Cobra Motorcycles sets the bar high
Although the Cobra brand has been around for less than 20 years, it has been the reference for mini motorcycles in the US for some time now. In its own country, Cobra has no fewer than 45 national titles to its name. The manufacturer from Ohio (in the mid-west of the United States) has revolutionized American MX by focusing exclusively on motorcycles for children.
The history of Cobra Motorcycles goes back to the early 90s. Brent, the son of Bud Maimone, is just taking his first steps in competition. Bud immediately noticed that the mini machines of that time, usually derived from light fun engines, not only performed poorly but were also often unreliable. Maimone then decides to go to a manufacturer. He wants to convince them to make a mini motorcycle that is ready to race out of the crate. Nobody is interested.
Yet Bud is not left behind by this setback. On the contrary, he founded his own brand: Cobra. Bud Maimone has been marketing his own engines since 1993. With the success we know today! Since then, the brand has continued to grow and high-quality competition motorcycles are rolling off the production line in pocket format in the United States.
The cobra strikes!
Anyone who follows the world of top youth competitions may remember Ben Watson and his Cobra 50cc. The little Englishman dominated the World Trophy Mini Jamoigne in 2004 and 2005. But not only Watson himself, his small yellow 50cc rocket with the Cobra logo also made an impression. Compared to the competition, the little Cobra looked like a real factory bike! The Cobras also won prizes again at the MX Masterkids this year. Both Austin Forkner (Cobra CX 65) and Lance Kobush (King 50) won their categories!
Cobra is still virtually unknown to us at the moment, but is now available in Belgium thanks to the dynamics of Michel Vandommele and Benedict Monseu (TM Racing). Michel and Benedict have not hesitated to bring the American brand here and distribute it through the official TM dealers.
For MXM, the introduction of Cobra is the ideal opportunity to get to know these small powerhouses. Because we -of course- could not rely on our usual test drivers, we called in a young test pilot this time. Even before you have ridden one meter on the 65cc in question, the quality of the finish is striking. The appearance of this Cobra is that of a pocket-sized competition-ready weapon. Beautiful parts in milled aluminum steal the show. Moreover, the equipment is also very neat: an upside-down Marzocchi at the front, Öhlins at the back, “oversize” disc brakes, V-Force reed valves, a magnificent exhaust or the hydraulic clutch of this 65cc.
Top-level performance
On the track, the Cobra lives up to its high-performance appearance. There is clearly power in the 65cc Cobra block with six gears. Our test rider Florent found the engine smooth in all gears. He was also happy with the suspension. A plus is certainly the accuracy and robustness of the gearbox. Especially since our young test rider admitted that he doesn't always shift smoothly...
We let Florent loose on the 50cc for a few laps. Compared to last year, the new engine offers more flexibility and is also less aggressive. For a 50cc, the frame feels very mature, especially compared to other 50ccs. Once again the suspension also scores well, thanks to the fully adjustable rear spring. This CX Cobra 50cc is available in both small (10'/10') and large (12'/10') wheels.
Thanks to the CX 50 and CX 65cc, the American manufacturer is pushing the boundaries within the world of mini-bikes. The level of performance speaks volumes: these machines were developed to win. Cobra leaves nothing to chance to maintain its dominant position in the kids market in the US.
Rates 2010 Cobra
CX 50 Jr €2.880
CX 50 Sr (small wheels): €3.280
CX 50 Sr (large wheels): €3.470
CX 65: €3.740
Text & photos: Olivier Evrard
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