BIGMINIS IS GOING HUGE–OCT 13

In the September 2003 issue of Motocross Action we tested Jack Phinn’s first foray into the mini bike market when we wrung out a chopped up TTR-90. The bike worked extremely well for Jack’s first attempt, and since then he has expanded his horizons by starting up a mini bike hop-up company called BIGMINIS.

Fortunately, Jack keeps in touch and actually stopped by the office yesterday on an all-day run across southern California. He even showed us a tricked out KLX110 that has been stroked out to 150. Apparently business is keeping him busy, but we stopped Jack long enough to grill him on the state of mini bikes, where the craze is headed, and to settle an argument about who the fastest mini bike rider in the world is.

Why did you decide to enter solely into the 110 market?

The 50 market is already saturated, and I saw a need for the 110’s to happen. I bought a 110 and I thought that I could make it pretty trick.

Do you think the 110 market will be bigger than the 50 market?

I think it can be as big as the 50 market, but I certainly don’t see the 50’s dying out. The 50 bikes are so much fun to ride, and I have some shop 50’s that I ride myself. I decided to specialize in the 110’s because a lot of bigger guys don’t feel as comfortable on a 50 because the bike is so small. Right now you can get more power out of a 50, but the 110’s are getting stronger.

Are there more products available for the 110’s than for 50’s?

The product line is growing. I keep trying to develop new products and I also have my own designs in that I don’t copy other products. The product line will get just as big as 50’s. I know that BIGMINIS will have a frame in the future and we’re doing 159 motors right now.

Can you tell us every single product that BIGMINIS makes for the 110?

We make the clamp for the Marzocchi fork, an over-the-peg brake lever, swingarm, wheel adapter, caliper adapter, master cylinder mount, frame cradle, six-way adjustable top shock tower bracket and a chain guide.

How long as BIGMINIS been around?

We’ve been around for about ten months now. We’re coming up to our first year, and there has been a big learning curve. I learned a whole lot so far and I’ve gotten a really good response. I can’t keep my products on the shelves right now.

Who is the craziest 110 rider you’ve ever seen?

Hands down James Stewart is the fastest rider I’ve ever seen on a 110. I have a couple of good riders that ride for me, and their names are Scotty Champion and Hayden Commins. Scotty Champion will be 16 soon so he’ll be turning pro and banging bars with the big guys. He can run with those guys now, and we’ll see what happens when he turns 16.

What is a more popular class, 50’s or 110’s?

At Langtown, BBR really showed up in force and their bikes are awesome. The premiere class was the 150 class and I don’t think anyone can touch BBR with the 150’s. There were a couple 110’s, and BIGMINIS finished second or third there. Hayden Commins held his own against the adults.

Who would win in a race between James Stewart, Jeremy McGrath, Travis Pastrana, and Malcolm Stewart?

I haven’t seen Malcolm or Travis ride a 110, but I have seen both James Stewart and McGrath. Those two guys are blazing fast and that’d be a good race to see! I couldn’t pick a winner, but I think Jeremy would stand a good chance against James on a 110.

How much of a chance will Jeremy stand against James in the 250 class at Anaheim?

[Pause] Jeremy still has it. He can run with him, and if he gets a good start he can hang with Bubba for a while. That’s all I have to say about that [laughter].

What did you do before BIGMINIS?

I was an electrical contractor for 26 years. I’ve done a lot of work for industry people, shops, and machine shops. I was getting tired of the trade and was planning on retiring next year anyway, but I was looking for something to do in the industry. Well, last year when I broke my collarbone I did a TTR90 and cut up the frame and worked on it. Motocross Action did a feature on it and that gave me the bug to work on mini’s. I got a great response from it and everyone wanted me to work on their mini bikes. It was originally a one-off deal. I went to a couple mini races and then decided that mini’s were going to be my target. Mini’s are a good starting point for me, but who knows because I might get into big bikes too.

How did you come up with the name ‘BIGMINIS’?

It actually didn’t take much thought at all. It just fell into place. It’s kind of a play on words.

When you were an electrician, whom did you work for in the industry?

I did a lot of work for Pro Circuit, Troy Lee, and quite a few riders I fixed up their garages. I’ve been around the industry for a while, so it works out well.

Do you think there will be an organized series in mini racing in the future?

I see it coming, yes. When I was in Las Vegas just a few days ago, talk had come up about a series of indoor arena events just like the supercross series spreading across the U.S. I talked to a few people who were trying to organize those events, and if it happens I’ll be involved in it.

If that does happen, will your rider Scotty Champion in fact be a champion?

I’m predicting that he’ll be up there. He’ll definitely be a front-runner.

How has business been?

The first six months it takes to just get one product developed. From an idea to the machinest, you have to work out the bugs, test the product, and get ready for sale. The first run of swingarms I sold out in two months. We keep learning as we’re going. The new ’05 stuff should be quite impressive. We haven’t had any mechanical problems with it and we’re going to keep improving the products as we go along.

Why do many adults dump so much money into 110’s?

It’s an addiction. You get going on it, and your buddy shows up and one-ups you. He might have a little more power or better suspension. Most of these people are established and they have enough money to trick a bike out.
With BIGMINIS, my bike is modular. You can start with one product, like the rear swingarm with the stock wheel, but then you can upgrade to the rear disk brake setup. The top shock tower bracket is six-way adjustable, so you can run a KX60 fork on it, or run stock.

What products are you planning on making in the future?

We’re looking into making frames. The production frame has proven to be strong and reliable, but I think we could get the frame stiffer and the handling better. I might venture into making 150 stuff.

What is the weakest link on a 110? What is the first thing a person should look at buying to hop up a 110?

I would say suspension. You need better suspension to really carry some speed and do any jumping. The suspension can’t handle it, and the bars and controls aren’t very good either. The stock motor is kind of slow, but it’s very reliable. I would say suspension first, then motor work.

Thank you for answering our questions.

Thank you.ÿÿÿÿÿÿ

For more information, visit
bigminis.com