Despite only being officially sold in the US in 2004, Honda’s NSR50 rapidly amassed quite the cult following. Big Red’s little 50 was an incredibly popular choice with young riders looking to get into the sport, though the baby NSR definitely has some adult fans too.
Known for punching well above its weight, the NSR50 was powered by a liquid-cooled, 49cc, two-stroke single capable of putting down a supposed 7.2hp at 10,000rpm, while the redline was at 11,500 mark. With a top-speed of around 60 mph, the NSR was undeniably faster than its 50cc competition like Yamaha’s YSR50 or Suzuki’s GSXR50. Tipping the scales at just 161 pounds, the NSR was frequently campaigned against racers with as much as double its own displacement.
Of course the edge the NSR afforded came at a price. The NSR50’s 2004 MSRP was a reported $3,600. That money got you full bodywork, a steel chassis paired with a telescopic fork out front and a Pro-Link monoshock in back, single discs fore and aft, and a six-speed transmission.
Despite not having the same marketing chops as Suzuki’s 50cc racer, Honda’s NSR50 pretty much sold itself on the strength of its performance.
While street-legal race replica version’s of the 50cc runner were released in Asian and European markets, a road-going version of the NSR50 never hit US shores — not officially at least. This particular example is said to be street-legal thanks to a CA moped registration and plate. This imported JDM specimen — which has previously served as an M1GP racer — has received a top-end rebuild using Factory Honda parts. Other highlights on this plated 50 include steel braided lines, Repsol livery bodywork with double bubble windscreen, mini LED bar headlight, a Posh Racing CDi, new (purple) sprocket and (gold) chain, and a JHA performance exhaust.
Despite only being sold in the US for a single year, the little NSR’s strong following has made sourcing parts (or getting tuning info, etc) surprisingly easy — as a cursory Google search reveals. This Honda could make for a great little trackday tool, a learner bike for your next of kin, or a rad little two-stroke commuter. Though its Repsol bodywork isn’t the cleanest — unlike this pristine example Abhi featured a while back — this example is said to be in stellar mechanical condition.
You can find this supposedly street-legal Honda NSR50 for sale here on Craigslist in Canyon County, California with a price of $2,500.