You may not have noticed this, but prices for old-school dirt bikes and mini-bikes have been surging as of late. We’ve seen it on this very page, wherein our content now includes vintage three wheelers, ATVs, and the like, and none of them selling particularly cheaply. It goes to show you that there truly is an ass for every seat, and that enthusiasts are passionate about all types of transportation. This pair of Honda Z50K1 Minitrail 50s is offered up here on eBay as an unrestored duo in excellent original condition, with bids rising above $5K and the reserve unmet.
You can’t deny the cool vibe these things get off, and I’m guessing more than a few of our readers used to beat pretty hard on bikes like these. Of course, that’s what they were meant for – a Honda that can tackle dirt or otherwise unpaved trails is a winning combination for a rider. But they were much more than that, offering a new level of refinement and engineering not often seen on the more affordable end of the range. They even had folding handlebars that allowed them to be stowed in a car trunk for easy transport. These were innovative machines, to say the least.
From an engineering standpoint, they featured a SOHC, single-cylinder, four-stroke that ran smoothly and smoke-free, along with a semiautomatic three-speed transmission. Factor in the knobby tires wrapped around eight inch wheels and the gorgeous snaking its way out the back and you’ve got a bike with few equals. Sales were quite strong, with estimates of more than a half-million sold throughout its long production cycle. These two bikes are highly original and have been used sparingly since new; additionally, they were purchased at the same time, so their serial numbers are quite close.
Of course, seeing this and some other sales on the virtual auction block reminded me we have a huge collection of trial bikes and motorcycles in Georgia up for grabs. Among them is the stash of Honda CT70s which need restoration but are still worthy candidates for a rebuild based on recent sales prices of restored examples. I wish I was more into this scene, as these bikes are super fun to look at and I’ll bet a blast to ride; plus, they can be bought cheaply and presumably restored for far less than the European basketcases I tend to drag home. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Patrick S. for spotting this pair of Minitrails.
My best bud just took one one of these to get it running. It is not in this kind of condition….
Fun little bikes!
They’re nuts. I was watching the Mecum bike auction in Vegas. People paying stupid money for these. There were only a handful of people there, and all old men that have nowhere else to spend their money. These were throw away bikes, as evidenced by the photo, and the novelty wears off pretty fast. Don’t get me wrong, fun little bikes for a kid, but I just don’t see a $5,000 dollar attraction here, even for 2.
A at dealer near my home in Michigan. His son goes thru these and sells them for like 1g.. I think that more fair.
My cousin bought one of these new, he still has it! He only rode it a couple years then my Uncle bought him a CT70 and his sister got to ride his 50. Couple years later Dad bought the CT70 from his brother for us and my cousin keep his 50. I’d love to have a CT70 and relive some of those childhood days but I can’t justify spending the crazy money on one I want to ride and enjoy!
Had one of these when I was stationed in VN during the war! They were fast and cheap! After I finished my tour-in one piece, I gave it a dear old ARVN friend and I was surprised that he still keep it in good shape! I had a great time riding the “Monkey” when I went back for a visit in 2010! Talk about nostalgia. The asking price here is a little high!
My big sister got one from dad about 1969 or so – never knew how that went down….my older bro sneaked it out all the time I think dad was wise and it disappeared after a year or so. These are real collectible but just don’t under stand the price demand to just let it sit. Think I have about 5 or 6 including a blue one like my sister I keep saying I’ll get it running and surprise her on her birthday. Drug it out but missed her 70th….now maybe her 75th ?
Would like to attach a picture but they haven’t given me the option yet !
Aren’t those what the 2 fat twin brothers used to ride back in the 70s? Prices are getting stupid for these, BUT they are a ton of fun to ride around the camp ground or swap meet on.
The McCrary brothers, also known as the McGuire brothers. They rode QA50’s ( I think) cross country. Took them 30 days.
http://goodsparkgarage.com/the-motorcycling-mccrary-twins/
My Dad bought me the identical twin to these, from Bob’s Honda in Memphis 1969. I remember it like it was yesterday. $269.00 sticker.
I get nostalgic at times for the motocross bikes of the seventies, as I was a child for most of it. These not so much, but it’s interesting to see what they go for. Loads of money, for a toss around mini trail bike. Even the prices for restored XR 75’s blow me away!
My 70′ Z50K is nice but these two are in really superb unrestored condition.
They sold several of these at the B-J auction in Scottsdale. Prices ranged from $3500 – $7000.
I was at the Mecum auction and the main body of Hondas were from a collection in Washington State. It was called The Northwestern 100. Most of the monkeys were brand new and never started and that’s why people were paying crazy money for them.
They pop up on BAT often too and bring big money.
Since its Sunday Morning here and I’m stuck at work bored I figured I’d check out some on line locally here.
Brand new ones (yes they still make them) go for $5-$8K
Classic ones are slightly higher if low mileage at $6-10K
They never stopped making them here and had both the Monkey and the Gorilla (you’d be hard pressed to notice the difference visually) though the Gorilla is the only model being sold new currently.
I’ve got a 1969 Z50A, original, unrestored, original tires. Crank it up about once a month.