Post Sale Update: After 45 bids on eBay, this Motra sold for $1,775.
Built in the early 80s, the Motra was a quirky minibike. Honda advertised it as “Heavy Duty” (mini)bike that you could load up with gear and take across the back country. In fact, as the Japanese pronunciation for truck is “Torakku”, it’s said that “Motra” is a combination of Motorcycle-Truck. That story gets passed around online a bit, so who knows if it’s 100% true. Either way, don’t get too excited: it features a 49cc motor that produced 4.5 horsepower. You might be able to carry a lot, but you’re not going to do so quickly!
Photo from https://4-stroke.net/515-honda/honda-motra/articles/111-brochure-of-the-honda-motra
Motras were available in either yellow or green, and they all came with high/low stages for the 3-speed gearbox (with an automatic clutch) depending on if you were in tough terrain or on the street. If you squint, it looks a bit like the short-lived Big Ruckus.
This example (VIN: AD05-1002466) has an impressive 7,800+ miles on the odometer and it sounds like it’s going to need some work as the engine is smoking – the seller suspects it needs new rings. In addition, one of the wheels has been repaired because the mount for the valve stem had rusted out. The tail light lens is cracked, the rear view mirros are missing, and the adjustable rear shocks don’t work. So there’s a lot that needs to be addressed but it’ll start and run, as evidenced by this video here:
Find this Motra for sale in Chatsworth, California with bidding up to $1,275