To say that Honda is a powerhouse is the understatement of the century. As the world’s largest maker of motorcycles for the last 67 years, it’s hard to argue with this company’s success. This rare 1958 Honda Benly JC58 is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Le Center, Minnesota, and they’re asking $14,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to NW Iowa Kevin for the tip!
Founded a year after the end of WWII, in the fall of 1946, the company’s first complete motorcycle wouldn’t be introduced until 1949. It’s been pedal to the metal since then for this go-getter of a company. Or throttle to the… er… whatever rhymes with throttle. With over 500-million motorcycles produced as of early 2025, this company also became the first Japanese company to export more of its American-factory-made vehicles than it imported.
Did I mention that they’re also the world’s biggest producer of engines? As in, internal combustion engines, to the tune of 14 million a year. 14 million a year, that’s a number that I can’t even wrap my head around. The Honda Super Cub is the vehicle that has been made more than any other in the history of the planet. Acura was the first luxury offshoot brand by a Japanese company, before Infiniti or Lexus. The list goes on and on. It’s an amazing achievement for Soichiro Honda, who started out making piston rings.
The JC58 came much later in Honda’s timeline, and you can see that this example appears mostly complete, but is in somewhat rugged condition. Restoration costs wouldn’t be for those with a weak stomach or checkbook (“What’s a checkbook, SG?”), but this one would be a museum piece either before or after restoration. Since Honda didn’t send motorcycles to the U.S. until 1959, this is likely a Japanese market bike, making it even rarer to see in this country.
The word Benly loosely translates to “convenient” in the Japanese language, and the first model came out in 1953. This JS58 is powered by Honda’s 125-cc OHV single with just under 10 horsepower. That power is sent through a rotary three-speed manual, and the seller says it runs and drives; they purchased it in Japan, and it comes with a NOS horn and a clear title in the seller’s name. Unfortunately, recent auction prices haven’t been encouraging for the seller’s asking price. Have any of you heard of this model of Honda motorcycle?
You meet the nicest people on a Honda.
Nice early Honda MC!! Never heard of this one before!! pretty cool!!
Cool little bike but not 12 grand cool!
14 grand, my mistake
Yes I have. My son owns one
Definitely heard of it but never knew what “Benly” referred to until now.
Great to see the older Japanese bikes finally getting the attention they deserve.
Daggone it! It’s doing it again! One more try.
This is truly a collector’s item in the motorcycle world. I had a friend who had a ’63 Honda 125 Benly Twin. He rode the wheels off it and even rode it through the winter.
You’re saying that this is an OHV? Looks more like a 2-stroke single to me, or maybe a T-head. Honda did a lot of experimenting through the years.
At any rate you’re not likely going to see another one of these at the local Show-N-Shine…
Yes, sir, oddly enough, a big ol’ OHV single!
https://nationalmcmuseum.org/2021/01/29/1958-honda-benly-jc58/
https://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-japanese-motorcycles/1958-honda-jc58-benly-zmwz17ndzhur/
https://www.goodingco.com/lot/1958-honda-jc-58
https://www.honda-classics.co.uk/benly-j-type
Honda was (very) late to join the two stroke ranks. If I’m not mistaken, their very first was the 1973 CR250M factory motocross race bike. They definitely did their homework as the bikes and riders ruled over most other brands of the era. I’ve a friend who owns one, all beat up and set up for ice racing. In #5 condition, it’s still worth over 2 grand with pristine examples topping $10K. Those motocross bike collectors are nuts!
To show how sheltered we were, in the 50s, we still thought the Japanese used rickshaws and donkeys. Motorcycles? Those sandal wearing goldfish tenders? BLAH, flimshon. Benlys were more like what Geo posted, and these were heavily influenced by European styling, specifically the Germans. Not a snowballs chance in Hades in Beer City. In fact, I was surprised this is a 4 stroke, as Honda disliked 2 strokes from the beginning. The Benly 150 and Dream models were really the 1st, even before the Cub caught on. That 1964 Beach Boys hit put Honda on the map. Obviously, this isn’t something to ride to work everyday, but for just a little putt, it’s still a motorcycle. Great find.
IMO Honda’s genius was to use four stoke engines and full sized wheels.
Had a couple in the past, imported them from Japan. They were fairly inexpensive then – as most of us USA/ROW collectors hadn’t discovered them – along with others from the era.
I’ve never heard of these.. the first Honda I knew of was the Dream 150 and the 305. I really wanted the latter after my Cushman days but I ended up going English and getting a Beezer 650 Lightning instead.. why I don’t remember.. but the name Lightning probably had a lot to do with it as did the anti Japanese sentiment that still existed in my area at that time. At any rate this looks like it would be fun to fix up and putt around the neighborhood on, but not for that price.
There were a couple of BSAs came to our town in the early 60s, a BSA Golden Flash and a BSA 500 Sportsman. The 650 left for places unknown but I ended up with the Sportsman. Then that got foolishly sold and it too left the country. Had lots of bikes over the years and wished I would’ve hung onto them.
There was a lot of anti-Japanese sentiment in our community for forty years, after the war, yet there were five families who were relocated to our community and they fit in very well. However, they drove American cars and were determined to make it as Americans. A girl I went to school with had a lot of relatives in Japan, and tensions often get heated. But she married a local farmer and they’ve raised three beautiful girls who have gone on to medicine(1) and marrying local farm boys(2) themselves…
I had a couple bikes I wish I hadn’t sold too, especially my ’75 Kawasaki 900 Z1. That was an awesome motorcycle.
With regard to the Japanese people, I don’t think we were able to differentiate between people and governments back then, and we also didn’t realize that most of the people coming here from other countries were coming to have a better life than they were able to have where they came from. Also, I don’t think most Americans knew that General MacArthur spent 7 years after the war restructuring their government and turning it into a democracy and that W. Edwards Deming spent that same time helping them rebuild their industry and make it better. If they had I think things would have been much different with respect to some peoples’ view of the Japanese in general. I never did care personally because I grew up around enough races to know that it’s a person’s integrity and goodness that counts and not the color of their skin, and frankly the main reason I ended up with the BSA was because I wanted a faster bike than Honda so I waited until I got enough money to buy one. 🤠👍
The shape that it is in makes it not worth anything close to 14K. It’s just too crusty. I’ve seen them in the wild around Los Angeles. They are rare but not a unicorn. I don’t know what a nice one would go for, but my guess is maybe $10K for a shiny, fresh example.