If a regular Honda Z50 monkey bike isn’t valuable enough for you, and you need a gift that would make kids of all ages happy, you could do worse than bidding on this 1986 Honda Z50RD Christmas Special. The seller has it listed here on eBay in Pompano Beach, Florida, a city that receives 0.00″ of snow annually, not that snow = Christmas. There is a current bid price of $6,188 and a Rudolph-the-Red-Nosed-Reindeer nose-shriveling $13,000 buy-it-now price. Seriously, though, that’s about what they go for these days!
I don’t know if these bikes will decline in value once we hit the wall, as far as prices, inflation, and values go. Some vehicles may stay up there in Santa’s flight path for values. We saw it in 2008 and ’09 and we’ll see it again once things settle down a bit, which they will.
The Z50RD was made for one model year and one model year only: 1986, and they were made in the summer and shipped to dealers in December. They’re also known as the Chrome Edition for obvious reasons, and never really had “Christmas” badging or anything. They were just called that because of their December shipping date. They are not super rare as a few thousand were made, but they are decidedly valuable today. They’re one of the “it” vehicles currently. I mean, the regular Z50 is an “it” vehicle, but this is an it-it vehicle, if you know what I mean. A handful of years ago was the time to load up on these as they were $3,000 to $5,000 or so. We’ll never see those prices again for the Chrome Edition or Christmas Special bikes.
They didn’t come with lights and as much as I like to use my toys, it gives me the shivers to think of these bikes being beaten to death by kids and ridden out in the mud and snow and left outside to rust and having dented gas tanks and missing parts and and and.. H H H H H H H… (hyperventilating)… As almost always, this example appears to be in almost like-new condition but has a new seat cover and new grips.
The Z50RD has the same drivetrain as most other Z50 bikes, Honda’s 49-cc four-stroke OHC single-cylinder, and the seller says that there are no leaks and it starts on the first kick. Speaking of kick, I’m kicking myself for not buying one of these Chrome Edition Z50s a few years ago. Have any of you owned one?
13K wow what a wonderful world we live in, lol. Scotty I get it you like these, but Honda built these for little riders to tear up. Yeah I get it it’s a survivor but 13K?
Even at $6,188,what would someone spending that
kind of money actually do with this?
I doubt that it will actually be ridden by kids.
I seen one go for $16,000 two years ago at auction & it was in worse shape than this one…
If there’s a reserve, I’d remove it RIGHT now!
If there is an reserve, I’d remove it RIGHT now!
13K? Well, I guess there’s always someone who thinks they need it… not me though.
So,,,what’s the attraction here? The chrome? I sure wonder what makes these people tick. All this shows, is the misinformed thinking that anything unusual is going to be a rags to riches story. It’s almost comical to what lengths people will go, and this is about as big a stretch as you will find, and I’m Andee Roonee( spelling to avoid most legal woes)
I bought. My son one of these for Xmas. We tore it up over time but it was fun. Strictly a collector piece now for those remembering the old days.
$13k? That’s crazy. What’s even crazier is someone will pay that I’m sure, and the bike will be put of a shelf.
I can’t find it right now , but one of these just no-saled on BaT at 25 grand ! a month or so ago.
I sold mine a few years ago to a guy that turned out to be a flipper !
He traded my Z50RD for a nice looking old vintage bike.
Mine was used as a show bike, won a Grand National award at Antique Auto Club shows.
I have seen a kid running around on a Chrome Special at the motorbike show in Hartville.
You can buy all the chrome parts on ebay if you want to build your own.
Crazy price and it is not mint. The seller also has listed a small can of paint for $1,000.
Buy it for $13,000,& I’m sure the seller will throw in
that can of paint.
As my old man would have said “you need your head examined ” if you spend that kind of money.
OK there is really nothing in this write up on these 50’s that is true, I explained what they were the last time one came up for sale a couple of years ago. First I bought one brand new from our local Honda store where my friend Richard Adcox worked. These bikes are the 25th Anniversary edition of Honda motorcycles coming to the USA in 1961 the corporation is know as Honda America. These bikes cost $800 new and the painted version cost $500 new. The chrome version didn’t sell very good because most parents didn’t want to pay the extra $300 for little Johnny to go riding through the mud with them and knowing he would be beating it up anyway. They were delivered around August of 1985 but were 1986 models hence the 25 years since 1961. Because they didn’t sell very well the Honda stores had a ” Special ” sale on them during December to move the stagnant inventory of the chrome 50’s that’s how they got the name Christmas Special. They do sell in mint condition for 10K plus.
Big fan of the market for ’32 Ford’s & ’63 SWC vettes, but $10k + for mini-bike with a chrome gas tank? Now I’m starting to worry!
A LOT better deals to be had in the market for $13,000.
As always let the market decide its worth many of us have spent a lot more money on a significant other who ended up giving us a lot less joy
Want and disposable income, I hope someone pays 50K. And the seller has a dozen that they have squirreled away.
Knowing that I would never pay that for one, or for that matter 2K, I am perfectly content in knowing that someone will be very happy when it is delivered.
Auction update: expect to see this one again, as it sold for a relatively inexpensive $8,100. Hey, for this model, that’s cheap, given recent sales.
Hello everyone. I brought one about 2 months ago for $16,000. It was never ridden and all original. It’s a piece of art. If you went to an art gallery and loved a painting and said I have to have it because it gives me a real sense of joy and pleasure who is anyone to take that away from you. It’s your money so do what makes you happy. As far as an investment it is an investment. 5 years from now I guarantee it will be worth more than what I paid. And in the mean time I will be getting my peaceful joy out of it. Again, I am sure we all have spent money that we didn’t have but the investment was worth the sacrifice. Like I always say I have never seen a Uhaul on the back of a hurst. Live and let live.