[ShapeShifter]

I know there is a 2 smoke forum but I did a search for "MB5" and got nuthin'



Tell me about them. Is a 1982 worth $500?

 

[RobbMeex]

Well my girl bought a '78 Express 2stroke for $400, if that gives you any kind of reference. POST PICS!!!

 

[ShapeShifter]

Well my girl bought a '78 Express 2stroke for $400, if that gives you any kind of reference. POST PICS!!!

I looked at it and rode it today. I am not used to 2 smokes, you have to rev it to like 8000 before it makes any power. Its been used but not bad overall.

 

[mexicanyella]

you have to rev it to like 8000 before it makes any power.

What's wrong with that? You've still got another 2,500 rpm above that to play with, and a bunch of gears to shift through.



Those seem pretty cool to me, but I've never ridden one. Not sure about parts availability at this point; it was a pretty short production run here.



Honda sold a 100cc commuter in the UK and maybe other places called the H100 that has pretty similar-looking cases and cylinder/head shape:



http://ui15.gamespot.com/974/cidi1picture010_2.jpg



A mostly UK-O-Centric forum I read sometimes has turned up numerous mentions of how fun H100s are to commute on, because they apparently have a nasty little kick in the powerband and can be wheelied pretty easily. And if the engines are in fact similar, it might be pretty cool to swap a H100 motor into an MB5. Or at least know that some parts were available from somewhere where they were available for more than two or three years.



I wonder if FP knows anything about either of those models...?



So how did YOU like it, apart from the lower limits of the powerband?

 

[doopsx3]

that is a cool bike...only sold one year here in the US so I am told....she is a keeper

 

[firepower354]

I know there is a 2 smoke forum but I did a search for "MB5" and got nuthin'



Tell me about them. Is a 1982 worth $500?

If it's the one in the pics, and hasn't sat outside since the pics were taken, it's easily worth $500.

 

[Z]

I have a NOS MB5 clamshell and perch is anyone needs one. NLA from Honda.

 

[AHRMA361]

They are pretty cool...and rare.. I put a euro lower cowling on mine. Lots of Euro-sourced upgrades for the engine and pipe if you are so inclined. They sold in various Euro countries for a number of years....here, only one.

 

[Branyers]

Very cool bike indeed. I would definitely buy it for $500. There are parts available for them, but I think it would be a more difficult than usual project. This place seems to have a few things but their stock appears limited:



Perk L.L.C. - Your 2 Stroke Parts Store, Specializing in the Honda MB5 49cc Street bike, New, Vintage or Hard to Find Parts!!



Just doing a search on ebay returns a lot of parts too. I say go for it. Give her a good cleaning when you get it or tear it down and restore it!

 

[ShapeShifter]

So how did YOU like it, apart from the lower limits of the powerband?

I did not ride it long enough to have an honest opinion really other than its bigger than a mini and had a natural riding position.



Thanks everyone for opinions and comments. I am currently scouring the landscape in search of a project to fill the hole in my soul that was once occupied by the Monkey-R. This MB5 is definitely odd enough for me to desire but it fits in a different hole.... I'm kinda torn because it does seem like a good deal.

 

[grm]

Looks good for the price. MB5's are a lot of fun. A nicely ported and polished Athena top end, a bigger carb, and a tuned pipe and you'd have a nice 2 smoke.



There were a pristine pair of MB5's for sale locally last year for $1900. I acted too slow; they sold quickly.

 

[mexicanyella]

If it's the one in the pics, and hasn't sat outside since the pics were taken, it's easily worth $500.

FP, or Z...have either of you ever had occasion to check out an H100? Ever seen any on this side of the pond? Does my eye deceive me as regards similar-looking castings to the MB5?



Maybe some of our European brethren could shed some light here, also. I know I've seen a Youtube clip of an MB5 riding on some elevated pathways between some Dutch windmills, and maybe H100s were in the Netherlands as well as the UK. I hear tell they do some Kray-Zee things with little two-strokes in the Netherlands.

 

[Luckystar64]

I had one about 25 years ago. It was my first street bike. From the looks of that one in the pic, $500 isn't a bad price. Try and get it for $400 if ya can.



AHRMA361-- I didn't know you even had an old MB5. I don't remember seeing it amongst the vast array of machinery in the old shop up here. I was always thinking about tossing an air cooled CR80 motor in an MB5 chassis. I bet it would fit in fairly easily. Cases look similar. --L*64

 

[cozi70]

Your right fellas, I've owned a couple off H100 bikes and they do go well. I've also been on an mb5 when I was about 14. There were 5 off us on it,feckin crazy days,and I was right at the back! My first weapon off choice when 16 was a yamaha rd50 as you can't ride anything bigger cc wise until 17, then it all got out off hand with bigger bikes until today, mini bikes...... Must be reliving my youth!

 

[nielspbr]

MB5, was the 2nd moped I owned.

Normally mopeds were allowed to go max. 40kmh in the netherlands, mine did a constant 85kmh(53) (japanese spec engine) with a lot of backwind even 95kmh(59mph). And that for 49cc's and no tuning.



If you wanna go wild, put in the engine of a MB8 and put a 125cc combo on that.



@mexicanyella, never seen a H100 in the netherlands. However lots of MB8 engines imported from germany.



edit: I also have a red nos clamshell with brackets for a MB5, only thing missing is one of the rubbers for the clamp round the front fork leg.

(will not fit my monkey headlight )

 

[Adam z50+R]

I have owned a H100 ,taken off road

at the age of 14,



we retro fitted it with mx style alloy rimmed wheels, mx tyres , an Old rm85 tail pipe modded to the h100 header, and some renthal bars



Great fun with the reed valve ,smooth power delivery,a fair amount tbh



Used to annoy my local MX/Offroader's something chronic, hillclimbing with ease, they always commented on how nippy it was



Brings back memories



shame i dont have pic's, but thats the last thing on your mind when your young, Lol

 

[firepower354]

A little Google-ing turned up a few Euro sites with 80/100 swaps. Couple different versions of the case mounts, but there are bolt-in options, with 125cc kit capability. So,,, it seems it's an easy task to make way more power than the skinny tires and spidery chassis would approve of. Perfect!

 

[bt260]

I just installed a 70cc bore kit/big carb/pipe on one. It's been a project, a bunch of the parts came from Malossi and things always seemed to be just a smidge from actually fitting. Little stuff like the cylinder head mount not lining up with the mount on the frame, the throttle cable inner wire being too short for the carb, the aftermarket side stand (needed to clear the new pipe) not fitting without making a custom spacer and longer bolts and the brake pedal needing to be reconfigured to clear the new pipe. I did the install for a customer and never rode the bike before I tore it down. Couple that with it being jetted entirely wrong and i'm not sure how much of an improvement it has made. Once it's dialed in, i have no doubt it'd be a super fun around town bike. And it's cool to hear the 2 stroke exhaust note.

 

[mexicanyella]

I am currently scouring the landscape in search of a project to fill the hole in my soul that was once occupied by the Monkey-R.

If the MB5 doesn't work out, maybe it's time to consider a US90 three-wheeler--hey, you were talking about ATCs anyway--or even an EZ90:



http://www.cyclechaos.com/w/images/a/aa/1991-Honda-EZ90-Cub-White-6422-0.jpg

 

[bt260]

The one I've been working on is black and I know they only brought them into the us in 1982, were there two color choices available then?