I am selling my beloved 1982 Honda C70 Passport. This bike is in beautiful shape, is a joy to ride, and I am sad to see her go. I just don't want to pay for a garage anymore, and don't want to park her outside in my neighborhood. Instead, I want to find a loving home for an amazing little machine.
See other posts for photos.
The Passport is the descendant of the original Honda Super Cub, which was named by the Discovery Channel as the best motorcycle EVER (check out the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLjnqkXNWJs&feature=player_embedded). The Passport, Super Cub, and their descendants are the most widely produced motor vehicle in the world, with worldwide sales over 60 million. In much of the world these are ubiquitous, and they are known to run forever, be extremely reliable, and extremely easy to work on.
The bike has a 70cc engine (but is registered as a 50cc moped - more on that later) and a 3 speed semi-automatic transmission. That means that there is shifting involved, but no clutch. It makes it very easy to learn, and it means you don't have to worry about stalling out. It is great for running around town, carries two people easily, and has a top speed around 50 mph.
If you are in the market for a small scooter, other options in this price range will tend to be made in China, and be extremely unreliable. This, on the other hand, will run forever (seriously, look at the video posted above), will get spectacular mileage, and will carry two easily and comfortably. I can't think of a single reason to buy a cheap scooter over this. To get a quality scooter like a Vespa will run $3500 (for 50cc) new and about $2000 used, and will be slower than this bike. When I bought this I was originally looking for a scooter but had a limited price range. This blew the competition out of the water, and I bought it immediately. Even with the slightly larger engine, this gets well over 100 mpg.
The mileage, obviously, is incredibly low. It was purchased by its original owner (I am the third owner), not ridden much, and restored by the second owner a few years ago, and used almost exclusively for recreation after that.
Despite having a 70cc engine, this is registered in MA as a moped. That is technically not allowed, but the previous owner was smart enough to put a 50cc badge on the bike. I have never had a problem with the way it's registered, and it allows you have the power of a 70cc engine, while being able to park it on the sidewalk, not have a motorcycle license, and not pay for insurance. Since it is registered as a moped, it has no title. Mopeds don't require a title to be registered, just your signature.
The bike has a couple of minor flaws. It has some very minor rust, which I tried to capture in the photos. It is not going to rot out the frame, and if you are interested in fixing it it should be relatively easy. The dash light that tells you when you are in neutral is on all the time, and I'm not sure why, but it never bothered me so I didn't get around to finding out. At the moment the speedometer is not working because the cable snapped. However, I have ordered a replacement cable, which I will give you as soon as it arrives.
Really, this is worlds better than similar bikes for the price, and you will love owning this reliable, beautiful piece of history. You'll also make lots of new friends, as people love sharing stories about their beloved Passports and Super Cubs when they see you.
I am asking $1000, which is on the low end for these (check eBay), but please make an offer. This is listed on Craigslist in Boston. Please contact me through that posting.
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/mcy/1816874351.html
