Get your small bike is ready. We’re looking forward to this summer’s Barber Small Bore, an annual event dedicated to very small dirt and street bikes. And we are not the only ones.
The rules of the Small Bore event are simple: if it’s more than 200cc, it stays at home. Small Bore regular event Johnny Cintron in Athens, Georgia, is preparing his converted 150cc Honda Ruckus and a few other bikes for the event. But for Cintron, it’s not just about bikes, it’s about the community of small bike enthusiasts.
“Everybody is so friendly and you just want to talk and hang out,” he said. “In any state you’ll find clubs but Barber Small Bore is where everyone goes.” This year, Cintron will bring its Honda Ruckus and Honda Monkey 125cc scooters, a CRF 110 off-road bike, and its 49cc Honda Elite.
Cintron has a yellow and black coffee Honda monkey became a fan favorite in 2022. It was stretched and lowered with front and rear aftermarket shocks, racing cams and a muffler. “There are endless possibilities for these little bikes. You can look at 20 to 30 bikes and no two will be exactly the same,” says Cintron.
However, the event is more than just a meet and greet; Barbers host a number of competitive events at Small Bore. Experienced riders can take part in a two-hour endurance race on the full Barber track, while amateur riders can try their hand at a 20-minute street race. There’s a hill race, a drag race, an off-road race and this year a technical dirt bike race.
Small Bore is an opportunity for lovers of small motorcycles such as Honda Grom, Kawasaki Z125, Honda Super Cube, and classic bikes like the Yamaha Chappy, CT 70, or even the Aprilia RS50 to find like-minded people riding slow bikes. In addition, it is located on the premises of the Barber track and Barber Vintage Motor Racing Museum in Birmingham Alabama, which means it’s in the shadow of the world’s largest motorcycle museum.
However, Cintron didn’t wait for Small Bore to cycle. His golden monkey is his daily commuter bike in the summer. “People ask, what is it? Is it legal? How fast is it? Whatever minibike I’m using, that’s what I get.” Monkey bikes are street legal, and while an original Monkey can hit 55 mph, Cintron says it’ll hit 80 mph thanks to its mods. And that’s on 12-inch tires, which sounds intimidating.
The Small Bore event will take place June 9-11 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Tickets are on sale now, with daily tickets starting at $30 and weekend tickets starting at $50. Paddock Club Tickets are $120 Camping tickets are also available. So come to Grom!
