Lot details
Registration No: BDV369B
Frame No: 500235
Engine No: C100E-63890
cc: 49
MOT Expiry Date: None

The little 49cc over head valve single cylinder engine and gearbox unit that was introduced with the C100 Cub in 1958 provided the power unit for a variety of ultra-lightweight machines produced by Honda, the most distinctive of which was and remains the "Monkey Bike. The concept of the "mini motorcycle" was not a new one, with machines such as the Corgi in the UK and the Mustang in the States achieving varying degrees of popularity. With the introduction of the Monkey Bike, Honda did with the mini bike concept what they were to do so well in other areas of motorcycle design, they took an idea and refined it to the point where it became accessible to non motorcyclists. The C100 power unit was both refined and reliable requiring little in the way of maintenance and was housed in a simple rigid frame with unsprung forks riding on five inch diameter wheels. A thickly padded single seat provided adequate comfort for the short trips the machine was intended to undertake and a simple electrical system was fitted, whilst the provision of folding handlebars meant that the little machine could be tucked away when not in use. Supported by an extensive dealer network the little machine quickly gained a healthy following being used as a tender to caravans and yachts, a leisure vehicle in its own right, usable by children aged 4 or 5 to 80 and as a paddock bike, quickly becoming as much a part of the motorsport landscape as Bell Helmets, Castrol R and Heuer watches.
This well presented, original example of the CZ100 has been housed in a private collection and is said to have good, red paintwork and sound brightwork.