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Parked 30 Years! 1986 Yamaha Big Wheel 80

The nostalgia factor may hit some of you right in the feels when you check out this listing for a pair of Honda big Wheel BW 80s. The seller has gone into his parents’ barn and dug out this pair of awesome off-roadsters that he and his siblings used when they were kids. This duo is the 80cc variety and depending how much fun your parents wanted you to have, the Big Wheel was available in 200 and 350cc varieties as well. Find the bikes here on eBay with an ask of $3,499 for the pair.

The listing includes some great photos of the seller and his siblings or cousins ripping around on these bikes in the snow. That was the whole point of Honda’s ambitious lineup of “fat tire” bikes in the 1980s: as much fun as your legs and arms could tolerate, all at a price point that seemingly had an option for everyone. Although Honda faced some negative press over the years largely due to inexperienced riders hurting themselves (or worse), these bikes have by and large withstood the test of time and are now becoming collector’s items.

That’s largely due to nostalgia, as Gen Xers and older millennials recount their days of beating the stuffing out of a bike like this on some dirt track or abandoned fire road behind their house. Relatively few have survived in the sort of condition that justifies restoration, which is why this pair of BW80s stand out. They are far from perfect but were at least put away before taking too much abuse and have emerged from storage looking surprisingly fresh. Even the decals and tires are still in good shape, and the fenders don’t appear to be damaged.

As someone who doesn’t enjoy winter, I look at this photo and wonder if I’ve been going about my winter coping mechanisms all wrong (coping typically involves sleeping and complaining about the temperature). This photo captures the joy these bikes provided in very small packages, and also proved you don’t need a ton of horsepower (every time) to have some real fun on or off the pavement. What would you pay for a pair of survivor Big Wheels?

Comments

  1. Avatar Riffraff

    Scam Alert! Interesting listing. The grammar seems like a bad translation. Buyer beware.

    Like 2
  2. Avatar Wayne

    I bought one of these for my kids (son and daughter shared) for $400 25 years ago. Never failed and was ridden very hard for 14 years. Our 1.4 acres ended up with 2 dirt tracks and the kids were allowed to out in the boonies as long as both went together. Several very funny stories involving riding and crashing that thing. And never had to replace anything except the oil and filters. Both kids are now over 30 years old and still ride. (Zero electric cycle (what a hoot that is to ride!) for my daughter and K1200 BMW for my son) I don’t remember what happened to the Big Wheels.

    Like 2
  3. Avatar Howie

    They are in great shape, for parts or not working??

    Like 1
  4. Avatar Duke

    I have 2 of these also! Bought a pair like new from original owner in 1990. For $500! All 4 of our kids learned to ride on these then move on to bigger dirt bikes. I Han the BW 350 with electric start. We lived in Palm Springs and the bikes were perfect for the sand!
    I still have them in great shape and running perfect. Waiting for the grandkids to ride their parents bikes.

    Like 2
  5. Avatar Bunky

    Jeff- buddy-Y A M A H A

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Phipps

    Man those bring back memories, I remember in the 80’s my dad trying to convince my mom that somehow the fatter tires made them more stable for me and my brother haha

    Like 0

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