If you have a bunch of Honda 50 parts laying around, except the engine or frame, then exactly what we’ve been looking for can be found here on eBay. Just the engine and frame of a vintage Honda Mini Trail bike for the “buy it now” price of $595.
Of course, if you actually need one of the little engines or frame for your rebuild project – then my guess is the price is reasonable (even if it seems ridiculous to those of us who grew up bouncing over trails, jumping off plywood ramps, and generally abusing these pre-grownup dirt bikes) considering examples of good condition Trail 50’s can fetch anywhere from $2k to nearly $5k. A wild guess is that this particular version is a 1968 Honda Z50A Mini Trail 50 – please let us know if you can confirm or set me straight.
Honda created as many versions of these trail blazers world-wide as one can count starting in the late 1960’s as the mini-bike craze took over the United States. Since a mini-bike could be created out of parts scavenged from garages or junk yards, and you didn’t need a license to drive one, they were the dream of every kid in practically every neighborhood. Magazines, like Popular Mechanics, always had “do it yourself” plans to inspire us all as early as 1967.
The Honda 50 Mini was a more sturdy, reliable, and coveted bike designed to get kids hooked on motocross. If the intention was for the Honda 50 Mini Trail to be a “gateway drug” to adult dirt biking, the strategy succeeded. Soon we wanted more – like the Elsinore – (you have to say it like you are talking about a beloved deity). Released as I approached legal car driving age, as Rick Sieman says in his great history of Honda Dirt Racers on Honda-Elsinore.com “This bike was pure, unadulterated dynamite!”. Big problems (the cost of the sport) start small. And now the small bikes cost a lot. Life, huh?
50 dollar minibike
why would you buy this thing when you can buy a new mini bike from tractor supply for less money than this thing because its a honda big deal! Id rather have a rupp roadster any day!
Hahaha. Obviously u don’t know monkey bikes. How much do u imagine that rupp roadster is gonna be next yr? Or even next week after you drive it off tractor supplies lot? Let me help ya, probably 1/10 of what u pay for it. We’re talkin 2 different animals buddy.
Unable to respond to ‘Martin’s response dated October 23, 2019, so this is my response to him/it. You are misinformed, Martin. The Z50A was never referred to as ‘monkey’ in the US. Rather, it was/is referred to by it’s official name, Mini Trail. Obviously Martin, you don’t have a clue as to just how valuable American made Rupp Roadsters are. They were not sold at Tractor Supply, they sell extremely poor quality Chinese mini bikes.
Love that janky welding
Hi, one of these just sold at H and H auctions in England U.K. for £56,250-00 which is about $78,750-00 dollars and the bike was unrestored. It did belong to someone famous though. Have a look.
https://online.handh.co.uk/m/lot-details/index/catalog/83/lot/39768/
Cheers. Billy.
Wow! Thanks for link – what a great history (and great price)
I have one of these in a shed. Taken apart,but mostly all there. Might be time to let it go.
I may be interested in your shed bike . please send me pictures of what you have and your asking price .
Thank you
Bob
Hello Again, and if you thought the Honda mini trail went for a lot of money, check out what the 1969 Honda Sandcast CB750 went for. £157,500-00 Which is about $220,500-00 Dollars. The bike was far from perfect and had no air filer box rubbers. And as for a prototype, i don’t think so. Have a look.
https://online.handh.co.uk/m/lot-details/index/catalog/83/lot/39788/
Cheers. Billy.
I loved my mini trail,use to pick it up and put it in the back of my 71 suburban when I want camping.great little bike ,it could pull my fat butt up any mountain road, while looking for fishing holes.
Those Sandgate are big bucks
Pretty tough to knock anything with a Honda nameplate. Have owned cars, motorcycles, small engines. Beautiful little bike ! Almost a must have to shuttle around at racing events.
This was my first bike along with many others I’m sure. Beat the hell out of it and rode it for years.
Everybody knew someone that had one of these.They used to rent these ( and maybe still do) on Daytona Beach, and could very well be the 1st motorcycle most folks rode. I’m not too crazy about the “gateway drug” reference ( although, it’s true) I think the next step up, was the CT70. This was more of the bike your old man threw in the trunk to keep you busy when visiting grandma in the sticks, but the CT70, was something you could take on the trails with friends. This one pretty shot, we did try to kill them, and this is what they looked like when we outgrew it, and it sat in a corner for 30 years. Even restored, not worth much( Pawn Stars had an episode where a guy had a dozen of these types, and I believe Rick bought a QA50( similar to this), perfect condition, for like a grand. I think the novelty is one just can’t buy something like this today new.
Even as is, I bet there’s some fun left in this old gal for some lucky kid.
Would you like to sell
I bought a brand new Sapphire Blue Honda CT-70 back in 1971 for $289. Three of my friends also had CT-70s and my other friend had a Honda SL-100. His 6 year old brother had a blue Z-50. We rode everyday after school and on weekend in the woods around the area that is mostly all built up now.
I sold the CT-70 in ’74 shortly after I bought my B5 blue 71 Challenger R/T. Those were fun times. Here is a pic of me on my CT-70 circa 1972. I am riding a ’95 Springer Softail now.
I’m gonna buy it, and find the kid that wouldn’t let me ride his, knock him down and run over him.
His name was Scott, and he wouldn’t let me shoot his BB gun either. Run him over twice.
I have a 70, Z50 I restored and a 70 , QA50 that was ridden Christmas day , 1970 and put up in the attic until last year . I love these little bikes . The QA50 is a rarer item than a Z50 now , they were cheap and got used up and thrown away , they also only had a 2 speed transmission . I go to shows here in SE , PA. that the listed bike would sell quickly at . Anyone can buy a Tractor Supply mini bike , the Honda quality shines through at 50 years old .
It is indeed a 1968 first model year. The seat on this one has suspension and is incorrect. The thing that jumped out at me is that something is bent, most likely the frame near the steering head. The fork rake is wrong, too steep backwards making the fender too close to the engine. $595 is a fair price even though the frame is bent. I’m a parts guy, own a motorcycle salvage and am confident that if this bike were to be parted out, they may total $1200+.
The value of the early models Z50A and CT70 (quality engines made in Taiwan by Kymco and badged Honda) have declined by a lot in the past few years. However, the 4 speed manual clutch CT70 H model is worth it’s weight in gold, sort of, lol. The Rupp models are also quite valuable. Tractor Supply and other of the same type stores sell cheaply made (pure junk) minibikes. Avoid those as well as anything made in China (for export). Their home market products are much more durable. The Chinese motorsports products sold here in the US are proof that China hates us. Pure junque.
69 or 70 model. I have 3 69s (silvertag neck plate which is first month of production in 69, after that the started putting plates with production dates month/year on them). 69 first year of headlight taillight. This unit featured has mounting brackets for each. 68 had no lights or brackets. They are all similar though until mid 1970 when they changed the tank badge style to say mini trail in cursive and then in 72 they went to dual rear shocks instead of hardtail.
Somebody say minitrails…..
My oldest brother has a 68 Z50 like this that he came across at a garage sale for $100 (!) about twenty years ago. Before I was born a few years later, he and my deceased brother used to tear up the shell road in front of the house. Not sure what year model it was, but they were born in 61 and 63 and were in elementary school at the time. They moved up to a Trail 70 later, then various other bikes suck as a early 70’s KX125 and a Yamaha DT175, among others. We moved shortly after I was born, but luckily the neighbors had a ranch and a son one year older than me. For some reason, I skipped the “mini bikes” and started out on a silver with red tank stripe 76 Yamaha YZ80. Guys on XR75’s couldn’t keep up! I now have a yellow 66 CT200 Trail 90 with title that my uncle bought used back in the 70’s for $20, an orange 73 CT90 Trail 90 with title and two ST90’s (a red and a green, built like a Trail 70)