As close to being as perfect a campground get’r-around’er vehicle as there is, Honda’s light and easy-to-ride Hobbit mopeds came in two varieties and are easy to tell apart from their color: red = 20 mph, yellow = 30 mph, at least for the 1978 and 1979 models. This pair of 1978 Honda Hobbit PA50-I mopeds is listed here on eBay in Baltimore, Maryland, and the seller is asking $4,750 or best offer. Thanks to John L. for the tip!
Honda’s production facility in Aalst, Belgium, was created in 1963, after thinking that West Germany could be the answer for a new European factory. Unfortunately, labor prices were high in West Germany, and the pool of available workers was slim, so they settled on Belgium. The Honda Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) partnership, Belgium Honda Motor, was the company’s first production facility outside of Japan. The new factory started with three models, none of which were mopeds, but eventually went on to make the PA50, known as the Hobbit in the U.S., and Camino in Europe and the UK.
I can’t imagine the challenges of going to another country, especially one where two distinct and different languages are spoken (French and Flemish), not to mention that the area of the factory borders on the split in the languages – Flemish north of Brussels, where the factory is, and French south of the city – and you speak Japanese. Wow. It was a gallant effort by Honda and everyone involved, and the factory still makes automotive parts and markets cars, power equipment, and motorcycles today.
Now, for a little history about… er.. wait, zzzzzzzz… Sorry about that. It’s such an interesting time period, and the history of Honda starting its first-ever factory outside of Japan and how it evolved into making these little mopeds seemed worthy of a mention. You can see the low miles on these two Hobbits in the combined photo above. The miles are low, but they aren’t velvet turntable trailer queens; they do have nicks and scratches from being used for over four decades. The seller bought them earlier this year from the original owner, who bought them both new in 1981. The PA50 Hobbit was made for the U.S. from 1978 through 1983, but the PA50-1, the slower model as seen here, was discontinued after 1979. The PA50-II continued on here until 1983 and until 1991 in the UK and European markets.
The engine is Honda’s 49-cc two-stroke single, and it gently passes through a Honda V-Matic variable-ratio transmission with automatic clutch to the rear wheel, for a top speed somewhere under 20 mph. These are not fast motorcycles. I could race one with my Motocompo and maybe come out on top. Well, not in the looks-cool department, but in speed. The seller says they both work as they should, and if they were the PA50-II models with a 30 mph top speed, this price would be a steal, as they can sell for almost that much each. Any thoughts on these little mopeds?
These are neat!! To see a matched set with very similar miles ( His and Hers?) Is a real treat. As a kid in the late 70’s, at least where I grew up mopeds became a thing. I think with the gas issues and what not, people went for mopeds as a local run about town option. Why fire up the family Oldsmobile whos 455 will suck down a gallon of gas just starting the thing, and use something like this? We had two Moto Guzzi Robin mopeds ( 1978 ?) A blue one and an orange one, one was my Dads ( barely used it) one for my brother ( used it all the time). But I seem to remember friends of my Dads getting them too in order to just ride around town etc. I can’t remember how fast they went, but it wasnt very fast. I think they only had about 1 or 1.5 hp. Anyways enough of me rambling. These are a great set and hope they goto a good new home.
“On a Moped she called, FLAME.” Close quote. I bought a Honda Spree for my second boy so he could get back and forth to work at the local golf course/country club. He only worked that job for a year until he got his driver’s license then he got onto a seismograph crew and the modes of transportation/toys suddenly grew.
Well, I now had a Honda Spree in my garage. I leased a site to park my RV at an irrigation reservoir east of town. There were actually three of us inlaws, side by side so we put up a somewhat larger than normal garden shed, wired it and used it for the beer fridge, garden tools, life jackets and boat accessories, and the Honda Spree.
I called it “Flame” mostly because we did NOT have a true moped, and the name just stuck. Besides, it was close enough. It was great to ride across the resort to the convenience store and the showers. Kids used it and used it; on a given weekend the only time it cooled off was late at night and early morning.
It was a lot of fun for five years.
Then it stopped.
Illness, family tragedies, and divorce. Our little piece of paradise was no more. I sold the Spree to a family whose second boy got a job at the country club and needed transportation back and forth to work.
Who knows, five years later…
I hadn’t thought about Cow Patty in decades. Thanks for the memories!
You meet the nicest people on a Honda.
We met a retired mechanic that was selling PA50 parts on ebay. Gave him our address: “do you live near the old,Mack?”. He worked on our 1949
Mack EHT for the original owner.
these look VERY cool and very well maintained but I also like that first generation white Honda CRV in the driveway (2001 –??) too in pic # 3! Gotta love “old” Hondas of ANY kind– especially ones in VG shape!
I use to have both a red PA 50 and a yellow PA back in my college days. These things get like a 100 mpg.
Scotty, it’s been a long time since I did anything with them. I thought pa50l had bicycle seat and were slower. Pa50ll had motorcycle seat and 30 mph and started in 79.
I had no idea they appreciated so much.
20 years ago we bought 2 79 yellow pa50ll s to take with us with the 1945 Fĺxible. We never did leave a race track on them but never needed to. Mine has saddle bags and front basket I used it for post office, bank and Road America short trips. Wife’s had saddle baskets that she used for delivering eggs.
They’ve been sitting for some time now. Probably have to clean the carbs and mount new tires. Some disassembly and profanity to remove engine to remove the carburetor.