A late entry to the sales race, Honda owned the motorcycle market by 1977, at least as far as imports went. There were other makes, of course, but for small-cc bikes, there weren’t many that had as much of an impact (maybe not the best term) as the Z50. This 1977 Honda Z50 is posted here on craigslist in Stillwater, Minnesota, and the seller is asking $2,500. Here is the original listing.
Mini bikes were all the rage in the 1960s, with countless companies jumping into the market. They were typically defined as a small motorcycle with a rigid loop frame, sometimes with shocks on the front or both front and rear, and an engine with a pull-start, similar to your lawnmower or snowblower engine. Honda’s Z50 “monkey bike” was different in having a kick-start, although early models had a rigid frame without rear shocks.
This is a nice-looking example, and it comes with a sad story. Not sad as in people being hurt or killed, but sad as in the seller’s kids not being interested in riding it, so that’s why it’s for sale. They say they’re the second owner and bought it for their daughters, but they rarely rode it. You can see the rear shocks, and those were added in 1972 to try to help what was an issue with the rigid frame cracking from not having any give over bumps.
I don’t see HONDA on the back of the seat, and I’m not sure if this is a replacement cover or not. It doesn’t really matter; they’re available if a person wanted to add one with Honda on the back. It appears to be in really nice condition, I don’t see a big flaw anywhere on this third-generation Z50. They were made from 1974 to the end of 1977 and were designated the A50J. The gas tank capacity was increased to just over a gallon, and there were other minor tweaks.
The engine is Honda’s 49-cc four-stroke OHC single with just under 3 hp. It’s backed by a three-speed transmission with a semi-automatic clutch, and this looks like a really nice example with some normal wear on the engine cases and minor surface rust on the frame, but nothing that looks alarming at all. They say it starts and rides with no issues, there are no leaks, and $2,500 seems reasonable in today’s market. Have any of you owned a Honda 50?
The prices on these has gone through the roof.I don’t
understand it.What do these buyers do with them?
In ’69 (I think) I rode my friend’s Mini Trail,& thought
that it was cool.
About 12 years later, while camping,I got to ride one
again.I thought “Man,these things are small”.It just wasn’t
the same.
I’d ride the heck out of that, even at 6′-5″ tall. I ride my Motocompo two or three days a week.
Don’t mess with the memories
Don’t mess with the memories
Well, thank goodness the great folks of Minnesota that haven’t succumbed to greed, like other parts of the country have, an honest offering at a great price. I sell younguns short today, like my father before me, but I still hear dirt bikes in the distance, and no, they aren’t going to ever be $795 again, but for this price, make some kid mighty happy. With the downturn in motorcycle sales, and unfortunately, the steady increase in accidents, it’s unlikely this will lead to a lifetime of motorcycling, but sure couldn’t hurt. Great find.
Sidenote: In the mid 70s, a typical escape for us North Pole dwellers, was a trip to Daytona Beach. They had these “monkey bike” rentals, and with a strict speed limit of like 10mph on the beach, the cops had a field day giving out tickets. It wasn’t that much fun anyway.
I think you’re onto something, Howard. A downturn in everything, sadly. If I didn’t have such a downturn myself this year, I’d be all over this one since it’s local and seems reasonably priced for these things. 10 mph doesn’t seem that fast, but when you’re 18″ off the ground, it’s pretty fast.
Who says that you can’t buy a gas powered mini for $800?
Go to any Tractor Supply – I assume they are nationwide – and take your pick on several models 100 – 200cc from $500 – $900 bucks.
Kids can still have fun – I think it’s the latest focus on safety and the 50 years of land development that has killed this particular market.
No clutch on these fun little bikes. Wanna pop a wheelie? Give it gas then stomp the shifter.
Of course, I was a kid then. As an adult, that bike’s little tires would likely stay on the ground.
Good morning, Honda’s answer is the Honda Monkey! Im 65 I bought 1 4 years ago a. little 125 not the 50. I live in Ma took my truck to Nashua and then drive Monkey to Mt Washington, last Summer. Had a blast! This is the Answer!
Rear shocks were a necessary addition! I started out on a new 69′ model and broke the frame numerous times. The long term upside was that because of the Minitrail’s hardtail when I transitioned to full sized motocross bikes I had engrained in me a standup riding style that still serves me well today.
I had one of these when I was 10 in 1970 and my recollection (WITHOUT the help of Dr Google ) is that the Honda mini trail 50 was a true game changer.The centrifugal clutch and 3 speed, made it so that you could truly climb a hill with the big kids .Prior to the Honda ,you had home built crap powered by a Briggs & Stratton ,or Tucumseh with a fully automatic transmission that wouldn’t go up a 5% grade .Ive been a Honda mc fan ever since ,although it never extended to the 4 wheel variety .’Murican muscle forever with a few aberrations !
My adopted father (he adopted me even when I was 19 or 20 years old and was the person most responsible for my “serious” racecar habit) had 2 of these for pit bikes. They were great for the long trip to and from the pits. And with 2 we could have our own races when things got dull. They held up well to our abuse and were to inspiration for my kids when a Yamaha big wheels popped up available in my neighborhood. Both my son and daughter ride to this day. (BMW K1300, Kawasaki 250, Zero (the high performance one) I couldn’t recommend more highly for a 10 year old. (As long as it included a helmet and gloves!)
It was 1963 and one of my brothers got a little Honda 50 Motocycle (Oh by the way in Northern California where we lived they were called Motorsickle) that he rode all over the County. It was street legal got 150 mpg and go 55 mph.
God Bless America
dad had bought us [three boys 5 year spread apart] a Yamaha 80 after the local dealer had a ride a thon at the local high school and some were banged up. one was not enough and later he brought home a gold one of these 50’s.
with a decent sized back yard, my brother and I rode the wheels off of those two bikes