One Saturday morning in the spring of 1971 when I was 12, my dad took me shopping for a mini bike. For several years I had wanted one more than anything, and would have been happy with a simple lawnmower engine style bike, but I guess he wanted me to have something a little better. After looking at several of the cycle shops near where we lived, I settled on the Z50, a brand new blue one. I remember my dad paid $295 for it, and later that day I was the happiest kid on the planet. It was my first motorcycle and I'm still riding 50 years later. Thanks, Dad.
I bought a new Z50 Mini Trail in 1970 when I was also 12 with my paper route money. Mine was red and I paid $242.00 your 71 model a little more expensive ( inflation even back then) I remember adding a speedometer to it, downhill about 32 MPH, wish I would’ve kept it.
@@gmartin8043 I wish I would have kept mine too. A few years later when I moved on to a Hodaka 100 and lost interest in the Mini Trail, my dad sold it for $75. That same year I got my first car - a 1966 Chevy II Nova purchased from my older brother who bought it new. I wish I still had that also.
Everybody at the same age as me and if for me it was the summer of 72 when I got a go-kart I lived in New York City and my mom wouldn't get me a mini bike which was my birthday 13th birthday and these lists to say the next season so they were looking at the 73 I worked there in the summer at a car wash yup kids can get away with that in the early 70s I guess you would know you were same age as meek and I think maybe a year younger I was born in 59 anyway I hadn't seen it at a hobby shop that carried used a new mini bikes there was a used rapper roadster frame in there so when I had enough money saved the car wash I went there I bought it and wielded six miles home and put the five horsepower with the cubs engine on it and that was my first buy I had to do all that secret once the bike was in my garage huge egg is an acres of housing complex all the backs of the housing with driveways and garages there was a garage almost every apartment so it was really easy to and great to ride safely as far as the street goes but anyway I bought it to the garage I did the transplant ended up drilling a hole in my calf it's only the story but I did put it in my comment and my mom and found out and she learned to live with it cuz I used it for a few years till it was stolen took my road test though and providence Rhode Island from motorcycle on a Honda 70 trail 70 so yeah great memory is my first bike was a 1966 Yamaha YM1 305 to stroke was a Honda dream clone yeah it was a Yamaha m1 that's what it was anyway just so that I throw a reply there cuz it seems to kind of went down the same path I drove for a couple of decades more and I ended up going blind and had a stop otherwise I'd be like you and I have 50 years of riding so right safe for me and have fun for me to see all about the flying bedroom guitarist
I will never forget Christmas morning in 1970 when my dad had 2 Honda Z50 mini trails under the Christmas tree for my brother and I. We spent hours on those motorcycles and the memories will never be forgotten.
My Z50A Mini Trail was my Christmas gift of 1974 when I was 11 years old. Let's hope that after all these years that people will still buy their kids bikes like these.
@@Jonathan-L I think the way you do. But I'm not sure the kids of today look at it the same way. I know of one kids whose Dad got both himself and his young son a small bike. The kid didn't have too much interest in it and after summer number 2, he had no interest in it whatsoever. Which I'll bet you'd agree... seems intensely bizzare. I'd pay $1000 to back in time and ride my Z50 out on the back trails of my old suburb again. Good times riding on my little old 'hog' lol. Even more fun when some of the few others who had one came along. We'd take lunches and a drink and be gone for the day then do it again the next.
I used a Z50 as a commuter in Tokyo in the early 80's. It was small enough to fit in the elevator at our office building, and I parked it next to my desk every day. Not a single drop of oil ever leaked on the floor. Great bike for its size!
@@seam4002 Dear Seam, I am interested in to sell my Z50J in Japan. To a Museum, or a collection, or someone who can appreciate the value of the All original Z50j (1978) at a good price. Do you have an idea where or to whom I could offer? Awaiting your reply and with best regards. Leonardo Guzman. (CHILE South America).
The brand new, blue Mini-Trail my parents brought home for me (because my friend had a yellow one and I badgered them unmercifully) to me, meant freedom. The joy of riding in its purest form.. I’ve owned a dozen plus bikes over the years, and I had more fun on that Mini-Trail than all the others put together! Thanks for this.. well done!
Greetings from the USA! Question; As a Finn, do you consider your country to be Scandinavian or European? Have heard both. PS; I consider Carl Gustaf Mannerheim to be the "George Washington" of Finland.
@@scootergeorge7089 Finland is not Scandinavian. Scandinavia refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. We are part of european union, but we are little bit different than rest of the Europe. We are drunken northern forest people. Mannerheim was field marshal during WW2 and after the war became the sixth president.
@@scootergeorge7089 Mannerheim was badass. Mannerheim and Hitler met once. Mannerheim knew that Hitler hated smoking and smell of it. So Mannerheim decided to chainsmoke during the whole meeting. Sigma grind set: Smoke unhealty cigarettes to just annoy Hitler.
My fondest childhood memories are getting up on cold winter mornings and riding ours up and down the farm driveway and around the property. Minibikes were the best gift we recieved from our parents and will still own it to this day, I'm 51.
The Z50a was the first motorized bike I ever rode. It was in the 80's, I was around 8 yo and it was already an old machine. I spent about 10 hours just riding around a family friend's farm, through fields and some easy trails. I remember it like it was yesterday. It's one of my favorite childhood memories. It started me off on a lifetime of loving and riding motorcycles and dirt bikes.
An excellent tribute. My best buddy got a brand new '69 for Christmas and my eyeballs sproingged out. It took months before he'd let me ride it.. and I was thrilled. Since then I have owned 27 motorcycles, ridden across the US (four times), 13 countries, done trackdays and covered MotoGP races for magazines. Yep.. this is where it started.
So great to see your dad riding that bike with a smile from ear to ear. It truly is smiles per mile and I remember my Honda 50 as if it were yesterday. Those were great days!
My dad bought me a Cherry red 1975 Z50 in 7th grade, used, through the "want ad". It changed my life, sparking the adventure craving in my young mind as I rode endless forested trails in the northeast constantly fascinated by what was around the next corner. 3 years ago, after not riding motorbikes for decades, I bought another Honda, the crf300L, having been influenced by that z50's demonstration of how rugged honda's can be. Sadly, the 300L wasn't good enough in hard dirt so I got a KTM500, and wow I feel happiness riding just like I did when I was young with my Z50. I loved that Z50, it really was a great thing for my young brain. Now I love my KTM 500, what a machine, holy crap! Although no longer with us, I'll repeat what RideOp74 said here, "Thanks, Dad"!
Having grown up in the mid 70's, surrounded by almost every make of enduro's and full size dirt bikes, the day one of our neighbors got a mini trail 50 it had all of us fighting for the chance to ride it! And it was a blast!!! you could push this little thing to it's limits and never be in any real danger, compared to our 2 and 4 stroke full size bikes. And man were they tough. That bike was probably laid down more than any other bike in our group, and just kept going! I have so many good memories from riding one of these!!!!
I’ve got nothing but great memories of the original 68’ Mini Trail. Even though I had full size 125cc I couldn’t get enough of riding the Mini. I would let the owner ride my bike and I’d ride his. It didn’t have to be fast or highly capable off road, it’s sole function was smiles and fun. I’ve got two high powered bikes in garage and I’d still love to own and ride one. As a side note; 60’s Honda’s started my whole love affair with motorcycles. I’ve never strayed away from Japanese’s motorcycles in my 50+ years of riding.
Got mine in 69. Had a blast on it. Remember seeing them in stores in LA, CA while visiting my grandmother. I lived CO. My Dad took me to a town 50 miles to the closest Honda dealer to buy one. I didn't ask for the bike, Dad just bought one. It taught my alot about operating and taking care of vehicles.
I loved my 1969 Mini Trail and rode the wheels off it. I broke the foot pegs and forks going off jumps and learned to drift on an asphalt tennis court. That bike gave me the most thrilling experiences a teenager could have with a machine. Video games don't come close.
We had a retention pond with steep walls and my buddies mini trail....he could plunk it in first and drive straight up the wall.But I had a Yamaha mini -enduro ...no way he could run with that.
My grandfather bought my uncles a brand new Z50 in 1968 (mind you money was tight) and we still have it. Don’t ever plan on getting rid of it. They’re passion for motorcycles is what got me into it and all stems back to that bike. I still love riding these 50s and have had a few Z50s and xr/crf’s. Love these little bikes as riding and working on them growing up has very much made me who I am.
In 1979, I got a used Z50 for my birthday. My mom brought it home from the Honda shop on the backseat of our station wagon. I promptly started it up and ran it straight into our backyard fence. But I learned to ride in that bike and I’m still riding today. I wish I still had my old Z50. I’m thinking about getting a Monkey. Great video, brings back lots of memories.
My first bike was in the early 1970s. It was an Aggie 5hp. The thing was just too insane for this 10 year old so we traded it for a blue mini trail 50. I loved that thing and since my neighborhood was undeveloped I had tons of hills to ride on. I'll never forget that mini trail
The footage of jeff ward riding stand up wheelies on one is the most iconic thing.. that alone set a whole contingent of people into riding racing and living the feeling of riding. Spot on how you said anyone can ride it and as a kid who throttled these for years in rain , snow mud sand. They just go!! Thanks for putting that together!!
Hi, I also still have my Z50J from 1978. A present from my mother. The bike is full original. Question : In case of try to sell it, Do you think Japan can be a good market interested?
I was five years old in 1970 and went into a honda dealer to see the z50- my parents said for me to not touch anything in the store, but I just had to touch the z-50, which shocked the heck out of me because of the static build up from the carpet vs my shoes! I have around 15 motorcycles now, all started from that spark from that little Honda.
These are iconic! The blue one in the thumbnail was the exact model I had as my first bike. I was 7 years old and it was a gift from my grandparents. They were the original owners, and this bike was my Mom, and her siblings’ bike when they were kids. I still own this bike to this day,! I hope to give it to my children some day
The Honda Monkey is pretty common here in Finland, as you can get a moped license at 15. I never had one, but I rode one my friend had. My dad also had one when he was a kid in the 70's, and he used to go to school with it even during winter, he just strapped mini-skis on and kept his feet on the ground while driving :D
Had a 74 z50, it was orange and awesome. My brother, sister and everyone else rode the hell out of it and it just kept going. A valve adjustment every now and then and tires was all the maintenance it needed. It was the beginning of a lifetime obsession with motorcycles.
This was my first bike! I had a little red one. My parents and I were on vacation and a couple camping next us had a Z50 and sold it to us for $75! Greatest day of my young life! It was a great trip. We lived in Washington State and were taking a long trip to the Grand Canyon. We stopped at a Honda shop in Vegas for some parts and then I was riding! I road if for several years and had a blast! It always ran perfectly and was so tough. I saved up enough to by and XL100 and just kept getting bigger from there. Thank you SO MUCH for posting. So many great memories on that amazing little bike!
I started on a Z50 in the 90’s and a few years ago I bought another one, 1996 model. 88cc big bore, with all the other goodies, 20mm carb, heavy duty springs, re-geared, street tires and was tagged. Most fun I’ve ever had on 2 wheels after 23 years of riding a plethora of different bikes. Hands down, can’t change my mind. If I had to own 1 bike only for the sole purpose of putting a smile on my face, this is it.
It's seriously such a great bike. I still own the one from my teenage days, though now it's fitted with a 160cc 15hp engine. I still commute to work with it. The police arent the biggest fans of it though.
This webcast on the Honda Monkey is so awesome in multiple ways. Everyone has their own story about their first ride going back through the years. Indeed, these first rides are what propelled people to move to bigger motorcycles. Here’s my story if anyone is interested. The year was 1980. My next door buddy had the similar motorcycle as the Honda Monkey but was actually the 1978 Kawasaki KV75 (blue and gorgeous). He and his brother drove it everywhere. I drove it for the first time and got hooked. This was about identical to the Monkey back then. Being excited as a young guy, I thought how ‘cool’ it would be to have one. We struggled financially as a family so figured it would likely be out of the question despite me taking on extra work as a kid. One day after school, I rode my peddle bike to the local sport shop on the South side of town (seemed far away back then on that side gravel road) in Princeton, MN. And there it was, a 1977 red Kawasaki KV75 like my buddy’s blue one. It was used but was in showroom condition. That very night, I told mom about it and she saw that sparkle in my eyes. To this day, I remember her downplaying the thought of purchasing that Kawasaki. I certainly didn’t have the $300.00 saved up (that was a lot of money to a kid in 1980!) to buy it. The idea that some other person would own it crushed my spirit when I realized that someone bought it after going back a second time to look at it. That was my first experience in a retail situation where ‘the early bird gets the worm’ as the expression goes. On Saturday morning of that same week ending, my mom came home with a used vehicle that she bought and needed as our primary car was struggling to go much further for her and dad to commute to work in the Minneapolis area. Mom said to me to help her get some things out of the trunk. Mom always had groceries or pop to get out of the car so I went as requested. She turned the key inside that trunk lock, the trunk opened to that beautiful red Kawasaki KV75 I told mom about! She secretly purchased that motorcycle for me and my brother to ride! I was estatic if you can imagine. Everyone except dad rode that motorcycle. We even have a grandpa story to share another time. Mom actually hugged two grocery bags of food within her arms (sitting atop the gas tank) a couple of times riding it to town and back. We lived 3 miles to the edge of Princeton. I think mom had as much fun with that little motorcycle as we did. Years later, I still enjoy riding motorcycles. Here’s a small part two story that coincides historically with my kid story. I am 53 now and still think back to our first motorcycle (we should have kept our 1977 Kawasaki!) we got back in 1980. That’s 42 years ago already. How time flies. Then back in January of 2022, when there was a couple of feet of snow on the ground, I thought about going into our local sport shop in St Cloud, MN about 30 minutes from our house. And to my amazement, it was dejavew all over again as a kid. A 2021 blue Honda Monkey with only 49 miles on it was for sale. I absolutely couldn’t believe my eyes. It was like it was 42 years earlier in nearly the same identical way - just stumbled on it! With all the supply shortages in 2022 I was thinking how could this Monkey even be available? But, it was January and most people weren’t even thinking about warm season items. So I pondered the purchase of that Honda Monkey for a few days and decided to buy it! Asking myself, am I too old for this thing? Trying to justify this $4,000.00 purchase for a campground ride seemed a bit much. But after riding it around the parking lot at the sports shop, I was hooked all over again. Smiles from ear to ear. Initially I put $500.00 down to hold it and actually made the final purchase when the snow all melted (didn’t want road salt to get on the chassis). My dealer said he could have sold that Honda Monkey 20 times over again as people asked if it was for sale despite a sold tag on it. He said it was the craziest thing he had seen. Even a fellow employee was asking in hopes that perhaps the new buyer would back out of the deal. Honda obviously needs to ship more of these to dealers. One final note - was at the Black Hills campground this Summer and had about 4 different ‘toys’ on the trailer and got them unloaded. We were able to ride trails from the campground. Out of those 4 items, the Honda Monkey was repeatedly asked about with fellow campers (not so much on anything else). On the second week out there, my uncle’s brother and his adult kid just happened to camp the weekend next to our campsite. I hadn’t ever met them but my aunt recognized him so we all got to chatting. They brought out their Harley’s to ride. Soon enough they were asking about that Honda Monkey as well. How weird is that? I invited them both to take it for a ride and they loved it. The uncle’s brother said it’s more fun to ride than his big bike. Being a big bike rider myself, I couldn’t agree more!
I was fortunate enough that my dad worked for my grandpa and my grandpa had a bunch of land right there. My dad bought a Z50 and an SL70. He took us to work with him in the summer and we would ride those bikes all day long. Sometimes we would go with him in the winter too. Just as fun in the snow. Z50 is the best ever. No question.
I fondly remember, watching my cousin ride my minitrail for the first time. He had never been on one, and his fear directly translated into a throttle clench. I watched him ride that bike straight up the elm tree in our front yard. He went 9 feet forward, and three feet up. Never rode it again. I thought I was gonna die laughing..
I bought a couple of them in 1969. Lots of fun. One caution: the front wheel will come up and dump you on your back very easily! When going up hills you have to lean forward and keep weight on the front wheel.
This bike brings back some of great memories. Not only was my brother's 1970 model bulletproof, alot of the parts were interchangeable: brakes, wheels, tires, forks, footpegs, etc. We put a bigger sprocket on the rear wheel and added chains so that it would climb steeper hills. And the semi-automatic transmission made it easy to pop wheelies. Thanks for this video.
Cheers up front for this. Great presentation all around. The video title is Im sure debatable,...but you might be absolutely right. I had the 3Hp Briggs&Statten small tire/no susp mini bike like a lot young first time riding kids. The Z50 WAS the apex of that M/C form in that size in my youth. It did EVERYTHING great it seemed. More power. Better tires. More suspension, a transmission and handling. And it never broke. My brother,sister and me would ride our cousins Z50 from dawn to dark at their country place in the summer, non stop except but for fuel and basic maintenance. We did every jump, stunt and obstacle challenge together. Top 3 for me.
In 1971, I bought a used, 1968 Honda Z50 for $80 off someone I knew. For years my dream was to have a mini-bike and I would've settled for any kind. I finally got my Father to spring for, not only a mini-bike, but a Honda Mini Trail. I was lucky to have this Honda Mini-Trail. The Honda was much more advanced. Some of the mini-bikes at the time as you can see in the video, had a pull-starter, no shifter, lawn mower engine and their idea of brakes on some of the mini's were a plate rubbing against the back tire! The Honda could fit in a trunk of most cars since the handlebars would fold down. Only negative is that the Z50 didn't have back shocks, causing a couple of cracks in the rear frame which were fixed by welds. Thanks for the video, brings back pleasant memories! Wish I'd kept mine.
ya get what ya pays fer- the z50's were twice as much money as a rupp- they were even more money than a skat-kitty- which was a better mini-bike with even better resale value. plus it was american made.
I think Honda nailed it with the rebel 250 as well. It's still a motorcycle by any definition, but they're surprisingly small in person and super approchable. I rode one for years and I frequently had non riders asking me about it or overhead people saying things like "I could see getting bike like that...". It's not that fast or cool, but it's fast enough for all but the fastest highways, low maintenance, super reliable, and super easy to work on. I actually had no intention of selling mine but a nice vt500 ascot popped up, a bike id lusted after for years.. basically my personal ideal motorcycle and impulse got the best of me. No regrets but after that, I had a bunch of money tied up in bikes.. my goldwing is another story.. so the rebel had to go. I ultimately turned a profit, even after putting 20k on the thing And I was happy to see it go to a guy getting back into riding who'll enjoy it and hopefully keep talking care of it. They were stoked on it.. I kept in touch and while they'd initially planned on garaging it til spring, he ended up registering it and taking the msf ASAP.
Yeah i got my Z50 when i was just 8 years old !!! It was hands down by far the very best gift my late father had ever given me as well as the knowledge of riding and maintaining my most prized possession !!! Fast forwards to today !!! And once again i find my most prize possession is once more a ICONIC Honda product ,quite possibly the best bike Honda has ever made !!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY CR500R AND WILL NEVER GET RID OF IT UNTIL I DIE OR CAN NO LONGER RIDE IT FOR REASONS OUT OFF MY CONTROL TO CONTINUE MY FAVORITE THING TO DO !!! FOR ME ITS MY FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH AS IT KEEPS ME FIT ,ACTIVE ,ALERT AND KEEPS MY HAND EYE COORDINATION, REACTION TIME ,NOT TO MENTION MY ADRENALIN JUNKY FIX WELL SUPPLIED AND TUNED UP !!!And to think it all started with that ole little Z50 my pops earned on a maintenance job, that i even gave him a hand doing ,pounding down the nail on a ole redwood Hollywood Stake roof that the sun had worked their way up and partially out as my late father explained to me expansion and contraction of the redwood shakes would heat up with the sun light and at night slowly shrink back down and contract ,slowly causing the nails to raise and lower working themselves loose or even completely free ,as some did require new replacement nails !!! Love you POPS miss you dearly ,AaaMmmEeeNnn and GOD BLESS HIS SOUL !!!
In 69 my dad took us to a local MX race, I was 5. I spyed my first love.. a Honda QA50. Fast forward to 76 and while visiting my cousins they showed us a Z50 the older boys grew out of. Now I had a new first love for all of my then savings of $75 . Been a Honda fan ever since.
Had one! Some of my most fondest memories growing up!! Even my pops said it was the cheapest investment for us boys he could've ever bought! We went through 2 of them.... good times
I'm overwhelmed by the greatness of this video and your commentary. Great work. I couldn't explain this topic better than you did. Kudos and thank you .
A friend had one as a kid, we spent many hours riding around the family farm, good memories. I bought two many years later that I restored, my kids grew up riding them in the 1990s, now my grand kids are riding them. Hopefully they will still be going for my great grandkids. Love your videos.
My dad got me a used Z50 when I was kid. It didn't run and never could figure out what was wrong. I have no idea what my dad did with it but now I wish I had a crack at it since I know so much of how these little bikes work. I have a fleet of mopeds and a mini bike but nothing like that Z50.
Fantastic and emotional video. Loved the images of your dad riding this awesome bike. I recently bought a Monkey 125 and I enjoy it a lot. I have a 330 cc scooter and two bikes (650 and 850 cc) but this tiny Honda is special and shines above the rest of my machines. The new Dax is a real temptation...
My first “motorcycle” ever was the 1970 red 50 mini-trail. I was 11 or 12. Folding handlebars allowed us to bring it home in the trunk of dad’s car. I’ve had many other bikes during the ensuing 50 years, but none left a more lasting impression.
I had the 50 also, but the ct70 was my favorite. Sadly i dont got no photos or anything from when i was younger. my parents never did anything, i got both my bikes from a uncle of mine.
I had a 1989 model, extremely reliable and durable 4-stroke thing! Suzuki had a similar bike called the PV 50 a 2 stroke one that was very easy to tune
Nice summation - I had a '69, and, over 50 years later, STILL a passionate motorcycle fan ... My MiniTrail led me to Yamaha's MiniEnduro, then larger off-road machines, into MX (Honda Hills in Ohio, Trans ANA'S, Interacts, California w/Suzuki, ... now fan-follower of AMA SX, Nationals, MXGP, WSB, MotoGP). Hearing your MiniTrail fire up for first time, my first reaction/thought was, 'The baffle is out of the buffer...', hence the throaty growl ... I should know, I did that to mine ! LOL You didn't discover your MiniTrail "Barn Find" in Ohio, did you ? 😉
In '72 my dad in his wisdom realized his eight year-old son was too uncoordinated for playing traditional sports and bought me a Z50. Fortunately, we lived in rural Florida so I could ride anytime...and I did. All the time. Now at 58 motorcycling is part of who I am. All thanks to my dad and that little Honda 50.
The engine had one flaw, the cam, or timing chain. I was a grunt mechanic at a Honda dealership in the '80's, and had I saved all that I replaced, you could fill a 55 gallon barrel with the chains and sprockets. The chain was too small, and the tensioner wasn't automatic.....once the slop started it beat everything in the chain galley to pieces making the slop much worse.....oh yeah, most folks forgot the change the oil!! I think Honda sold all of the tooling to the Chinese.....lots of Z-50 looking engines on some of their stuff.
I had a mini trail 50 in 1969. I rode the Piss out of it until the xr75 replaced it in 1973. All it got for maintenance was oil changes and cleaning the air filter. Never adjusted the timing chain, valves or even the ignition points. The little things was bulletproof. I guess some things don't improve over the years.
The Chinese copies of the z50 motor aren't as good as the original. A mechanic friend of mine told me they are made cheaper, and use bushings inside the engine instead of roller bearings.
Thanks for the video! So glad I was not born in the "Game Boy " era. I am 62 and when I was 10 years old my friend got a Candy Apple red K1. I had never ridden a mini bike and he let me ride it in 1st while running next to me for about 50 feet then said that it. I told my mom I would pick weeds and take out the trash every day if I could get one! She said not until you are 18 and out of the house. She soon married my step dad Park and he took us to Hollywood Honda and bought his son, my sister and I all 1971 Honda CT70's and a red CL350 for himself. I have not been without a motorcycle since. I picked up a 1970 Z50 about 30 years ago and put a SL70 engine in it with a Powerall 82cc kit. I still ride it all of the time. Great fun!
53 years later I still have mine. Still runs and looks great. Have had quite a few Hondas over the years and still do but this one has a special place in the heart.
You said it buddy. The 1969 Honda 50 mini trail was my first ride. I was six years old. I’ve had many motorcycles since. This brought back so many wonderful memories.
I had a generic mini bike when I was a kid and I had more fun on that bike that I have had in the 50 years since. My dad was voted dad of the century (by me) for providing me with such a fantastic fun experience.
Generic...Yeah,I was 10?yrs old when my Grandma and I visited a friend of hers.Her 10yr old daughter(tomboy'ish)asked me the sweetest question a little girl could EVER ask a little boy;"I have a MINI BIKE,wanna ride it!?".🤯🤪.I was like;"Huh!?Who me?(I'm not worthy..).What an experience THAT was!!Exhilerating!It was one of those"Generic",Briggs&Stratton type.I had previously only seen OTHER kids riding those,and go carts,but I wasn't invited!😭I was(am)the"Forrest Gump"in my social"School Bus".Simple pleasures,but whata GREAT memory!
I had a Yamaha mini enduro, and my buddy had a 5 h.p. Montgomery Wards 2 speed mini bike...it flew, but it was always breaking down, and we had a guy with a honda mini trail(it was pretty lame),and another had a street scooter. We were quite the gang.
Thing I remember most about the Z50 was that it was stone cold reliable. We would beat it all day long and the next day it fired right up and run perfect! Loved that thing!!!
Great bike! My first one was like you have at beginning.. 3hp Briggs and Stratton, rigid frame scrub brake. I was too poor for the Honda 😂. I did have a Z50 for my boys though and I longed for one as a kid. And btw, we rode the wheels of the Briggs and strattons off road.. made ramps and jumped them. Break a frame, dad would weld her up and we’d go break it somewhere else.
I had one (a yellow '69) as a kid back in the early '70s and I'll go on record as saying you CAN break one. I broke the cradle loose from the back bone, basically broke the frame in two, but it took a LOT of serious off road abuse to accomplish that. Everywhere my brother's dirt bike went, so did that little Honda, and that included some serious terrain. More than once a grown man on a big dirt bike would stop and say "How did that little thing make it all the way out HERE?" But it did, and after I replaced the frame it kept on doing it. That engine and transmission, though, are so tough it's phenomenal.
Excellent video! My first bike was a Honda MiniTrail Z50 K2 with the blue/white paint scheme. It was the most fun I had in my life until that time and planted the seeds for my interest in motorcycles. The MiniTrail was eventually sold when I got my first car but how I wish I still had it today. Some years after saying goodbye to the MiniTrail, I got back into riding with a 1984 Honda XL 350R which led the way to a Yamaha Virago 1100, a Honda Pacific Coast, and finally my current bike - a 1998 Honda Valkyrie. The Valkyrie is big and fast and fun, but not in the way the MiniTrail was. Recreating that feeling is probably next to impossible today.
I skillfully operated one of these many years ago when I was asked to fill in for a Shriners parade going through complex maneuvers with little cars driven by clowns. It was the perfect machine for the task.
In 1970, my uncles owned a dairy farm in Louisville. They bought one of these for running around the farm and when my grandmother wasn't looking, they let me ride it. CHANGED MY LIFE. I have owned bikes for 50+ years because of this great experience. Thank you!
Great video Bro! I started on a mini bike, then 2 a 125 kawi, then honda express, n finally my 72 Honda 450! I love when u mention the 450, its such a unique bike on its own! Keep up the good work Bro!🤙
@@bartmotorcycle The term to "live on in infamy" means that the thing or person you're describing is extremely bad or has a bad reputation. It comes from the word infamous. Are you really saying that the Honda Z50 is evil or something or what?'
The Z50 and the Keystone mini were the two machines I learned to ride on. The Z50 was indeed a tough little bike, but 50 years later, it also remains (knock on wood) the only one I ever broke. About 8yrs old, I came over a dirt track rise and failed to anticipate a right turn. Went frozen in fear down the backside and slammed into the next rise. Mangled the forks. Cried for a couple minutes, then pushed the remains back to camp. Glory days 😄
I'm probably your Dad's age! I was 12 years old in 1970. Everyone in my neighborhood were purchasing little motorbikes. In 1971, my Dad purchased my first motorcycle. The Honda CL 100 in burnt orange. It was bigger and faster than the little 50's the kids down the street had. My good friend's Dad purchased the Mini Trail 70 for him. I would ride up and down my street all the time. Avoiding the cops of course. We had a number of trails to ride. It was a fun time in my life. Today at 64 years old, I ride a Yamaha FJR putting out 143 HP! I still reminisce about that 100 I had as a kid.
Nice! Kinda wish you would have touched in the next evolution of the Mini Trail which was the CT70 which at first borrowed the engine (bored) and semi-auto trans. But it was when they offered the four-speed clutch operation that the fun began! Anyway, now ya got me jonesing for a Honda Mini Trail!
My Dad gave me a used '73 back in '76. I was 10. Best present I ever got. Gave me freedom to explore the countryside far from home. Been riding ever since, now on a R1.
I miss my Honda Z50. Mine had front & rear suspension, rear foot brake. No lights. Mum bought it for me 2nd hand when I was 14. I sold it when I was 18 as we moved around a lot and it wasn’t being used. I’ve now got a non running 1964 Honda sports cub. Future project. Thanks for the video and nostalgia
Good video Bart. I started on my cousins little red 50cc Honda in the mid 70's. I'm looking through photos and I think it was a QA50 with that big round tank. I had a lot of fun learning my first few hours... and then I was eyeballing my cousins 70cc bike (I'm seeing that it was the trail 70) but I was denied being 3 years younger. It lead to the minor family rebellion when my middle brother turned 18, we pooled our money and got a new 1981 XT250. My family moved to a new state and I was the kid with the Rambo: First Blood motorcycle. Good times.
Like your videos. I still have my 1970 trail ct70 that I threw a paper route to save up to buy. It still runs and your right, I have more fun on it than any of my other bikes. My bikes I have a 1975 cr250 m1 Elsinore that I bought new and still race it on vintage days I have a 2001 cr250r that I still race in the local vintage club and a 2002 vlx 600. Iam 64 years old and plan on riding as long as I can. I hope to still be riding my Ct70 when iam 80. Oh, I forgot I still have my sears mini bike but the 2.5 hp Tecumseh is seized. Keep up the videos. They are great. Get you daughter on that mini trail, my daughter started racing on a z50 at age 7 in 1996 . She loved it but her interest change and we gave the z50 to a cousin.
My father gave my older brother one (he was 11, I was 7) and I learned to ride it on the first day. We went everywhere with it. 3 years later, my brother got the SL-100 and I got the ST-70 (known as the Dax in the U.S.A.). the last motorcycle my father gave me was the Honda SL-125 when I was 14 years old.
I felt a wave of nostalgia when you mentioned "Tama Tech" (Tama Tekku). I was born & raised in 1960s Tokyo, Japan, and one of the highlights of my time there I recall vividly was going to Tama Tech with my 4 older siblings, and watching them rip around on these tiny Hondas. I was too young to ride. Thank you for the flashback.
I am 43 years old. My dad back in the late 80s bought me my first z50 from a neighbor for $20. it was a 1973 I believe. It got me addicted to motorcycles. since then, many larger bikes have come and gone....but I still have my z50s sitting in my living room 🥰
Hi Larry. I have my Z50J from 1978 also all original. I was 13 years old when I received from my mother as a gift. Today I am 57. The bike is full original.
Loved the video! The Z50 Monkey was immensely popular here in Finland in the eighties, all cool kids had to ride a Monkey. I too had one, bought second hand, and in fact I own the bike still, looking at the prices of Monkeys today I'm happy I never sold it... Both of my kids have Monkey-bikes too, they are still too young to ride them on the road so they have a few years to finish the bikes as both were bought as projects in need of some TLC. Some time ago you could hardly ever spot a Monkey-bike in traffic, but recently the Chinese copies have become very popular among youngsters, and nowadays it is not uncommon to see a whole "gang" of kids with Monkey-bikes, modified in different ways. The legend lives on...
I was at Beaulieu Auto Jumble looking for parts for my Austin Seven Special. I was concentrating on this, but passed a Z50 that was in need of restoration. I ended up not finding the parts I needed for the Austin, but returned to the Z50. The little bugger just cried "Buy me!". Well I did, and restored it. It had very low miles on the clock, so I did not need to do much engine work. I am delighted with it. No plan to sell it, but it is worth something like twice what I spent buying and restoring it. The engine is utterly superb. I would love to find a C70 Cub.
In 1972 my mom bought me a Rockford Chibi with a Bridgestone 60cc, 2-stroke, engine. It had 3 gears and a genuine clutch, and it would suck the paint off of any Mini Trail. It is now 50 years later, and I have never been without a bike or two. I own 4 right now, along with a completely restored, old school mini bike, and I ride almost every day. I love you Mom, and miss you every day!
I had a red and white '71 model and my brother had a turquoise Trail 70 with a manual clutch. Our neighbors kids had a QA-50 and a Trail 70 with automatic clutch and we would all go to nearby school yards and ride them together. What a great time we all had back then. Mom and Dad were adamant about us not riding them on the street so we always had to push them to and from the nearby school but that was fine, it was worth it just to be able to go riding. What a blast it was to be a kid in the late 60's and early 70's.
At 8 years old, I learned my chops on a Honda 50 mini trail, It's sintrifical clutch and 3 down shifter was so easy I was running through the gears the first time I lost a leg over it. I've owned countless motorcycles since but my Z50 was the OG croch rocket.
My best friend in 5th grade circa 1975, got one of these in blue. We would go dirt bike riding with his Dad and Uncle on their larger Huskies. Meanwhile back at my house I had to settle for the Briggs powered bikes but we all still had a blast Thanks for sharing
I loved my 1971 Honda Mini- trail. It was fun and easy to ride! It gave me great memories of growing up and spending hours of my time with my father and friends riding it. It was some of the best years of my life growing up. Thank you for sharing this video reminding me of my simpler fun outdoor times!! I did later go on to buy bigger motorcycles but none of them were ever as fun as my Honda Mini-trail!! 👍😃❤️😎
I had a Z-50 back in 1975. It was an Orangie red color. I got it for Christmas. It was a great, reliable minibike. Had a blast with it, along with many great memories.
YEP !!! I always wanted one of those and my dad probably hid the mail I sent to Honda France as I was asking info about where and how much to buy, I must have been 10 years old. I finally stumbled on a 1974 Dax Honda inn my home town, and it is sitting now in my living room.
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One Saturday morning in the spring of 1971 when I was 12, my dad took me shopping for a mini bike. For several years I had wanted one more than anything, and would have been happy with a simple lawnmower engine style bike, but I guess he wanted me to have something a little better. After looking at several of the cycle shops near where we lived, I settled on the Z50, a brand new blue one. I remember my dad paid $295 for it, and later that day I was the happiest kid on the planet. It was my first motorcycle and I'm still riding 50 years later. Thanks, Dad.
I bought a new Z50 Mini Trail in 1970 when I was also 12 with my paper route money.
Mine was red and I paid $242.00 your 71 model a little more expensive ( inflation even back then) I remember adding a speedometer to it, downhill about 32 MPH, wish I would’ve kept it.
@@gmartin8043 I wish I would have kept mine too. A few years later when I moved on to a Hodaka 100 and lost interest in the Mini Trail, my dad sold it for $75. That same year I got my first car - a 1966 Chevy II Nova purchased from my older brother who bought it new. I wish I still had that also.
@@RideOp74 I traded my Z50 Mini Trail to a neighbor kid for a I think it was a CL or SL 100 Honda + $130 dollars.
Everybody at the same age as me and if for me it was the summer of 72 when I got a go-kart I lived in New York City and my mom wouldn't get me a mini bike which was my birthday 13th birthday and these lists to say the next season so they were looking at the 73 I worked there in the summer at a car wash yup kids can get away with that in the early 70s I guess you would know you were same age as meek and I think maybe a year younger I was born in 59 anyway I hadn't seen it at a hobby shop that carried used a new mini bikes there was a used rapper roadster frame in there so when I had enough money saved the car wash I went there I bought it and wielded six miles home and put the five horsepower with the cubs engine on it and that was my first buy I had to do all that secret once the bike was in my garage huge egg is an acres of housing complex all the backs of the housing with driveways and garages there was a garage almost every apartment so it was really easy to and great to ride safely as far as the street goes but anyway I bought it to the garage I did the transplant ended up drilling a hole in my calf it's only the story but I did put it in my comment and my mom and found out and she learned to live with it cuz I used it for a few years till it was stolen took my road test though and providence Rhode Island from motorcycle on a Honda 70 trail 70 so yeah great memory is my first bike was a 1966 Yamaha YM1 305 to stroke was a Honda dream clone yeah it was a Yamaha m1 that's what it was anyway just so that I throw a reply there cuz it seems to kind of went down the same path I drove for a couple of decades more and I ended up going blind and had a stop otherwise I'd be like you and I have 50 years of riding so right safe for me and have fun for me to see all about the flying bedroom guitarist
You were a very lucky kid awesum
I will never forget Christmas morning in 1970 when my dad had 2 Honda Z50 mini trails under the Christmas tree for my brother and I. We spent hours on those motorcycles and the memories will never be forgotten.
Best Christmas ever!
My Z50A Mini Trail was my Christmas gift of 1974 when I was 11 years old. Let's hope that after all these years that people will still buy their kids bikes like these.
My stepdad got me one in 1979. Nostalgia.
One thing I dreamed of when I was a kid in the late 60s early 70s.
@@Jonathan-L I think the way you do. But I'm not sure the kids of today look at it the same way. I know of one kids whose Dad got both himself and his young son a small bike. The kid didn't have too much interest in it and after summer number 2, he had no interest in it whatsoever. Which I'll bet you'd agree... seems intensely bizzare.
I'd pay $1000 to back in time and ride my Z50 out on the back trails of my old suburb again. Good times riding on my little old 'hog' lol. Even more fun when some of the few others who had one came along. We'd take lunches and a drink and be gone for the day then do it again the next.
I used a Z50 as a commuter in Tokyo in the early 80's. It was small enough to fit in the elevator at our office building, and I parked it next to my desk every day. Not a single drop of oil ever leaked on the floor. Great bike for its size!
Hi, Do you live in Japan?
@D R theft yes bike theft is common in japan.
@@leonardoguzman5023Hi, yes I have been living in Japan for over 40 years...
@@seam4002 Dear Seam, I am interested in to sell my Z50J in Japan. To a Museum, or a collection, or someone who can appreciate the value of the All original Z50j (1978) at a good price. Do you have an idea where or to whom I could offer? Awaiting your reply and with best regards. Leonardo Guzman. (CHILE South America).
The brand new, blue Mini-Trail my parents brought home for me (because my friend had a yellow one and I badgered them unmercifully) to me, meant freedom. The joy of riding in its purest form..
I’ve owned a dozen plus bikes over the years, and I had more fun on that Mini-Trail than all the others put together!
Thanks for this.. well done!
Z50 was my first bike. Endless happiness for 11 year old kid driving that minibike around local forest trails.
Greetings from Finland
Greetings from the USA! Question; As a Finn, do you consider your country to be Scandinavian or European? Have heard both. PS; I consider Carl Gustaf Mannerheim to be the "George Washington" of Finland.
@@scootergeorge7089 Finland is not Scandinavian. Scandinavia refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. We are part of european union, but we are little bit different than rest of the Europe. We are drunken northern forest people.
Mannerheim was field marshal during WW2 and after the war became the sixth president.
@@karelianshaman - Mannerheim , soldier, statesman, president. Hero.
@@scootergeorge7089 Mannerheim was badass. Mannerheim and Hitler met once. Mannerheim knew that Hitler hated smoking and smell of it. So Mannerheim decided to chainsmoke during the whole meeting.
Sigma grind set: Smoke unhealty cigarettes to just annoy Hitler.
@@karelianshaman Being a student of ww2 history, I have much respect for the brave, resilient people of Finland. God bless from America's heartland.
My fondest childhood memories are getting up on cold winter mornings and riding ours up and down the farm driveway and around the property. Minibikes were the best gift we recieved from our parents and will still own it to this day, I'm 51.
The Z50a was the first motorized bike I ever rode. It was in the 80's, I was around 8 yo and it was already an old machine. I spent about 10 hours just riding around a family friend's farm, through fields and some easy trails. I remember it like it was yesterday. It's one of my favorite childhood memories.
It started me off on a lifetime of loving and riding motorcycles and dirt bikes.
An excellent tribute. My best buddy got a brand new '69 for Christmas and my eyeballs sproingged out. It took months before he'd let me ride it.. and I was thrilled. Since then I have owned 27 motorcycles, ridden across the US (four times), 13 countries, done trackdays and covered MotoGP races for magazines. Yep.. this is where it started.
@888jackflash; So, what you're implying is that motorcycles are an addiction? (LOL)
Wonder if you are like me. Somehow the early days on my little 50' were better.
Solution: Buy a GROM !
So great to see your dad riding that bike with a smile from ear to ear. It truly is smiles per mile and I remember my Honda 50 as if it were yesterday. Those were great days!
I had Z50A when I was 12 back in 1972 . My mom brought it for me used . I had a blast on that bike , Hours of entertainment . Wish I still had it .
That phrase, "...wish I still had it." sigh. I know what you mean.
My dad bought me a Cherry red 1975 Z50 in 7th grade, used, through the "want ad". It changed my life, sparking the adventure craving in my young mind as I rode endless forested trails in the northeast constantly fascinated by what was around the next corner. 3 years ago, after not riding motorbikes for decades, I bought another Honda, the crf300L, having been influenced by that z50's demonstration of how rugged honda's can be. Sadly, the 300L wasn't good enough in hard dirt so I got a KTM500, and wow I feel happiness riding just like I did when I was young with my Z50. I loved that Z50, it really was a great thing for my young brain. Now I love my KTM 500, what a machine, holy crap!
Although no longer with us, I'll repeat what RideOp74 said here, "Thanks, Dad"!
Having grown up in the mid 70's, surrounded by almost every make of enduro's and full size dirt bikes, the day one of our neighbors got a mini trail 50 it had all of us fighting for the chance to ride it! And it was a blast!!! you could push this little thing to it's limits and never be in any real danger, compared to our 2 and 4 stroke full size bikes. And man were they tough. That bike was probably laid down more than any other bike in our group, and just kept going! I have so many good memories from riding one of these!!!!
My first bike...the blue Honda Z50 back in the 70's...loved it!
I’m proud to say that my first motorcycle was a ‘75 Z-50. Been in love with motorcycles ever since. 😎👍🏻
Same story here my friend! 🙂👍💯
I’ve got nothing but great memories of the original 68’ Mini Trail. Even though I had full size 125cc I couldn’t get enough of riding the Mini. I would let the owner ride my bike and I’d ride his. It didn’t have to be fast or highly capable off road, it’s sole function was smiles and fun. I’ve got two high powered bikes in garage and I’d still love to own and ride one.
As a side note; 60’s Honda’s started my whole love affair with motorcycles. I’ve never strayed away from Japanese’s motorcycles in my 50+ years of riding.
Got mine in 69. Had a blast on it. Remember seeing them in stores in LA, CA while visiting my grandmother. I lived CO. My Dad took me to a town 50 miles to the closest Honda dealer to buy one. I didn't ask for the bike, Dad just bought one. It taught my alot about operating and taking care of vehicles.
I picked up a 1985 z50r a couple weeks ago and even though I’m still working on it, it’s probably one of my favorite motorcycles. It just looks fun
I loved my 1969 Mini Trail and rode the wheels off it. I broke the foot pegs and forks going off jumps and learned to drift on an asphalt tennis court. That bike gave me the most thrilling experiences a teenager could have with a machine. Video games don't come close.
We had a retention pond with steep walls and my buddies mini trail....he could plunk it in first and drive straight up the wall.But I had a Yamaha mini -enduro ...no way he could run with that.
My grandfather bought my uncles a brand new Z50 in 1968 (mind you money was tight) and we still have it. Don’t ever plan on getting rid of it. They’re passion for motorcycles is what got me into it and all stems back to that bike. I still love riding these 50s and have had a few Z50s and xr/crf’s. Love these little bikes as riding and working on them growing up has very much made me who I am.
In 1979, I got a used Z50 for my birthday. My mom brought it home from the Honda shop on the backseat of our station wagon. I promptly started it up and ran it straight into our backyard fence. But I learned to ride in that bike and I’m still riding today. I wish I still had my old Z50. I’m thinking about getting a Monkey. Great video, brings back lots of memories.
My first bike was in the early 1970s. It was an Aggie 5hp. The thing was just too insane for this 10 year old so we traded it for a blue mini trail 50. I loved that thing and since my neighborhood was undeveloped I had tons of hills to ride on. I'll never forget that mini trail
The footage of jeff ward riding stand up wheelies on one is the most iconic thing.. that alone set a whole contingent of people into riding racing and living the feeling of riding. Spot on how you said anyone can ride it and as a kid who throttled these for years in rain , snow mud sand. They just go!! Thanks for putting that together!!
I still have my 1970 Z50A mini trail , it is in factory mint condition and one of my prized possessions.
Nice!
Hi, I also still have my Z50J from 1978. A present from my mother. The bike is full original.
Question : In case of try to sell it, Do you think Japan can be a good market interested?
I was five years old in 1970 and went into a honda dealer to see the z50- my parents said for me to not touch anything in the store, but I just had to touch the z-50, which shocked the heck out of me because of the static build up from the carpet vs my shoes! I have around 15 motorcycles now, all started from that spark from that little Honda.
These are iconic! The blue one in the thumbnail was the exact model I had as my first bike. I was 7 years old and it was a gift from my grandparents. They were the original owners, and this bike was my Mom, and her siblings’ bike when they were kids. I still own this bike to this day,! I hope to give it to my children some day
That's such a great story. Thank you for sharing.
The Honda Monkey is pretty common here in Finland, as you can get a moped license at 15. I never had one, but I rode one my friend had.
My dad also had one when he was a kid in the 70's, and he used to go to school with it even during winter, he just strapped mini-skis on and kept his feet on the ground while driving :D
One guy in our middle school (yläaste) rode one with ice spikes in the winter! It had so much grip it could wheelie on icy roads
I wrapped a dog tie out chain around the rear tire on mine for use in the snow.
I saw kids riding minibikes on the bike paths of Rovaniemi all fall and into the winter. I thought you Finns were a bit crazy. The good kind of crazy
I had 2 of them in the 70’s in Finland. I just bought new 2022 125cc Monkey and I love it here in Australia.
“Mini Trail”
Had a 74 z50, it was orange and awesome. My brother, sister and everyone else rode the hell out of it and it just kept going. A valve adjustment every now and then and tires was all the maintenance it needed. It was the beginning of a lifetime obsession with motorcycles.
This was my first bike! I had a little red one. My parents and I were on vacation and a couple camping next us had a Z50 and sold it to us for $75! Greatest day of my young life! It was a great trip. We lived in Washington State and were taking a long trip to the Grand Canyon. We stopped at a Honda shop in Vegas for some parts and then I was riding! I road if for several years and had a blast! It always ran perfectly and was so tough. I saved up enough to by and XL100 and just kept getting bigger from there.
Thank you SO MUCH for posting. So many great memories on that amazing little bike!
I started on a Z50 in the 90’s and a few years ago I bought another one, 1996 model. 88cc big bore, with all the other goodies, 20mm carb, heavy duty springs, re-geared, street tires and was tagged. Most fun I’ve ever had on 2 wheels after 23 years of riding a plethora of different bikes. Hands down, can’t change my mind. If I had to own 1 bike only for the sole purpose of putting a smile on my face, this is it.
It's seriously such a great bike. I still own the one from my teenage days, though now it's fitted with a 160cc 15hp engine. I still commute to work with it. The police arent the biggest fans of it though.
This webcast on the Honda Monkey is so awesome in multiple ways. Everyone has their own story about their first ride going back through the years. Indeed, these first rides are what propelled people to move to bigger motorcycles. Here’s my story if anyone is interested.
The year was 1980. My next door buddy had the similar motorcycle as the Honda Monkey but was actually the 1978 Kawasaki KV75 (blue and gorgeous). He and his brother drove it everywhere. I drove it for the first time and got hooked. This was about identical to the Monkey back then. Being excited as a young guy, I thought how ‘cool’ it would be to have one. We struggled financially as a family so figured it would likely be out of the question despite me taking on extra work as a kid.
One day after school, I rode my peddle bike to the local sport shop on the South side of town (seemed far away back then on that side gravel road) in Princeton, MN. And there it was, a 1977 red Kawasaki KV75 like my buddy’s blue one. It was used but was in showroom condition. That very night, I told mom about it and she saw that sparkle in my eyes. To this day, I remember her downplaying the thought of purchasing that Kawasaki. I certainly didn’t have the $300.00 saved up (that was a lot of money to a kid in 1980!) to buy it. The idea that some other person would own it crushed my spirit when I realized that someone bought it after going back a second time to look at it. That was my first experience in a retail situation where ‘the early bird gets the worm’ as the expression goes.
On Saturday morning of that same week ending, my mom came home with a used vehicle that she bought and needed as our primary car was struggling to go much further for her and dad to commute to work in the Minneapolis area. Mom said to me to help her get some things out of the trunk. Mom always had groceries or pop to get out of the car so I went as requested. She turned the key inside that trunk lock, the trunk opened to that beautiful red Kawasaki KV75 I told mom about! She secretly purchased that motorcycle for me and my brother to ride! I was estatic if you can imagine. Everyone except dad rode that motorcycle. We even have a grandpa story to share another time. Mom actually hugged two grocery bags of food within her arms (sitting atop the gas tank) a couple of times riding it to town and back. We lived 3 miles to the edge of Princeton. I think mom had as much fun with that little motorcycle as we did.
Years later, I still enjoy riding motorcycles. Here’s a small part two story that coincides historically with my kid story.
I am 53 now and still think back to our first motorcycle (we should have kept our 1977 Kawasaki!) we got back in 1980. That’s 42 years ago already. How time flies. Then back in January of 2022, when there was a couple of feet of snow on the ground, I thought about going into our local sport shop in St Cloud, MN about 30 minutes from our house. And to my amazement, it was dejavew all over again as a kid. A 2021 blue Honda Monkey with only 49 miles on it was for sale. I absolutely couldn’t believe my eyes. It was like it was 42 years earlier in nearly the same identical way - just stumbled on it! With all the supply shortages in 2022 I was thinking how could this Monkey even be available? But, it was January and most people weren’t even thinking about warm season items. So I pondered the purchase of that Honda Monkey for a few days and decided to buy it! Asking myself, am I too old for this thing? Trying to justify this $4,000.00 purchase for a campground ride seemed a bit much. But after riding it around the parking lot at the sports shop, I was hooked all over again. Smiles from ear to ear. Initially I put $500.00 down to hold it and actually made the final purchase when the snow all melted (didn’t want road salt to get on the chassis). My dealer said he could have sold that Honda Monkey 20 times over again as people asked if it was for sale despite a sold tag on it. He said it was the craziest thing he had seen. Even a fellow employee was asking in hopes that perhaps the new buyer would back out of the deal. Honda obviously needs to ship more of these to dealers.
One final note - was at the Black Hills campground this Summer and had about 4 different ‘toys’ on the trailer and got them unloaded. We were able to ride trails from the campground. Out of those 4 items, the Honda Monkey was repeatedly asked about with fellow campers (not so much on anything else). On the second week out there, my uncle’s brother and his adult kid just happened to camp the weekend next to our campsite. I hadn’t ever met them but my aunt recognized him so we all got to chatting. They brought out their Harley’s to ride. Soon enough they were asking about that Honda Monkey as well. How weird is that? I invited them both to take it for a ride and they loved it. The uncle’s brother said it’s more fun to ride than his big bike. Being a big bike rider myself, I couldn’t agree more!
I was fortunate enough that my dad worked for my grandpa and my grandpa had a bunch of land right there. My dad bought a Z50 and an SL70. He took us to work with him in the summer and we would ride those bikes all day long. Sometimes we would go with him in the winter too. Just as fun in the snow. Z50 is the best ever. No question.
I can't thank you enough for coming out and saying what you did about these collector-only bikes that the media loves so much. You're 100% right.
We had a blue 1969 Z50A and a red 1970 CT70. They were so much fun. After seeing this video, I'm wanting to re-live my childhood. The search begins!
I fondly remember, watching my cousin ride my minitrail for the first time. He had never been on one, and his fear directly translated into a throttle clench. I watched him ride that bike straight up the elm tree in our front yard. He went 9 feet forward, and three feet up. Never rode it again. I thought I was gonna die laughing..
I bought a couple of them in 1969. Lots of fun. One caution: the front wheel will come up and dump you on your back very easily! When going up hills you have to lean forward and keep weight on the front wheel.
This bike brings back some of great memories. Not only was my brother's 1970 model bulletproof, alot of the parts were interchangeable: brakes, wheels, tires, forks, footpegs, etc.
We put a bigger sprocket on the rear wheel and added chains so that it would climb steeper hills. And the semi-automatic transmission made it easy to pop wheelies.
Thanks for this video.
Cheers up front for this. Great presentation all around. The video title is Im sure debatable,...but you might be absolutely right. I had the 3Hp Briggs&Statten small tire/no susp mini bike like a lot young first time riding kids. The Z50 WAS the apex of that M/C form in that size in my youth. It did EVERYTHING great it seemed. More power. Better tires. More suspension, a transmission and handling. And it never broke. My brother,sister and me would ride our cousins Z50 from dawn to dark at their country place in the summer, non stop except but for fuel and basic maintenance. We did every jump, stunt and obstacle challenge together. Top 3 for me.
until the yamaha mini-enduro came along- then guys were ditching their mini-trails for them.
In 1971, I bought a used, 1968 Honda Z50 for $80 off someone I knew. For years my dream was to have a mini-bike and I would've settled for any kind. I finally got my Father to spring for, not only a mini-bike, but a Honda Mini Trail. I was lucky to have this Honda Mini-Trail. The Honda was much more advanced. Some of the mini-bikes at the time as you can see in the video, had a pull-starter, no shifter, lawn mower engine and their idea of brakes on some of the mini's were a plate rubbing against the back tire! The Honda could fit in a trunk of most cars since the handlebars would fold down. Only negative is that the Z50 didn't have back shocks, causing a couple of cracks in the rear frame which were fixed by welds.
Thanks for the video, brings back pleasant memories! Wish I'd kept mine.
ya get what ya pays fer- the z50's were twice as much money as a rupp- they were even more money than a skat-kitty- which was a better mini-bike with even better resale value. plus it was american made.
I think Honda nailed it with the rebel 250 as well. It's still a motorcycle by any definition, but they're surprisingly small in person and super approchable. I rode one for years and I frequently had non riders asking me about it or overhead people saying things like "I could see getting bike like that...". It's not that fast or cool, but it's fast enough for all but the fastest highways, low maintenance, super reliable, and super easy to work on. I actually had no intention of selling mine but a nice vt500 ascot popped up, a bike id lusted after for years.. basically my personal ideal motorcycle and impulse got the best of me. No regrets but after that, I had a bunch of money tied up in bikes.. my goldwing is another story.. so the rebel had to go. I ultimately turned a profit, even after putting 20k on the thing And I was happy to see it go to a guy getting back into riding who'll enjoy it and hopefully keep talking care of it. They were stoked on it.. I kept in touch and while they'd initially planned on garaging it til spring, he ended up registering it and taking the msf ASAP.
Yeah i got my Z50 when i was just 8 years old !!! It was hands down by far the very best gift my late father had ever given me as well as the knowledge of riding and maintaining my most prized possession !!! Fast forwards to today !!! And once again i find my most prize possession is once more a ICONIC Honda product ,quite possibly the best bike Honda has ever made !!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY CR500R AND WILL NEVER GET RID OF IT UNTIL I DIE OR CAN NO LONGER RIDE IT FOR REASONS OUT OFF MY CONTROL TO CONTINUE MY FAVORITE THING TO DO !!! FOR ME ITS MY FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH AS IT KEEPS ME FIT ,ACTIVE ,ALERT AND KEEPS MY HAND EYE COORDINATION, REACTION TIME ,NOT TO MENTION MY ADRENALIN JUNKY FIX WELL SUPPLIED AND TUNED UP !!!And to think it all started with that ole little Z50 my pops earned on a maintenance job, that i even gave him a hand doing ,pounding down the nail on a ole redwood Hollywood Stake roof that the sun had worked their way up and partially out as my late father explained to me expansion and contraction of the redwood shakes would heat up with the sun light and at night slowly shrink back down and contract ,slowly causing the nails to raise and lower working themselves loose or even completely free ,as some did require new replacement nails !!! Love you POPS miss you dearly ,AaaMmmEeeNnn and GOD BLESS HIS SOUL !!!
I had a 1st gen ridged frame Z50. It was my first bike. I was 5. It was AWESOME!!!
I had the 350 XL... it was a combo of dirt and street. It was great...Back in the early 70's
In 69 my dad took us to a local MX race, I was 5. I spyed my first love.. a Honda QA50. Fast forward to 76 and while visiting my cousins they showed us a Z50 the older boys grew out of. Now I had a new first love for all of my then savings of $75 . Been a Honda fan ever since.
I had a QA50 for a pit bike. Lime green!
My buddy had a mini trail 50, I had the mini trail 70, we had a blast on these things...
Had one! Some of my most fondest memories growing up!! Even my pops said it was the cheapest investment for us boys he could've ever bought! We went through 2 of them.... good times
My Dad got one of those for us in the early 00s, and sold it when we "outgrew" it. I think I need to start shopping for one again.
I'm overwhelmed by the greatness of this video and your commentary. Great work. I couldn't explain this topic better than you did. Kudos and thank you .
A friend had one as a kid, we spent many hours riding around the family farm, good memories. I bought two many years later that I restored, my kids grew up riding them in the 1990s, now my grand kids are riding them. Hopefully they will still be going for my great grandkids.
Love your videos.
I had a '69 Z50 and loved it! I would jam into 2nd gear and bring up the front end and ride it on the back wheel all day long.
My dad got me a used Z50 when I was kid. It didn't run and never could figure out what was wrong. I have no idea what my dad did with it but now I wish I had a crack at it since I know so much of how these little bikes work. I have a fleet of mopeds and a mini bike but nothing like that Z50.
Fantastic and emotional video. Loved the images of your dad riding this awesome bike. I recently bought a Monkey 125 and I enjoy it a lot. I have a 330 cc scooter and two bikes (650 and 850 cc) but this tiny Honda is special and shines above the rest of my machines. The new Dax is a real temptation...
My first “motorcycle” ever was the 1970 red 50 mini-trail. I was 11 or 12. Folding handlebars allowed us to bring it home in the trunk of dad’s car. I’ve had many other bikes during the ensuing 50 years, but none left a more lasting impression.
I had the 50 also, but the ct70 was my favorite. Sadly i dont got no photos or anything from when i was younger. my parents never did anything, i got both my bikes from a uncle of mine.
I had a 1989 model, extremely reliable and durable 4-stroke thing! Suzuki had a similar bike called the PV 50 a 2 stroke one that was very easy to tune
Nice summation - I had a '69, and, over 50 years later, STILL a passionate motorcycle fan ...
My MiniTrail led me to Yamaha's MiniEnduro, then larger off-road machines, into MX (Honda Hills in Ohio, Trans ANA'S, Interacts, California w/Suzuki, ... now fan-follower of AMA SX, Nationals, MXGP, WSB, MotoGP).
Hearing your MiniTrail fire up for first time, my first reaction/thought was, 'The baffle is out of the buffer...', hence the throaty growl ... I should know, I did that to mine ! LOL
You didn't discover your MiniTrail "Barn Find" in Ohio, did you ? 😉
In '72 my dad in his wisdom realized his eight year-old son was too uncoordinated for playing traditional sports and bought me a Z50. Fortunately, we lived in rural Florida so I could ride anytime...and I did. All the time. Now at 58 motorcycling is part of who I am. All thanks to my dad and that little Honda 50.
The engine had one flaw, the cam, or timing chain. I was a grunt mechanic at a Honda dealership in the '80's, and had I saved all that I replaced, you could fill a 55 gallon barrel with the chains and sprockets.
The chain was too small, and the tensioner wasn't automatic.....once the slop started it beat everything in the chain galley to pieces making the slop much worse.....oh yeah, most folks forgot the change the oil!!
I think Honda sold all of the tooling to the Chinese.....lots of Z-50 looking engines on some of their stuff.
I had a mini trail 50 in 1969. I rode the Piss out of it until the xr75 replaced it in 1973. All it got for maintenance was oil changes and cleaning the air filter. Never adjusted the timing chain, valves or even the ignition points. The little things was bulletproof. I guess some things don't improve over the years.
The Chinese copies of the z50 motor aren't as good as the original. A mechanic friend of mine told me they are made cheaper, and use bushings inside the engine instead of roller bearings.
@@davidleonard8369 That was the key (oil changes) to make that live long. ANY motor with a timing chain needs frequent oil changes and clean filters.
China steals all good ideas nothing new here.
If you had it serviced at a dealer timing tensioner should have been adjusted it took only a few seconds.
Thanks for the video! So glad I was not born in the "Game Boy " era. I am 62 and when I was 10 years old my friend got a Candy Apple red K1. I had never ridden a mini bike and he let me ride it in 1st while running next to me for about 50 feet then said that it. I told my mom I would pick weeds and take out the trash every day if I could get one! She said not until you are 18 and out of the house. She soon married my step dad Park and he took us to Hollywood Honda and bought his son, my sister and I all 1971 Honda CT70's and a red CL350 for himself. I have not been without a motorcycle since. I picked up a 1970 Z50 about 30 years ago and put a SL70 engine in it with a Powerall 82cc kit. I still ride it all of the time. Great fun!
53 years later I still have mine. Still runs and looks great. Have had quite a few Hondas over the years and still do but this one has a special place in the heart.
You said it buddy. The 1969 Honda 50 mini trail was my first ride. I was six years old. I’ve had many motorcycles since. This brought back so many wonderful memories.
I had a generic mini bike when I was a kid and I had more fun on that bike that I have had in the 50 years since. My dad was voted dad of the century (by me) for providing me with such a fantastic fun experience.
Generic...Yeah,I was 10?yrs old when my Grandma and I visited a friend of hers.Her 10yr old daughter(tomboy'ish)asked me the sweetest question a little girl could EVER ask a little boy;"I have a MINI BIKE,wanna ride it!?".🤯🤪.I was like;"Huh!?Who me?(I'm not worthy..).What an experience THAT was!!Exhilerating!It was one of those"Generic",Briggs&Stratton type.I had previously only seen OTHER kids riding those,and go carts,but I wasn't invited!😭I was(am)the"Forrest Gump"in my social"School Bus".Simple pleasures,but whata GREAT memory!
I had a Yamaha mini enduro, and my buddy had a 5 h.p. Montgomery Wards 2 speed mini bike...it flew, but it was always breaking down, and we had a guy with a honda mini trail(it was pretty lame),and another had a street scooter. We were quite the gang.
@@bigcity2085 Yeah,I do miss that"gang".One(well funded)kid had a Kawi KD100m(mini).2 of us had Honda Z-50's,the other kid had a YZ80.Great times.
Thing I remember most about the Z50 was that it was stone cold reliable. We would beat it all day long and the next day it fired right up and run perfect! Loved that thing!!!
Great bike! My first one was like you have at beginning.. 3hp Briggs and Stratton, rigid frame scrub brake. I was too poor for the Honda 😂. I did have a Z50 for my boys though and I longed for one as a kid.
And btw, we rode the wheels of the Briggs and strattons off road.. made ramps and jumped them. Break a frame, dad would weld her up and we’d go break it somewhere else.
had one in 75 my dad told me come outside theres garbage out on the lawn and there she was burnt orange z 50 miss you dad! and the z 50
Hey Bart keep the videos coming man! Always look forward to more! Love those little Honda's!
I had one (a yellow '69) as a kid back in the early '70s and I'll go on record as saying you CAN break one. I broke the cradle loose from the back bone, basically broke the frame in two, but it took a LOT of serious off road abuse to accomplish that.
Everywhere my brother's dirt bike went, so did that little Honda, and that included some serious terrain. More than once a grown man on a big dirt bike would stop and say "How did that little thing make it all the way out HERE?"
But it did, and after I replaced the frame it kept on doing it. That engine and transmission, though, are so tough it's phenomenal.
My childhood’s happiest memories were on one of these!
Excellent video! My first bike was a Honda MiniTrail Z50 K2 with the blue/white paint scheme. It was the most fun I had in my life until that time and planted the seeds for my interest in motorcycles. The MiniTrail was eventually sold when I got my first car but how I wish I still had it today. Some years after saying goodbye to the MiniTrail, I got back into riding with a 1984 Honda XL 350R which led the way to a Yamaha Virago 1100, a Honda Pacific Coast, and finally my current bike - a 1998 Honda Valkyrie. The Valkyrie is big and fast and fun, but not in the way the MiniTrail was. Recreating that feeling is probably next to impossible today.
I skillfully operated one of these many years ago when I was asked to fill in for a Shriners parade going through complex maneuvers with little cars driven by clowns. It was the perfect machine for the task.
In 1970, my uncles owned a dairy farm in Louisville. They bought one of these for running around the farm and when my grandmother wasn't looking, they let me ride it.
CHANGED MY LIFE.
I have owned bikes for 50+ years because of this great experience.
Thank you!
First bike was a Honda 65. The most incredible thing I have ever seen at the time
the clips of your father riding back an forth put a huge smile on my face..!! thumbs up !!
Great video Bro! I started on a mini bike, then 2 a 125 kawi, then honda express, n finally my 72 Honda 450! I love when u mention the 450, its such a unique bike on its own! Keep up the good work Bro!🤙
Very cool! Yeah the 450 is often forgotten but it really was Hondas superbike prior to the 750
@@bartmotorcycle The term to "live on in infamy" means that the thing or person you're describing is extremely bad or has a bad reputation. It comes from the word infamous. Are you really saying that the Honda Z50 is evil or something or what?'
@@bartmotorcycle
Dude there's more Japanese maples on your street than in my Dad's hometown in Japan.
Dad bought me a used one in 1972. I'm 59 now. It was this bike that introduced me to lifelong motorcycling.
Thank you, Honda.
My first bike was a Honda Z50 absolutely unbreakable
The Z50 and the Keystone mini were the two machines I learned to ride on. The Z50 was indeed a tough little bike, but 50 years later, it also remains (knock on wood) the only one I ever broke. About 8yrs old, I came over a dirt track rise and failed to anticipate a right turn. Went frozen in fear down the backside and slammed into the next rise. Mangled the forks. Cried for a couple minutes, then pushed the remains back to camp. Glory days 😄
I'm probably your Dad's age! I was 12 years old in 1970. Everyone in my neighborhood were purchasing little motorbikes. In 1971, my Dad purchased my first motorcycle. The Honda CL 100 in burnt orange. It was bigger and faster than the little 50's the kids down the street had. My good friend's Dad purchased the Mini Trail 70 for him. I would ride up and down my street all the time. Avoiding the cops of course. We had a number of trails to ride. It was a fun time in my life. Today at 64 years old, I ride a Yamaha FJR putting out 143 HP! I still reminisce about that 100 I had as a kid.
Nice! Kinda wish you would have touched in the next evolution of the Mini Trail which was the CT70 which at first borrowed the engine (bored) and semi-auto trans. But it was when they offered the four-speed clutch operation that the fun began!
Anyway, now ya got me jonesing for a Honda Mini Trail!
Yup, I had the CT70. That was a great bike. Rode it till I got my CB 550F super sport. Took me all the way to the '80's
Including rear suspension!
My Dad gave me a used '73 back in '76. I was 10. Best present I ever got. Gave me freedom to explore the countryside far from home. Been riding ever since, now on a R1.
I miss my Honda Z50. Mine had front & rear suspension, rear foot brake. No lights. Mum bought it for me 2nd hand when I was 14. I sold it when I was 18 as we moved around a lot and it wasn’t being used. I’ve now got a non running 1964 Honda sports cub. Future project.
Thanks for the video and nostalgia
My parents barely got me a bicycle. My grandfather got me 1971z50a in the mid 70s. I loved that minibike! My grandfather was the best guy ever!!
Good video Bart. I started on my cousins little red 50cc Honda in the mid 70's. I'm looking through photos and I think it was a QA50 with that big round tank. I had a lot of fun learning my first few hours... and then I was eyeballing my cousins 70cc bike (I'm seeing that it was the trail 70) but I was denied being 3 years younger. It lead to the minor family rebellion when my middle brother turned 18, we pooled our money and got a new 1981 XT250. My family moved to a new state and I was the kid with the Rambo: First Blood motorcycle. Good times.
Like your videos. I still have my 1970 trail ct70 that I threw a paper route to save up to buy. It still runs and your right, I have more fun on it than any of my other bikes. My bikes I have a 1975 cr250 m1 Elsinore that I bought new and still race it on vintage days I have a 2001 cr250r that I still race in the local vintage club and a 2002 vlx 600. Iam 64 years old and plan on riding as long as I can. I hope to still be riding my Ct70 when iam 80. Oh, I forgot I still have my sears mini bike but the 2.5 hp Tecumseh is seized. Keep up the videos. They are great. Get you daughter on that mini trail, my daughter started racing on a z50 at age 7 in 1996 . She loved it but her interest change and we gave the z50 to a cousin.
I had a Hodaka Ace 90 and my little brother had a mini trail. Those are precious, precious memories for me. I haven't stopped riding since.
My father gave my older brother one (he was 11, I was 7) and I learned to ride it on the first day. We went everywhere with it. 3 years later, my brother got the SL-100 and I got the ST-70 (known as the Dax in the U.S.A.). the last motorcycle my father gave me was the Honda SL-125 when I was 14 years old.
Man, I loved the old Honda SL's..they were beautiful.
I felt a wave of nostalgia when you mentioned "Tama Tech" (Tama Tekku). I was born & raised in 1960s Tokyo, Japan, and one of the highlights of my time there I recall vividly was going to Tama Tech with my 4 older siblings, and watching them rip around on these tiny Hondas. I was too young to ride. Thank you for the flashback.
I am 43 years old. My dad back in the late 80s bought me my first z50 from a neighbor for $20. it was a 1973 I believe. It got me addicted to motorcycles. since then, many larger bikes have come and gone....but I still have my z50s sitting in my living room 🥰
Hi Larry. I have my Z50J from 1978 also all original. I was 13 years old when I received from my mother as a gift. Today I am 57. The bike is full original.
I had a Trail 70. Loved that bike and the trail 50. Such fun times as kids. Great memories. Thanks for this great video. ✌️
I wanted one of these SO DAMN BAD. So it's great to see where someone else believes the Z50 might have just been the coolest.
Loved the video! The Z50 Monkey was immensely popular here in Finland in the eighties, all cool kids had to ride a Monkey. I too had one, bought second hand, and in fact I own the bike still, looking at the prices of Monkeys today I'm happy I never sold it... Both of my kids have Monkey-bikes too, they are still too young to ride them on the road so they have a few years to finish the bikes as both were bought as projects in need of some TLC.
Some time ago you could hardly ever spot a Monkey-bike in traffic, but recently the Chinese copies have become very popular among youngsters, and nowadays it is not uncommon to see a whole "gang" of kids with Monkey-bikes, modified in different ways. The legend lives on...
I was at Beaulieu Auto Jumble looking for parts for my Austin Seven Special. I was concentrating on this, but passed a Z50 that was in need of restoration. I ended up not finding the parts I needed for the Austin, but returned to the Z50. The little bugger just cried "Buy me!". Well I did, and restored it. It had very low miles on the clock, so I did not need to do much engine work. I am delighted with it. No plan to sell it, but it is worth something like twice what I spent buying and restoring it. The engine is utterly superb. I would love to find a C70 Cub.
I had a '69 model, in 1971 , and rode it every day in the summer !
We had one!it was fab.We rode it in turns for hours and hours and hours.
Cheers.Thumbs up.
In 1972 my mom bought me a Rockford Chibi with a Bridgestone 60cc, 2-stroke, engine. It had 3 gears and a genuine clutch, and it would suck the paint off of any Mini Trail. It is now 50 years later, and I have never been without a bike or two. I own 4 right now, along with a completely restored, old school mini bike, and I ride almost every day.
I love you Mom, and miss you every day!
I had a red and white '71 model and my brother had a turquoise Trail 70 with a manual clutch. Our neighbors kids had a QA-50 and a Trail 70 with automatic clutch and we would all go to nearby school yards and ride them together. What a great time we all had back then. Mom and Dad were adamant about us not riding them on the street so we always had to push them to and from the nearby school but that was fine, it was worth it just to be able to go riding. What a blast it was to be a kid in the late 60's and early 70's.
So sweet. Thank you. I had that exact blue one in 1976 when I was 12 in Queensland Australia. You brought back such great memories for me.
At 8 years old, I learned my chops on a Honda 50 mini trail, It's sintrifical clutch and 3 down shifter was so easy I was running through the gears the first time I lost a leg over it. I've owned countless motorcycles since but my Z50 was the OG croch rocket.
My best friend in 5th grade circa 1975, got one of these in blue. We would go dirt bike riding with his Dad and Uncle on their larger Huskies.
Meanwhile back at my house I had to settle for the Briggs powered bikes but we all still had a blast
Thanks for sharing
I loved my 1971 Honda Mini- trail. It was fun and easy to ride! It gave me great memories of growing up and spending hours of my time with my father and friends riding it. It was some of the best years of my life growing up. Thank you for sharing this video reminding me of my simpler fun outdoor times!! I did later go on to buy bigger motorcycles but none of them were ever as fun as my Honda Mini-trail!! 👍😃❤️😎
I had a Z-50 back in 1975. It was an Orangie red color. I got it for Christmas. It was a great, reliable minibike. Had a blast with it, along with many great memories.
YEP !!! I always wanted one of those and my dad probably hid the mail I sent to Honda France as I was asking info about where and how much to buy, I must have been 10 years old. I finally stumbled on a 1974 Dax Honda inn my home town, and it is sitting now in my living room.