Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Impression: ~98Z Ronda MBS 50cc 01 around town lun whi le havi ng a good time doin g it. T hough o n ly 50cc, the MB5 ,can 't be classified as a m inibike, or grouped into the h igh m ileage SCOOler typ e of machi ne, eithe r. T he MB5 is a sca led down bi g bore th at offers a five-speed Iran ny, front d isc brak e, n im ble hand ling and sporty cos me tics . Star ting th e H onda is a snap. A few fli cks o f th e ki ck sta r ter, with choke o n whe n co ld, brin gs th e MB5 10 life. Once sta rte d th e cho ke ca n be sh u t o rr, as it see ms to have little effect o nce th e bike is ru n ni ng. Firs t gear ta ke-offs require sli p p ing th e cl u tch to ge t ro lli ng, a nd o nce underway fi rs t winds o ut in abo ut 10 feel. Even when spe ed sh ifting, seco nd gea r seems 100 far a way from firs t, H onda ha s experimented with a six-speed gearbox a nd reported good res u lts . We rode th e bik e h ard, a ll th e time. Speed sh ift ing a t 10,500 rpm was th e n orm . as it was th e o n ly wa y o u r 200 pound tester cou ld stay wi th traf fic. T he bi ke ha s a to p end of 52 mph , an d a gas ra tin g o f 57.5 mpg under o ur heavy throttle ha nd s. Wi th a lighter rider and a mor e conservative By Tom Mueller Specifications When we asked Honda for a MB5 to u se during Daytona Cycl e Week, we weren ' t all that serious. The little screamer's cosmetics caught our eye a few weeks before, and when the wo rd came th ro ugh the MBS wo u ld be waiting for us a t , d Dayt0!1~ s san y shores we wo~· dered IfJust maybe we sho u ld n t 46 ha ve go ne wi th a big d isplacement loaner. The fir st guy who rode th e bike sai d i t felt like he was sitti ng on a food processor set on puree. Oh bo y, thought the rest of us, getting around on the MB5 m ight make a week seem ,ridi ng style, th e MB5 will go into the 70 mpg range. G etting th e bike up to speed is fu n , a n d bringin g it to a sto p is a lso entertai n ing. T he fro nt disc a nd rear d ru m brakes do an exceptiona l job o f bringing bike and rider to a quick halt . Oil is injected into the two-stroke engine from a reservoir locat ed in the front portion of what appea rs 10 be the gas tank. Oil tank ca pacity is 1.2 quarts, enough to keep you on the road for six or seve n ta nks of gas. A small viewing hole is provi ded u nder the tan k next 10 the frame for chec king the injector oil level, A tool kit tucks in next to the reservoir. Suspension front and rear is adequate. Rea r shocks have a five setti ng I spring preload, w hich we set on still a nd the fo rk serves as a spring guide. Taill ig ht and signals wor k we ll and are vis ib le at ni ght. So is the h eadli ght, as lo n g as the MB5 is p u tting OUI high rpm's .i'The bike uses a ge nera tor sys tem wh ich puts o u t .066 kilo watts at 5,000 rpm . When at id le, the headl igh t is q ui te dim. Wh en tu rning o ver 5,000 rpm , th e headlight is accep ta ble for ni ght riding, a t both hi gh a nd low beam . T he sig nal ligh t switch has a to uc hy throw and tak es so me gettin g used to. The MB5 doesn 't sit li ke a small bi ke, beca u se it isn ' t. A sea t heigh t of 3 1 i nc hes co u pled wit h a handl ebar h eight of 40.4 inches mak es th e bike com fortab le o n short tri ps, The sea t is firm a n d easy o n yo ur bo u orn. Concern ing no ise, th e MB5 makes a bunch of it. Wh en o n th e pi pe ir emits a scream that will turn heads. It 's lo uder than mos t o f th e fou rstroke road bi kes on th e market. T he little H onda a lso does OK in th e rain . The 2.50 width front and 'rea r tir es are bicycle-like, bUI are well grooved and stick. Fende rs are a deq uate a nd keep wa ter off rider an d bike. So me folks laugh a t o ur lit tle 5Occ, a t lea st until we pass them in hea vy traffic wh ile they are negot ia ting th eir h eavier big bo res arou nd. We ra n up o n bu mpers da il y, a lways a ble to move wi th traffic. Eve n under WFO ridi ng, the engi ne stayed light. Surp risi ngly , the MB5 o ffers littl e vi bra tion, co ns ideri ng it cru ises at 10,000 rpm . When it ca me ti me for th e MB5 to go bac k to H onda , ~ e rea lized there was go ing to be a n em p ty SpOI in the ga rage we d idn't rea ll y want to see. Commu ter bi ke sa les a re o n th e rise, a nd ma n y have ac kno wledged th at a sma lle r di splacem ent bi ke is th e way to go for a budget-minded rider . T he MB5 carries that theory to the extre me, o fferi ng a good looking package that wil get yo u a ro und town eco nomica lly wi th 50cc of power. Take the $798 retail p rice, add a few dollars for ma in tenan ce, gas and o il, an d yo u' ll be part o f a lo w budget program th ar ' Il ma ke ja u nts a ro u nd town a fu n pa rt o f yo ur life. • like a .lo n g time. . . As tt tu rn ed o u t, u rne wa s o n t~e SIde o f the MB5. T he m ore we ro de u, the more fun it became. Wh en was the la sI time yo u were a ble to ri de a bike wide o pe n and pl a y with a power band that pulls right around 10,000 rpm? We became a ttac he d, took the bike back to Atlanta , and used it for transportation, averaging 25 miles a day. It 's an economical and un ique way to get around town , Engine Displacement Bore x stroke Compression ratio _ Ignition _ lubrication . . __ . _ Transmission Fuel tank __. _ Vehicle load limit Tire size front Tire size rear length Width Height Wheelbase Dry weight _ ' Suggested retail price _. _ Single cylinder two-stroke _ 49cc _. . _ 39.0 x 41 .44mm 7.9:1 COl ; oil injected five speed. primary kick 1.4 gal. • .5 gal. reserve __ 220 Ibs. 2.50 x 18 in. 2.50 x 18 in. _ 74 in. 27.8 in . __ 40.4 in. 47.8 in. _ .. .. .. .. .. 172 lb•. (claimed) $ 798

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