. Nowadays, the reputation of these imported dirt bikes is far more superior.
Chinese pit bikes and dirt bikes in Australia now have a reputation of going for thousands of miles. For cheap thrills, this is now considered the better way to go for budget-conscious Australian families.
Some farmers are going for these now including their side-by-side and ATV’s.
Industry Reputation
Many people know about Extreme Motos and people are happy with what they provide, however, their website hasn’t been crafted that well. That’s definitely one aspect that they could do better. As you know, Frontaer is unbiased.
For years they have been selling their imported offroad machines to families as well as gear and trailers too. Most of what they sell also comes with a warranty and there are parts available too.
Fortunately, much of what they sold 3 to 5 years ago is still being ridden today. If you find Extreme Motos dirt bikes 2nd hand for sale on eBay or Gumtree, then that’s a tell-tale sign that the machine is still running well, however you often don’t know how many miles they’ve done.
Customer Complaints
There are a few customer complaints regarding the rudeness of staff, but nothing really regarding the machines themselves. As we say, the trustworthiness of these machines is superior compared to what it was 20 years back.
The nature of those in the dirt biking communities is that just about no one leaves a positive review even when they’ve had a great experience. As soon as something negative happens, then the punches come out. Thus, it’s difficult to get a fairly accurate review rating average.
One thing is for sure – when there’s an issue – there is a high likelihood that they’ll fix it. There are some warranty terms and conditions though and we do recommend that you read through that first.
Of course, they aren’t the only company in town. It pays sometimes to see who has the cheapest prices, but don’t simply go for the price otherwise you can be burned. Look for a company who has great service too, of which Extreme Motos is one such company.
In Short
Unless you can afford it, or your kids are into motocross, then paying a fortune for a Honda, KTM, Suzuki or Yamaha is just out of your budget. Plus you’ll be paying for gear, then complete upgrades every 1 to 2 years after that. It seriously becomes an expensive ordeal!
For this reason, a good alternative are these Chinese dirt bikes. They’re much more reliable these days yet still lack a little power and suspension capabilities. But for the price you pay, you’re still way in front.
Dirt bike riders tend to speak their own unique language and, unless you grew up in the sport, you’ll want to know some terminology.
Some of their sayings and terms are clear, while others aren’t so obvious. Instead of you scratching your head the next time you meet up with a bunch of riders, we’ll give you some of the basics.
1. Brrraaap
This refers to the sound of a 2-stroke, or less commonly, the sound of a 4-stroke. You’ll often hear it within conversations or to help relate a situation, or simply for comedy. It’s most commonly used as a catchphrase by those aged 15 to 30 when talking about dirt bike riding at full speed.
2. DNF (Did Not Finish)
During races, riders who simply didn’t finish the race earn the ‘title’ of DNF, or Did Not Finish. This could either because they broke down, crashed and injured themselves, or in the case of some genuinely tough races such as the Dakar, simply gave up due to exhaustion.
3. Pinned
This means the rider has their throttle all the wide open and no chance of them holding back, with pinned sometimes also called ‘wide open’. They’re literally giving it everything they’ve got for a corner or straight-line speed. The slight variation is ‘5th gear pinned’ which refers to absolutely maximizing their top-end speed which is much more common in open country races as opposed to closed-circuit MX events.
4. Rutted
When you’re coming across a track that has many deeply in-grained lines from previous motorcycles or 4×4’s, it means the track is rutted. Too many people have used the track in the past and it’s certainly in need of some TLC.
5. Scrub
Have you ever seen riders lean heaviliy to one side when jumping? They are doing this to stay low on the track and to land as quickly as possible. As they do this, they’re able to regain momentum on the gas while their competition is still airborne.
6. Whiskey Throttle
This is a common mistake done by a newer rider who hasn’t mastered the art of throttle control. It’s here where a rider will apply too much throttle, start losing control, but their hand is still twisting on the throttle. They aren’t able to twist forward with their body leaning too far back and eventually they crash.
7. Corrogations
Popular in country areas especially in Australia are corrogated roads. As heavy trucks use these roads, they cause them to be bumpy for 4wd and dirt bike enthusiasts. These corrogations can only be eliminated by a grader, and in the interim, it’s best to ‘glide’ over the top at high speeds.
8. Whoop Section
Have you seen those areas of the MX track that have many micro-bumps and dirt bikes keep jumping? That’s a whoop section and best conquered with a good strategy and NOT with simply jumping over them. Most riders keep their speed low and continue pushing down on their front tyre in order to maintain momentum.
9. Back Slapper
This is when you’re riding with your backside too low to the seat and your seat eventually knocks. Most commonly this happens when you’re in a whoop section. Crouching is important, but you don’t want to crouch too low otherwise you’ll certainly know about it.
10. Lapper
Most common on longer races are those who are overtaken at least once, especially the person in first position overtakes the individual in last position. Being lapped reminds us of how much work needs to be done in order to become more competent riders.
11. Hoon Rider
Typical of those dirt bike riders who cruise unlicenced and unregistered along residential streets. These hoon riders (also called hooligans) cause a bad name for the more law-abiding citizens who are in the dirt biking world for the love of the sport, not merely to claim some attention on YouTube.
12. Clapped Out
Have you seen vehicles which have seen better days? Something that’s still running when it should’ve been scrapped long ago? That thing is clapped out, man!
13. Roosted
Copping a face full of another dirt bike rider’s mud seriously hurts and blinds the goggles. Getting roosted either kills our confidence or motivates us to overtake the person in front.
14. Sand Pit
A Sand Pit refers to sections of enduro race areas which are full of sand. Riders will have a hard time maintaining full control of their dirt bike unless they’re fully pinned and leaning back to keep the front wheel light.
15. Power Band
A Power Band isn’t a physical thing, but a characteristic of each gear where the power is the most aggressive. Most riders in racing circuits optimize their gears to always stay within the power band. For instance, they won’t be revving too high or too low in each gear, so as to get the most out of each revolution of the engine.
16. Steam Engine
A term recently created by electric dirt bike owners to poke fun at dirt bikers who still use the petrol equivalents. Electric dirt bikes are becoming mainstream in racing circuits and soon enough, conventional dirt bikes will be considered steam engines of yesteryear.
17. Yard Sale
Used to describe a dirt bike that is dead in the water and should be seperated for parts on Craigslist, Gumtree or eBay. Chances are that the frame has had a major breakage of the engine is simply swamped with water and with no life left.
18. Plastic Princess
Used to describe a rider or their dirt bike (likely both) that is too precious to get dirty. You’ll see them rock up with perfect plastics, shining tyre tread and all the gear…but not much of an idea. Sometimes you’ll see them finish a race while being almost spotless, while the rest of the competitors are a mess from head to toe.
19. Bark Busters
These are mainly used on trail bike and enduro riders who venture into the forests. It protects the hands from being clipped by tree branches, while also protecting the break and clutch levers from damage when crashing. They may be referred to the actual brand name, or simply as a generic term to describe hand protectors.
20. Tearoffs
These very thin plastic goggle strips are used by motocross riders to clear debris from their goggles caused by roosting. Some riders may have 10 to 15 strips layered on top of each other for each race while removing a freshly coated strip every 20 seconds or so in order to enhance visibility when competing.
21. Widow Maker
May refer to a stake in the trail that’s pointed up and could cause massive bodily harm and possible death when riding. May also be a low hanging yet thick branch or a sharp and unexpected drop off. In racing, these may be hard objects which are located very close to the track.
22. Tank Slapper
When you’re going too fast and suddenly hit a rock which unsettles the dirt bike. As the dirt bike rocks side to side, it slaps both legs hence the name ‘tank slapper’. This is more-so common in high speed racing motorcycles on closed circuit loops.
23. Sweep Rider
This is a rider whose job is to close out the rear in both group rides and enduro races. They ensure that riders are accounted for and connect with riders who have broken down or are injured. Often the Sweep Rider will be in regular contact in group rides with their polar opposite – the Lead Rider, who keeps the line moving.
24. Monkey Butt
Used to describe the state of a rider’s butt cheeks after a few hours of riding. As sweat builds up, it causes this stinging sensation which irritates the rider. Funnily enough, a company created a product of the same name to combat this very issue…and it works!
25. Ritchie Rich
Used to describe a dirt bike rider who has all the money in the world, so they’ll rock up with the best and newest gear around. It’s not uncommon to see them completely replace all their riding gear, or even their dirt bike, every few months…just because they can.
26. Lemon
A dirt bike which is utterly unreliable and continues to break down. Most commonly this happens on older dirt bikes which need a lot of upkeep. It’s at this stage that the owner will generally cut their losses and get a new one, or give up on riding altogether.
27. Tunnel Blindness
Dirt bike riders who only see in a straight line and don’t look around corners prior to entering. By looking around the corner and planning 5 seconds ahead, riders can maximize race times but also look out for hazards ahead.
28. Amateurs
Those who are new to riding or racing in a particular location. They haven’t quite got the conditions figured out yet and are likely to be passed by more experienced folk pretty easily.
29. Egged On
When someone was encouraged under peer-pressure to attempt something like wheelie despite knowing that it wasn’t a good idea. Generally speaking, those who are ‘egged on’ to do something beyond their comfort zone generally don’t fare well.
30. Cruiser
A rider who sits down on their dirt bike almost all the time, despite there being corrugated sections of track where it’s very uncomfortable to sit and casually ride. These riders are also typically newer to the sport and can be quite slow as they develop their skills.
31. Fan Boy (also called Fan Boi)
Owners who believe in only one brand of motorcycle and discount the value or advantages that another brand might provide. The biggest fan boys in the dirt bike world are those of both Honda and Yamaha who are often in a friendly debate about who has bought the better bike.
32. Rodeo
Used to describe going over large rocks at slow speed which is common in rocky outcrop areas. As the dirt bike bounces around, it’s much like riding a bull in a rodeo.
33. Weekend Warrior
The rider who loves heading out on the weekends but is trapped at their workplace during the week. These riders are often between amatuer and professionals in their skills development, and will make the very most out of their riding areas…rain, hail or shine!
34. Lost It
Used when a rider pushed beyond their abilities in either racing or casual trail bike riding scenarios. As they crashed, they were evidently going too fast for a corner and proceeded to ‘lose it’ as they weren’t able to maintain full control.
35. Nailed It
The opposite to ‘Lost It’ is where a rider was able to accomplish an especially difficult task such as a gnarly hillcimb. They’ll generally command respect from other riders as they continued to power through and remained in complete control.
36. Soiled
A rider who is completely dirty from head to toe from riding their dirt bike. Being ‘soiled’ is a testament to how hard the rider rode and how much mud they had been through. You’ll generally find soiled riders posting their photos on social media when others would’ve stayed at home because of the rain.
37. Canned
When an event such as a race or organized group ride is cancelled, often unexpectedly. When they ‘canned it’, most riders are unsurprisingly disappointed at the outcome but understand the reasonings, such as bad weather or track access issues.
38. Meerkat
A rider who stands unusually high on their dirt bike and scans the horizon, just like a meerkat. While standing on the pegs is encouraged and at times, absolutely necessary, the attack stance is generally easier and safer than standing tall with the knees locked.
39. Wringer
When you’re testing out a dirt bike for the first time and want to do an extensive analysis or review, you’re putting a dirt bike through the ‘wringer’ to ensure it lives up to expectations. You’ll be quite tough on the dirt bike. Generally, YouTube review channels and magazines use this term to demonstrate aggressively testing dirt bikes instead of being soft and gentle.
Frontaer recently came across the Thumpstar pit bike range and felt an unbiased review would be great to help consumers.
Through this guide, we’re not going to hold back any punches. Do these pit bikes really live up to expectations? Let’s find out.
Thumpstar Pit Bikes Review
It’s great when you see families helping their kids enter the sport of offroad motorcycling. It sure beats sitting infont of the computer or watching Netflix or worst, sitting on the iPad.
Life is all about exploring and having fun. When we were kids, there were none of these devices to be found!
Nowadays, the price of dirt bikes has come down but it’s still not that affordable. If you’re going into any of the mainstream stores like Honda, Yamaha and KTM, you aren’t coming out without dropping at least $4k on a Children’s dirt bike + protection gear. Ouch!
Fortunately, some companies have filled a gap in the market. One such company is Thumpstar, and one that we decided to research heavily.
Fun fact: All of their current models are illegal to ride on crown land because they don’t meet ADR-compliance for registration. For 99% of their owners, this is no problem at all but worth mentioning.
Chinese Dirt Bikes
Yes, they sell Chinese dirt bikes. Actually, dirt bikes are different to pit bikes in several ways. They are typically reserved for use by kids on private property to ride around casually or build their skills to race competitively when they’re older.
The pit bikes sold by Thumpstar have good reviews and customers are pretty happy with the performance. While Japanese and European brands have dominated the scene for years with their reliability, those from China have really come up in their standings. Nowadays you’re spending somewhere from a third to half the price to get a motorcycle that’s almost as capable.
For parents with several kids, it’s seriously expensive to kit everyone out with this year’s top-of-the-line KTM range. This is why a pit bike could be the best alternative out there and one light and nimble enough for lighter bodies to handle.
Customer Complaints
We looked far and wide and didn’t find too many negative experiences mentioned in reviews. Most people are pretty happy with Thumpstar and they’ve been operating out of their Western Australia premises for years now.
What’s more, they’ve invested a lot into their YouTube channel to improve their reputation. They literally show you what their pit bikes can do in the right hands. Even better – they even send their models into the World Cup of Pit Bikes!
When looking online, we found that their customer service team has been there to resolve complaints. If you need a hand with something, they tend to want to help you or point you in the right direction to one of their tutorial videos.
In Summary
These bikes aren’t cheap. If you’re looking for a cheap Thumpster, you’ll have to look on eBay and Gumtree. These pit bikes have solid reviews and the engines have been run in well.
From 50cc to 250cc and their main machines – the 110cc and 125cc, it’s clear that Thumpstar has it all covered for younger riders and teenagers alike. If you’re an adult, you’ll be pretty bored after a few rides given that pit bikes aren’t really designed for typical rides out bush at high speeds, but as for those learning to ride, it appears to be a good combination.
By the way – read our complete Australian Dirt Bike Trails Guide featuring many places you can legally take your pit bike with the kids. Frontaer has made this free and it’s definitely worth the read.
TBolt USA is a popular store for pit bikes, parts and accessories. But are they safe for parents to buy from?
Frontaer has written this unbiased review to give our own perspective. After all, you simply want to know if they are worth it.
TBolt USA Review
TBolt USA started almost 20 years ago and has become one of the most popular pit bike companies around town. Based in Pennsylvania, they help younger riders to get out there and develop their skills behind the handlebars.
What they ultimate make are pit bikes which are seriously fun. Unlike most pit bikes out there which are made in China, these are designed for riders to have serious fun with plenty of power on tap. They’re seriously fun and in our experience, perfect for riding in the backyard.
You can even race these! Yep, some of their pit bikes have been featured in national and international races.
What They Offer
Most stores simply offer pit bikes and some replacement parts. With TBolt USA, you’re simply getting a whole lot more. You’ll find equipment, riding ggear and even replacement engines if you need.
Plus they also run sale events and ‘garage sales’ through their online store. Look for a coupon code for TBolt USA and you’ll save even more money.
What’s great is that their pit bikes are not just affordable, but reliable too. Yes, they are Chinese-made but the final assembly is done in their Pennysvania warehouse.
Social Media
When doing our research, we want to check what others are saying about their store and their social media following. Fortunately, there is plenty of content and interactions on their Instagram and Facebook profiles, with questions being readily asked by potential customers.
There is also some good tutorials and reviews of TBolt USA pit bikes on YouTube. Riders are giving their independent experiences having owned one of their models for several months now. That is as real as it gets!
Negative Reviews
Have you seen those customer complaints? It makes you question if you should buy one of these. Remember, we’re unpaid and unbiased as they come.
The thing is – most people won’t leave a 5-star review, or any review for that matter, despite having a great experience. When crap hits the fan, out come the punches.
With any business, it’s hard to keep everyone happy. We noticed that the bulk of complaints were due to items lost in shipment or parts being out of stock. It happens.
We would imagine that TBolt is really on to things nowadays given that they have been in business for so many years, and is one of the largest pit bike dealers around.
Essentially, there is a very good chance that you’ll have a great experience. Not everyone has, but these are far and few between.
The negative experiences are often blown out of proportion. Sometimes this might be parents buying a pit bike for their kids and given how emotional this is, when things go wrong….the customer certainly will certainly let any customer know.
Getting Started
There is no better way to get your kids into the world of offroad motorcycle riding than to have a pitbike. They’re a heck of a lot of fun and don’t cost much either.
Sure – they aren’t dirt bikes and aren’t going to keep up to those riding in the tight technical stuff, but a great segway into the sport.
Given TBolt USA’s reputation, they would be one of the better picks out there.
It’s always good to research Australian dirt bike shops, and B&B Offroad is one that needed Frontaer’s unbiased opinion.
We aren’t paid for our content and simply are providing our perspective. Let’s see if they’re worth spending your hard-earned money with.
B&B Offroad Review
When you’re looking for something that’s unique for your dirt bike or ADV motorcycle, it’s sometimes tough to find out there. Luckily, B&B Offroad sprung up recently to fill the void in the market.
We’re talking Made-To-Order gear that’s for your specific year and model. They’re an engineering shop which has everything sorted for the dual-sport and offroad crowd.
Prior to this, you’d pretty much have to order from overseas and hope for the rest. Sometimes they sent the wrong item or it got lost in shipment, leaving a customer stranded. Imagine the return postage costs!
And besides, you don’t know where it was actually made. With B&B Offroad, their gear is made right here in Australia, not China. They have their own fabrication shop on-premises with seriously skilled boilermakers.
Drawbacks
As we said, Frontaer is unbiased. We’re an adventure motorcycling brand that likes to see what fellow Australian businesses are doing in the marketplace, but doesn’t do any favours.
One of the key drawbacks with B&B Offroad is the waiting time. You could be waiting a few weeks for them to make up a bit of gear, and even longer if you live in Perth…though they do offer express postage.
Right now during COVID, their delays have pushed customer orders right out to more than a month. If you were planning a trip in the coming weeks yet need a rack made up on the spot, then you’ll be waiting a while.
The other key downside is the cost. It doesn’t take you long to figure out that their luggage accessories and the like are expensive. But why? Because this is the cost of local labour and doing business in Australia. As consumers, we’re used to reasonably priced goods yet they more-or-less come from China.
You can hop on eBay and find the equivalent parts for half the price out of China. Problem is: Their quality is inferior and the company who makes them probably aren’t dirt bike enthusiasts just like us.
We choose to shop locally and support the local economy. During these tough times, it’s important that we pay it forward, even if it costs a few extra dollars.
Reputation
One thing that really stands out with B&B Offroad is their online reputation. Clearly they don’t mess around with customers or their quality. Most other stores can’t even achieve a 4-star average rating, yet these guys are well beyond this.
Clearly they know how to impress the customer and provide the right instructions to ensure you can fit the racks or protection bars on pretty easily.
Where does their reputation all stem from? Passion. They certainly aren’t in this for the money despite the higher than expected prices. A lot of time goes into the design, testing and sourcing the right materials long before you see something for sale on their website.
Word has spread far and wide from their Ballarat factory over the years, and for good reason. We do look forward to using more of what they have to offer.
