Gemini Sst

GEMINI SST

Not So Supersonic, But Well Done And Lots Of Fun

NOT CAPABLE of breaking the sound barrier, and certainly not resembling The Twins, the Gemini SST nevertheless performs its function very well, and is a worthy addition to the growing horde of mini-bikes.

Manufactured entirely in Taiwan (even the tires), the SST offers many big bike features. In fact, it is a most accurate, scaled-down version of Yamaha’s popular YG-1. Controls are laid out in motorcycle fashion: clutch lever on the left handle bar and front brake lever on the right; rear brake on the right side pedal and gearshift lever on the left. A set of lights and horn make the bike as close to road legal as the law allows, but riding one of these little beauties on the road would take more courage than Bat man has.

It’s primary function is an off-theroad trail bike, and it performs very well in this element. Both ends are sprung, the front forks being conventionally damped with oil internally, and the rear shocks are much the same as found on full-size motorcycles, although considerably scaled down. The ride out in the rough is surprisingly good, although it handles very “quickly.”

Knobby tires are mounted on 8-in. wheels and have sufficient cross section to provide both good stability and traction in loose dirt, and the low overall gearing makes the bike a real hillclimber in disguise. A powerful bike, this, using a Yamaha 50 engine with 4-speed transmission. The disc-valve Single develops good torque and power throughout the operating range, and is very docile and reliable. We were especially impressed with the excellent brakes.

Other features we liked were the handlebars which fold down a la Honda by unscrewing large knobs at the bottom of the individual bars and folding them down beside the front fork tubes. Seat comfort is good and the height is adjustable, but the riding position is a bit cramped for anyone over 5 feet tall!

Finish is very good to excellent throughout. Paint is well-applied and appears very durable, but our test bike’s tank had some dust specks in it. Welds are neat and substantial and chrome plating is rich.

To the detrimental side, the engine and exhaust pipe lack any protection on the underside. With very little ground clearance, these objects become prime targets for rocks and logs. The carburetor on our test machine leaked some, but we found that a piece of grit had found its way past the sediment bowl at the petcock and was sticking the float needle open—a three-minute repair job!

We were having so much fun riding the SST through the office and doing wheelstands in the parking lot that it was with great reluctance that we returned it. It’s a FUN bike, sure to become a hit with the kids, young and old. [Ö]