I just wrote an article for the new planetminis mag that kicks off the 1st installment of many on the history of the Honda Monkeybike.



Start here for your history:



Honda50.com Z50, CT70, ZB50 and Monkeybike tuning parts.http://www.honda50.com

http://www.honda50.com/g2data/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=11





Razzo here in the forums is knowledgeable about the US spec bikes. He'll be happy to help.

 

Here's a little tid-bit.



Honda History - Auto and Motorcycle History, Soichiro Honda



Honda Z50 Minibikes / Motorcycles

The Honda Z-Series refers to the lineage of mini bikes manufactured by Honda Motorcycles. They are some of the most popular mini bikes of all time. Though their official model designations are typically Z50A, Z50J, Z50M, Z50R and ZB50, they are more commonly referred to as the "Monkey" or "Gorilla" because of the way people are said to look when riding one of such bikes.

Most Z-series bikes are small, light, collapsable motorcycles made for convenience and ease of transportation. Their outstanding feature is a 50cm3 4-stroke-engine with an over head camshaft. Some have a centrifugal clutch and three gear manual transmission, while others have a semi-automatic easy-shift transmission for learners.

The first original model of the Honda Z-series was originally produced as a children's ride at a Japanese amusement park, but was eventually refined and put into mass production, hitting the European market in 1967. Since then Honda has produced a wide variety of Honda Z-series mini bikes, but are currently no longer manufacturing new ones as part of their standard motorcycle line-up. Today, replica versions of this bike are being manufactured under the Jincheng Motors China name.

Original Honda Z-Series bikes are becoming increasingly rare, and are typically used as restoration projects by Honda Mini Trail enthusiasts in attempt to preserve their historic value.