eBay sellers Premier Auto - opens in new window or tab. of South Florida have an Aladdin’s Cave of two- and four-wheeled exotica. Right there with the Ducatis - opens in new window or tab. and Rolls-Royces - opens in new window or tab. is their love of minibikes, like the cute 1973 Indian MM5A sold on eBay.
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Pure Nostalgia
We featured Premier’s immaculate Honda XR75 - opens in new window or tab. in August 2024. Premier Auto’s Brandon Schuman said:
We go through a lot of minibikes. People come in here and see these, and it’s pure nostalgia. They remember wanting one as a kid, or their parents buying one. Gas-engined kids’ bikes will soon be a thing of the past.
The custom-painted MM5A (better known as the Mini Mini) came out of a collection in West Florida. Schuman said:
This guy was a passionate minibike collector. He devised the paint scheme of apple green with gold leaf and the gold pinstriping. The li’l Indian runs and is ready to go. The bike is used but well-maintained and topped off with that dazzling paint scheme.
Inspiring Future Riders
Indian’s luster waned after production ceased in 1953. Its big, comfortable, lazy V-twins became a distant memory. The Indian brand passed through several owners before motorcycle entrepreneur Floyd Clymer - opens in new window or tab. acquired it in the early ’60s. He put the name on several Italian-built motorcycles that had Norton - opens in new window or tab. and Royal Enfield - opens in new window or tab. drivetrains.
Clymer also wanted to offer a motorcycle for children. The strategy was for kids to catch the riding bug early and become Indian customers for life. To this end, the Italian Italjet - opens in new window or tab. Mini Mini Bambino was badge-engineered and became the Indian MM5A for the US market. It was the smallest Indian motorcycle ever offered.
Twist and Go
Children were the intended market for Mini Mini. Training wheels could be fitted to the swing arm. They allow a lean angle but stop the bike from tipping over.
For ease of use, there are no gears. Drive transmits from the crank to the chain through a centrifugal clutch. Just twist the throttle and go. At 18 inches tall and weighing a dainty 57 pounds, this is one of the smaller mini bikes - opens in new window or tab.. Its drum brakes are sufficient, as are the tiny 8-inch spoked rims.
Fuel economy in standard trim is said to top 200 mpg. An intake restrictor limits output from the 50-cc two-stroke engine to about 1.5 horsepower. This gives the MM5A a top speed of about 12 miles per hour.
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