1981 Honda Motocompo

In Japan, Scooter, Small Displacement by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post-Sale Update: After 23 bids on eBay, this Honda Motocompo sold for $2,026.

Sold for only 3 years, the Honda Motocompo was a tiny 50cc folding scooter designed to fit into the trunks of the subcompact cars Honda was making at the time, like the City. In fact, the City’s trunk was designed specifically to house the Motocompo. Nowadays, they’re very difficult to find, which means even beat up examples like this one are going to be worth the effort of a restoration.

Honda Motocompo - Left Side

The defining feature was the mechanism that enabled the handlebars and seat to fold in almost flush with the top of the bike. It weighed little enough that an average sized man could pick it up and then put it in the trunk of a City or Civic. As it was only made for a few years (and designed to stay in the Japanese Domestic Market), these little scoots are very tough to find in the states, and they’ve got a cult following so they usually get snapped up quickly. For more on the Motocompo (and an example of it being folded into a Honda hatchback), check out this tiny video from Honda’s official site.

Honda Motocompo - Folded Right Side

This specific Honda Motocompo (VIN: AB12-1034308) spent most of its life on a sailboat to be used around ports and landing towns. It has just 15-20 hours on the engine, and while it’s never been crashed, the seller points out that it was “often ridden after closing numerous Tiki Bars.” How’s that for honesty in a listing? The basics are there: the engine kicks over, the spark is good, and the axles are straight. But it’s not pretty.

Honda Motocompo - Front

Find this Honda Motocompo for sale in Lexington Park, Maryland with an opening bid of $750