Commuters, also-rans & alternatives: Micro motorcycles
This month, Steve Cooper investigates whether small really is beautiful and concludes that while small might not necessarily be beautiful, it can be pretty weird!
There’s a phrase that runs something along the lines of ‘just because you can doesn’t mean you should!.’ And when that’s applied to motorcycles it really does cover a multitude of sins; never more so than when you look at some of the truly awful backyard specials people have dreamed up over the years. The Japanese motorcycle industry has had its mad moments, on occasion delivering some frankly bonkers two-wheelers that, despite their looks and comedic stance, have sold in surprisingly high numbers.
Honda kicked this lunacy off in 1961 with the Z100 which was initially made for a children’s ride at Tama Teck Amusement Park. Such was the success of the little bikes that Honda commercialised what had been an experiment at best and sold derivations of the Z100 in Japan before rolling the quirky little things out globally. America loved them as they were easy to transport in the back of pickups or strapped to the back of RVs. Britain had a slower take-up of the first iterations but rapidly took the Honda Dax and ST70 to its heart with many being talking points in dealers’ windows. The models with flower power seat covers and candy paintwork were never shrinking violets! In various guises and numerous titles the so-called ‘Monkey bikes’ lasted until 2017 before emissions regulation pensioned them off. But Honda wasn’t finished yet; 2019 saw the launch of an allnew Monkey with a 125cc fuel-injected motor which proved to be an instant if expensive hit.
Suzuki wasn’t shy in making small-wheeled bikes, either. One of its first was the MT50, aka the Trailhopper, which was an unashamed piggyback into the US leisure market. Almost certainly pitched at the kids of the time, the little 50cc fella was a perfect introduction to the world of motorcycling and easily generated the vital brand loyalty that the factory needed. Similarly, the RV or VanVan range cleverly cornered – or perhaps even created – a niche market for small wheeled, go anywhere, motorcycles that were aimed at fun rather than serious riding. Sold with a range of 50–125cc two-stroke motors, the RVs proved to be a surprisingly successful range that saw a four-stroke comeback model launched in 2003.
Yamaha has had its moments with smallwheeled bikes, but perhaps one of the most endearing was the LB or Chappy range. Marketed more as a small-wheeled commuter bike than a recreational vehicle, the bikes were sold globally in both 50 and 80 versions, the latter really only being a paltry 72 ceecees! With balloon tyres, curvaceous guards and often sporting the optional front wire basket shopping carrier, the bikes proved to be surprisingly practical and appealing. And, for some unaccountable reason, the Chappy was also disproportionally popular with Greek fishermen who often stacked these little bikes sky-high with boxes of freshly caught fish!
Kawasaki went for an alternative take on the theme in the 1970s with its small-wheeled machines opting for an overt off-road theme. Initially sold as the MT1 (1971-75), it was upgraded to become the KV75 (1976-81) and strangely loved today by the hydrocarbon hedonists who covet the fearsome triples of the same brand.
And just when you thought it really couldn’t get any stranger or weirder, the Japanese factories came up with a variation on the theme that delivered the so-called ‘gag’ bikes. This perverse notion revolved around the idea of taking a well-known sports 250 and reinventing its profile and graphics around 50 and 80cc engines. Honda went down the NSR80 route with Yamaha quickly following on with its YSR80; both being two-strokes. Suzuki opted for Plan B by going for a fourstroke engine wrapped in GSXR-lookalike panels to create the RB80. If you ever wanted a sanity check on your particular two-wheeled obsession, check out ‘Gag Bike UK’ on Facebook and be reassured that you genuinely aren’t as nutty as others might think you are!