Honda Beat

Designing bikes for every specific purpose and to fill any possible niche isn’t a new thing, proved by this glorious race-replica supersports shopping step-thru’

Common opinion is Yamaha are the most innovative bike brand. They gave us variable timing with two-stroke YPVS (Yamaha Powervalve System), made four-strokes with five-valve heads, built a hub-steered tourer and now sell bikes with an extra front wheel. Back in the early 1980s it was Honda who really pushed boundaries, though. They built leaning three-wheelers, V3 two-strokes, mopeds that folded to slot inside a car boot, slapped turbos on middleweight V-twins and used gear-driven camshafts. Oh, and they made the funky FC50 Beat, which surely sets a record for most ‘firsts’ on a two-wheeler. Going on sale in December 1983, the Beat was the world’s first sportsscooter, the first to use twin halogen lights, and the first two-wheeler with a lightweight maintenance-free battery. It had the first liquidcooled 50cc two-stroke engine in a scoot as well, and used the world’s first – and only – foot-operated powervalve. Yes, you read that right… Honda had launched a four-stroke with valve meddling in March 1983, the CBR400F using REV – a valve-switching system that was a forerunner to VTEC. They’d employed timing cunning on the MVX250 two-stroke as well by using ATAC (Automatic Torque Amplification Chamber), where a valve allowed gases into an additional exhaust chamber at low revs to alter its volume – it went on sale in January 1983, a few weeks before the first Yamaha RD with YPVS.

The Beat also used the additional volume method, but its V-TACS (Variable Torque Amplification Chamber System) had the extra volume within the engine. It increased power above 5500rpm, and you activated the valve by pressing a lever by your left heel. This gave the racy FC50 a whopping peak of 7bhp – a good 50% more than rivals offered – but also meant it could be utterly gutless if you stamped at the wrong time. The sporting prowess of the Beat was obvious, with the radiator tucked between the endurance-style lamps, a single seat and a fairing that made it look a bit like the Turbine flying bikes from Battlestar Galactica. Scooter practicality remained however, with a diddy rack and space to wedge stuff under the screen. It was a Honda, after all.

Like other Honda two-strokes of its era the Beat was short-lived. It was only offered during 1983, and only in Japan. You’ll do well to find one today, though prices aren’t stupid – an FC50 in need of light tidying sold at auction a couple of years ago for £400. Bargain.