Honda CZ100 was the
Honda Motor Company
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
's first minibike which was sold to consumers. The CZ100 minibike was first introduced in 1963 after Honda saw how well their
Honda Z100 prototype was received at The
Tama Tech park.
Background
In 1961 the Honda Motor Company opened the Tama Tech park. The park attractions involved motorsports. It was at the park Honda first introduced a minibike called the
Honda Z100. Honda recognized that the bike was popular with park visitors.
When Honda first developed the Z100 minibike it was never meant to be a commercial product, it was only meant to be an attraction at the park.
History
Honda recognized the popularity of the Z100 minibike and they decided to manufacture a street-legal version of the bike.
By 1963 they had created a production version of the minibike and they called it the CZ100 Mark I. The 1963 CZ100 Mark I series, had a white fuel tank and a rigid frame which was painted red.
In 1964 they released the bike in the Japanese market and called it the CZ100.
The CZ100 Mark II series was then produced and it was virtually identical to the Mark I series with the exception of paint: the tank and frame were both painted red. Honda continued to produce the CZ100 but it was not sold to consumers in the United States. In recent years collectors have begun to import examples of the bike from Europe.
The CZ100 was street legal and only offered to consumers in European and Asian countries. The minibike sold enough for production of the bike to continue until 1966.
Specifications
The Minibike was fitted with a 49 cc engine. Honda had much success with the 49cc, and it was fitted in other bikes like the
Honda Super Cub
The Honda Super Cub or Honda Cub is a Honda underbone motorcycle with a four-stroke single-cylinder engine ranging in displacement from .
In continuous manufacture since 1958 with production surpassing 60 million in 2008, 87 million in 2014, an ...
.
The CZ100 had small 5" wheels and the minibike had a white fuel tank and a bright red frame.
Honda also used a fuel tank which was meant for another bike: they used the tank from the Honda C110.
See also
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List of scooter manufacturers
Note there is no single fixed definition of a scooter (also known by the full name motor-scooter), but generally a smaller motorcycle with a step-through frame is considered a scooter, especially if it has a floor for the rider's feet (as oppos ...
*
Minibike
A minibike is a two-wheeled, motorized, off-highway recreational vehicle popularized in the 1960s and 1970s, but available continuously from a wide variety of manufacturers since 1959. Their off-highway nature and (in many countries) typically enti ...
*
Pocketbike
Pocketbikes are small, two wheeled recreational vehicles approximately one-quarter the size of a regular motorcycles, and are powered by two-stroke internal combustion engines of between 40 and 50 cc. Pocketbikes maintain the look of full ...
*
Pit bike
A pit bike is a small recreation, stunt or motocross racing motorcycle. Usually defined as having a horizontal air cooled engine and an open cradle frame.
Pit bike history
The pit bike evolved from the use of custom-built motorized two wheeled m ...
References
External links
Video of a Honda CZ100
{{DEFAULTSORT:Honda CZ100
Honda Z100
Motorcycles introduced in 1963
Minibikes
1963 introductions