Your Collection: Honda Mini Trail 50
Sunday, January 30, 2011 | 6:00 AM
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PrintThis week's collection comes from Kevin Sleeth in Laguna Niguel, CA:
Honda Mini Trail 50, before.-
Honda Mini Trail 50, after.-
"I guess this would qualify as my "First" bike. Like most guys my age, my "First" bike was a Honda Mini Trail 50. If you didn't own one (Me) you knew someone who did and you hung out with that guy in hopes that he would let you give it a try. It was my neighbors Honda Mini Trail in the summer of 1969 that I scored my first ride on. I remember it like it was yesterday...
I straddled the seat and my buddy aimed me up the driveway. He gave me the basic instructions - this is the gas, this is the brakes, three down, let off to shift and don't forget to let off when you want to stop. Like most people on their first ride, I didn't really listen to a word that was said to me. I banged the gear lever down, twisted the throttle to the stop and held it wide open.
Thank God the driveway was only a few car lengths long and the garage door was closed, I did try, however, to climb the garage door on that little 50 and I can personally tell you that a 55 lb nine year old hanging on to the bars for dear life can get pretty far up a closed garage door before coming back down to earth!
Anyways, we cleaned all the rubber tire marks off the garage door before his parents came home and with that single two second ride, I was hooked. I knew I was going to ride motorcycles and some day, I too, would own a Honda Mini Trail.
Forty One years later.... Finally !
Right before my last race a couple of weeks ago at Glen Helen, my wish came true, It took a while, but I finally did it. After four months I finished the bike the week before my last series race at Glen Helen. Blue and silver Honda Mini Trail 50 - exactly like the one I vowed in 1969 that I would own some day. I have to tell you, as much fun as I had racing those two days at Glen Helen, I really had fun riding that Mini Trail around and in some ways, even more fun than the racing.
Hope the pictures bring back smiles and if you see me in the pits and want to ride it, let me know. It sure is a blast to go back in to time when the only thought in your head was when is the next time I get to ride...
It started out red.
I am 50 now and have been racing since I was 17. The last series I did was the Fire / Police MX National Series this year and I finished out the series as number 1 in the 50+ Open class. I plan on representing So. California in the World Police / Fire games scheduled for New York in 2011."
-Kevin
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Great story to go along with the pic. Thanks for sharing!
Yup! I had one. There are very few differences between your story, and mine. In 1969, I was 8 instead of 9. My bike had an Iowa license plate instead of California, (that’s where we were from). My dad bought this bike for the entire family. Can you say sharing? Sharing was painful! Our garage door was plastic, (it didn’t show tire marks).
Great story...it's funny I have a similar story...bought a house with a '69 mini trail 50 & a '69 trail 70...getting ready to redo any pointers would be appreciated...
It would be an honor Mr. Thompson. They are blue and white, two tone. Paint the house to match. You can't go wrong with that!
Very cool. I had a red one with the red and white tank. Same year. I bought it from a friend. I rode the heck out of that thing when I was a kid. Good time!
Great story, I got my first one in 1978 when I was 10 years old, it was a yellow 1976 model, it came home in the trunk of my dads car along with a nice open face helmet, what a blast!
I nearly broke my neck crashing on this bike... ha ha. My buddy and I were racing (he had the same bike our dad's came home one day and surprised us with them) a mile or so from our houses - in this tricked our creek area. Nice loamy dirt - anyway, we had made this sweeper turn that gave us a nice jump at the top. The turn was wide and smooth enough to click into third as you rode up the to the jump. I jumped alright, way too high and way off the track, when I landed I hit so hard the right bar snaped and sent me pounded into the ground. Nice strong tube handle bars.... good times... great story and your build out is fantastic.
Awesome bike! thanks for the photos and story, really took me back
Dad bought a used 50 (yellow) for my older brother, I used to watch him ride off and wish I had one. Sat on the front porch waiting for Dad to come home each day with my Trial 50 collectors cards and give him the sales pitch as he got out of the car. He finally bought an SL-70 (blue, and I really loved that bike) for my older bro, and I got the 50. Been riding ever since.
Kevin,
I still haven't seen your bike in person. It looks epic by the photos. Your old neighbor had a red version that Shaun and I got hooked on as young kids. Please ride that to our next beer/pizza night! Good Work!
Kevin,
I still haven't seen your bike in person. It looks epic by the photos. Your old neighbor had a red version that Shaun and I got hooked on as young kids. Please ride that to our next beer/pizza night! Good Work!
Great responses and stories! Thanks everyone. Keep then coming. I like to hear what your first was and how it got you started.
Russian Lady - I WILL be riding that bike to pizza and beer - I promise. Also, you gotta put down the pint glass before you post or you end up with the dreaded double tap (See above).
I remember the summer of 1969 going to the Honda dealer up the street and sitting on a red 50 I desperately wanted. I had a paper route and saved my money with the goal of purchasing one ($250.00) at the time. I ended up buying a used Trail Flite that had a bad centrifugal clutch. I took it to the shop for repair only to have it stolen (surprising). 40 years later I now own the red one of my dreams.