IF you’re looking for a race-ready mini-bike to go hammering around your nearest go-kart track, Italian firm Ohvale are the people you need to be talking to.
They’ve been creating miniature versions of GP race bikes for years now, honing their craft and improving the bike with every update. The result today is a bike that boasts almost all of the technical know-how and design touches of a full-sized race bike, just in miniature form.
But herein lies a problem, they are a bit, how do I put this, small! Admittedly, with my 5’7” frame I’d be pretty comfy folding myself onto one, but anyone over 6’, you’re going to struggle a bit.
But giants of the world fear not, as Ohvale has heard your cries, whimpers, and groans, and has produced a bike especially for you!
It’s called the Ohvale GP-2 and comes equipped with a roomier frame and slightly larger 12” wheels. It’s powered by the same 190cc, four-speed, four-stroke engine as before, meaning you’ll still have an ample 20bhp or so to help you live out those MotoGP fantasies you’ve longed for since childhood.
The new GP-2 is a visually larger and more spacious machine than the GP-0 and actually sits longer, wider, and taller than before. The pegs, seat, and clip-ons have also been moved to help accommodate the sturdier pilot, while the swingarm has been extended by 25mm.
Peter Hickman's take on the new Ohvale GP-2
The bikes are being imported into the UK by none other than the faster road racer on the planet, Peter hickman.
we grabbed five minutes with him to get his take on the new bike and the brand:
“It all started with Ohvale for me at the Texas Tornado Bootcamp. Brandon Cretu, the US importer brought a couple along for us to try, and then I found out there was no UK importer. After that, I met with Ohvale in Italy and decided to become the UK importer of them back in 2019.
“I really like that these are proper race bikes: it looks right, and feels right, and rides and reacts like a full-sized race bike. Loads of my mates who also race at a high level have ridden them and love them.
“Yes, they are on the small side, but even the 10” is big enough for me at 6’2”, with this new 12” GP-2 making even more sense for larger riders. The Ohvale bikes are between mini-motos and a Moto3 in terms of size and weight. The new GP-2 will be more stable than the GP-0 on bigger tracks too, thanks to a slightly bigger overall size.
“If you wanted to get into racing and didn’t want to buy a 25-year-old CB500, this is a very good option. They are premium bits of kit, they don’t need masses of maintenance and are built in the same way that full-sized race bikes are. The kid who won the OMG Ohvale 110 Cup, Harley McCabe, did that on one engine with just basic maintenance!”
We will be getting bikes in the UK in March, if you're interested, get yourself over to: https://peterhickman.net/
Ohvale UK test day
The new Ohvale GP-2 is retailing for £6,179.99, including VAT and delivery from Italy.
For more information, head over to: peterhickman.net
For more information on the other bikes in the Ohvale range, head to: ohvaleuk.co.uk
