I have never heard of Paventa minibikes before but the company was supposedly working with Massimo Tamburini to build a small run of minibikes inspired by his legendary F4 design. Per a 2019 Artcurial auction, this is “apparently the only one of its kind” and “the death of the famous engineer in 2014 marked the end of this project.”
1969 Italjet Kit Kat
The Kit Kat was Italjet’s solution for people who enjoyed flying and boating but then found themselves at a destination without wheels for land. It weighed just 73 pounds, so you could even throw it in the trunk of your car if necessary.
1963 Moto Guzzi Cardellino
Built between 1954 and 1962, the Cardellino (Italian for Goldfinch) was the successor to the Guzzino. Initially, it had a 65cc motor but in 1957 Guzzi bored out the motor to 73cc. Other changes in ’57 included a change from hand shifter to foot shifter and the inclusion of a horn. The second generation was introduced in 1963, it featured …
1992 Honda Monkey Baja
In 1991, Honda released a new variant of the Monkey/Z50R. Called the Baja, it featured rally-style dual headlights in addition to the taillight and turn signals. They were not officially sold in the US, but this example has made its way across the Pacific for you to enjoy.
2003 Honda Solo
The Solo was announced in March of 2003 as a “cheery, stylish, around-town leisure bike” with an air-cooled 50cc single pulled from the Super Cub. It was the fourth model in what Honda called the “N Project”, a series of two-wheelers “designed to deliver to its owners the pleasure of owning and riding a bike that serves as a fashion …
1969 Moto Morini Corsarino 48
The Moto Morini Corsarino was sold between 1963 and 1977 in Sport, Touring, and the Scrambler version seen here. The adorable name translates to “Little Pirate,” (arguably, a little Corsican pirate) which explains the logo on the sidecover.
329 Miles – 1990 Honda NSR50
The NSR50 was in Honda’s lineup for decades before they blessed the USA with a chance to officially try it for ourselves in 2004 with the NSR50R. Before that year, Americans had to either order one directly from HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) or try to import one through the gray market. It was well worth the effort, because Honda used …
1962 WFM M06
The Warsaw Motorcycle Factory (Warszawska Fabryka Motocykli in Polish) was one of very few motorcycle manufacturers made in Poland. They started production in 1947 under a different name – they were originally focused on automotive repair but they built a small number of 125cc motorcycles for SHL for the Polish government as part of the rebuild from World War II. …
1968 Bridgestone BS90
There’s something exotic and charming about a bike from a long-defunct brand or manufacturer. It’s a sort of moving, rideable “I Was Here” from people who sank their time and effort into the thing several decades ago.
1997 Honda Dream 50
Over on the auction site we’ve got an example of one of my favorite small-displacement four-strokes: the Honda Dream 50. This is an homage to their CR1100 race bike, Honda’s first 50cc GP racer. It was built for a couple of years in the Japanese market (and then for one year in the US with a race-only variant). This is …
Leon Haslam Pit Bike Replica – 2001 Italjet Dragster 50
In 2004, Leon Haslam earned Rookie of the Year honors while competing in World Superbike with the Renegade team with Noriyuki Haga. Leon’s best finish was 3rd, and he finished the season in 8th place. Italjet released a limited edition replica of his pit bike with a special cosmetic package that replicated what Leon would occasionally putt around on. The …
2003 Derbi GPR50R
Until I came across this bike, I had never heard of Derbi – the Spanish (or Catalonian, depending on your geo-political perspective) brand that started producing small-capacity bikes in the early 1940s. The story of the company started, however, in 1922 when Simeón Rabasa i Singla opened a bicycle shop in Mollet del Vallès, near Barcelona. That business would go …
1987 Honda NSR80 With 62 Kilometers
US minibike enthusiasts will be familiar with the Honda NSR50. Japan got a 80cc variant that was never sold in the US, but here’s an example that’s somehow made it across the ocean.
1 Kilometer – 2017 Honda Z50 Monkey 50th Anniversary
Post Sale Update: This Monkey sold for $7,865 after 28 bids on Iconic Motorbike Auctions. In Honda’s legendary lineup of motorcycles, one of the most iconic is the Z50 – affectionately known as the “monkey” bike because of how riders looked while on the tiny things. The first model was the Z50M, adorned in Shasta White bodywork with a Magna …
1971 HPE Muskin El Tigre MX
Post Listing Update: This El Tigre did not get any action at the opening bid of $2,500. I had never heard of HPE Muskin until I saw this ad, but it turns out I’ve ridden one of their bikes. HPE Muskin was a California-based company that specialized in making swimming pools. But ─ because why not? ─ they also manufactured …