Hondas and Indians – 3 Cool Minis

Minibikes have a more universal appeal in the motorcycle world quite possibly more than any other type of motorized two-wheeler. So many motorcyclists have stories to share of piloting a mini that they, a cousin, or a kid down the street owned. For many of these riders, this would be their first introduction into a lifelong moto-obession. Indian wasn’t particularly quick to jump into the profitable mini market, though they did produce a few pretty solid models when the company felt like it. Honda has been building small displacement mini-scoots for a long time, settling into a low profit/high volume sales system. In addition to building small bikes that are aimed at the pre-adolescent demographic, Honda also built minis that were sold in the form of pit bikes, tapping into an older market with fun and appealing little machines.

The Indian MM5A, also known as the Mini Scout or Mini Bambino was a micro displacement offering from America’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer. Indian created the mini-scoot for young kids, hoping to establish some brand loyalty from an early age. It was also an obvious way for two-wheel enthusiasts to share their passion with their kids. Because the target demographic for this machine were usually less than eight years old, Indian opted to sell the Mini Bambino with optional training wheels. Depending on where said training wheels were mounted (axle or shock mounting bolt), the learning device would still allow the Mini to lead up to 25 degrees before the training wheels would make contact with the ground. It really was a scoot that had been engineered to be ridden and enjoyed by little ones.

This Indian Mini Scout example is said to be completely original, including its factory yellow paint digs. The current seller says the example has been garage-kept and is reported to be in excellent running condition. Though this little Indian unfortunately lacks a title, I don’t think you’d ever need more than a bill of sale as obviously it won’t be converted or used for road-use. Another cool aspect of this machine is the fact it has a powerplant that’s about as small as it is simple, enabling young riders to learn how to wrench on a relatively straightforward platform.

The MM5A was powered by a Morini-built 1.5hp 50cc engine that boasted a top-speed of around 10m ph. In total the two-wheeler weighed in at only 57lbs and stood at just 18” tall. The Indian Mini came fitted with a centrifugal clutch instead of a transmission, it used a standard throttle and two hand-activated brake levers. Supposedly these micro-scoots MSRP’d new for abut $250, though values have shot up around tenfold in the decades since. American mini-bikes are pretty rare, a quality MM5A example even more so.

Honda has been producing the Z50 series since the mid 1960’s – the Z50R since the end of the ’70’s – and has built a handful of variants of the Monkey (or Gorilla) over the years. Supposedly these bikes started out being built as a kid’s ride at an amusement park in Japan but would go on to see some tweaks prior to going into production. Though the 50th Anniversary edition Z50 is pretty cool, my favorites are still the early 90’s models, two of which happen to be on sale right now. I’m not sure if the ’91 example is a Z50 or Z50R spec, but I imagine someone more knowledgeable than myself could answer that in the comments. I know Honda still made the Z50R in ’91 though.

The graphics and lettering that adorn these bikes, hark back to a time when Will Smith and Mark Wahlberg were both rappers with top 40 tracks, and wearing overalls with a strap undone and a pant-leg rolled up – preferably while rollerblading – was considered cool. The machine looks like a baby enduro and is just hard not to love. This particular example is far from museum-quality, but it’s nonetheless relatively clean and its seller refers to it as “bulletproof”.

The second of the Z50s is an R model and is in pretty immaculate condition. It’s a 1997 model and according to the seller has only had its tank filled less than half-a-dozen times since being purchased. The thing looks showroom new. The owner makes it clear that this was never a kid’s bike, hasn’t been thrashed, and even states that he’s only trying to sell the mini to a good home where it will hopefully be treated similarly to how it currently is. The engine, the rims, the exhaust, the suspension, the body, it all looks flawless and without a single speck of dirt, an impressive feat on a more than two decade old model that sports white paint – paint that hasn’t faded over the years or been ravaged by the sun either.