Gas Gas Moto Australia was the importer of the Mecatecno Alevin 50, a purpose-built trials bike for Juniors who, for too long, had been making do with unsuitable rides like PW50s, trailbikes or clapped-out TY80 Yamahas. The Mecatecno was designed for kids in the 7-to-12 years range who were serious about trials and one look at the bike was enough to convince you that the designers were too.
The frame backbone tubes had an unusual route under the tank as it used the Morini air-cooled two stoke engine as a stressed member and was designed with plenty of ground clearance. The bore and stroke of 39mm x 41.8mm gave a capacity of 49.9cc and it had a four-speed gear-box.
The 19-inch front wheel sported a 185mm Brembo disc while the 17-inch rear had a drum brake. Two of the three Junior test riders reported that the clutch was a little stiff for them but the importer was aware of the issue and was working on a modification to lighten up the lever action.
A Dellorto SHA 14/12 carb did the fuel-air mixing duties but the small airbox was thought to be a potential problem and filter socks were suggested as added protection. The engine was not a radical powerhouse but a good compromise between a bit of grunt and enough spin to get the bike up and going when needed.
A beginner could let the bike lug if necessary but a more experienced pilot could snap the throttle open and actually feel a response. Suspension was conventional at both ends with no adjustment, not even pre-load, and the testers all found the bike very “springy”, with little rebound damping in the shock.
The smallest of the test riders was actually lifted off the ’pegs a few times due to the quick rebound.
BOUNCING THE REAR
The largest and most experienced rider quickly adapted and made use of this feature to bounce the rear-end around, and up a gnarly log step.
The front-end was nicely progressive for two-thirds of the travel, then suddenly firmed up. The front brake was touchy and all of the testers were soon doing nose wheelies with huge grins. All three of the riders, aged 8, 9 and 10, found the bike easy to start and had to be pried off with a pinch bar at day’s end. In fact, five minutes after getting on the bike the youngest kept saying: “I want one”, despite it being his first ride on a bike with a clutch and gearbox.
All up weight was around the 50kg mark and, at the time, it was the only Junior trials bike available in Australia. Other Euro factories built small-capacity trials bikes but they were full-size, not kid-size, too big for the market the Mecatecno was aimed at and much more expensive.
The Fantic 50 Clubman was only available here on special order and cost over $6k, twice the price of the Mecatecno. For any Junior riders serious about observed trials competition, the Alevin 50 was the only way to go. Heritage Editor Warren Jack
