Australian manufacturer and retailer of mini-bikes made in China under design.
At the age of 17 Brad Smith imported his first mini bikes from China. Whilst working as an apprentice electrician, working part time at Woolworths and mowing neighbour’s lawns, buying and selling gear online he was able to save enough money to buy this first shipment. After 6 weeks of waiting with baited breath the bikes finally arrived at his home. Disappointingly for him, they were not of the standard he had hoped and expected. Brad had a vision of getting mini motocross started in Australia and to do this he needed a bike that could be rode and jumped with confidence by adults. This first shipment was only suitable to sell to children. After standing on street corners and hanging around the outskirts of trade events with these bikes with large signage in toe he finally sold them.
Brad sourced a new bike to import from China which was of a superior standard than the original, but they still did not quite have his stamp of approval and confidence. Brad was selling his bikes all around Australia via his web site and from advertising in Motorbike Magazines. He regularly travelled to the mainland from Tasmania to enter into every event possible to get his name out there, and to learn more. He would take a note book and pen to every event to “pick the brains” of the best at the time. When he was ready to launch his own bike, he knew he would be the market leader in every aspect of the business. These trips were a major issue in itself as Brad was a provisional driver unable to hire a car through normal venues. Brad sponsored riders to enter in events he was not able to attend or compete in himself.
Brad knew he could design the best pit bike available in the world using his and his fathers’ personal experience and knowledge. To get this bike Brad felt he had no option but to go to China himself and source a factory that was willing to effectively and strictly use his expertise.
At the tender age of 18 Brad boarded a plane and headed to China. Brad made some great contacts here where he sourced two factories that were willing to listen to him and make the bikes exactly to his own specs. Over four years later, Brad is selling his very own designed mini bikes all across Australia. Brad travels to China twice a year to visit the factories and meet with the people who are building his bikes.
Part of Brad’s vision was to have his bikes sold in exciting braaap© stores across Australia. The shops to be of the same image as surf shops, pumping music, TV’s running Moto DVDs and every extreme toy one can find for motocross riders under the one roof. This vision was given to several people but no one wanted to take it on. “Street clothes and motorbikes won’t sell under the one roof”, he was told. Now with two retail outlets he is in the process of organising his third, which will be in Victoria. Brad wanted the buying of a braaapster bike to be an exciting experience. The stores are destination stores, a place where people want to go just to hang out and tell tales of great rides.
Brad now employs his mother, father, sister, cousin and aunty along with 10 other loyal braaap© employees.
This Year Brad has sourced two venues in Tasmania to build mini motocross complexes. Brad has built multiple tracks at each of these complexes for mini motocross enthusiasts to test their skills on or for beginners to learn on.
Braaap© is working on building the mini scene Australia wide.
Brad writes a column bi-monthly in a mini bike magazine, this is always about the mini motocross scene in Tasmania.