Collectors are a big part of the motoring world. Some people love cars, trucks, and motorcycles so much that they buy many of them just to preserve and house them. What makes something collectible is usually a mix of rarity and quality. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but for the most part, that is how vehicles become collectible. The little Honda Z50R Christmas Special ticks every box multiple times. 

The Honda mini bikes were an instant hit 

What was once a motorcycle for children, the 49cc Honda “monkey bikes” became popular with adults, too. They make great pit bikes at racing and other events and are simply an old fashioned good time. Although Honda is still making new ones, the vintage examples from the ‘60s still command good money. People want the original version that maybe they or their parents rode back in the day. 

The Honda Z50R Christmas special is the King of the monkey-bike kingdom

Silodrome says that the Z50R CE was a very limited model that was only offered to the highest performing Honda dealerships. To add the bike’s collectability, the few dealerships who could get them had trouble selling them because the price was so high. These limiting factors eventually made the Christmas Special the most desirable minis bikes in the world. 

What was different about the Honda Z50R Christmas Special? 

The Honda Z50R Christmas Special is instantly recognizable due to its flashy chrome finish. The frame, fuel tank, fenders, fork tubes, handlebars, and exhaust heat shield were all finished in chrome. The most Christmas-y part of these bikes was the bright-red grips and seat. Lastly, the tank featured a red, white, and blue Honda wing logo.  

Even though it looked flashy, the Christmas Special was still as basic a bike as it gets 

The Christmas Special was only an aesthetic package. They were mechanically the same as any other Honda Z50R mini bikes, which is very simple. These bikes are powered by a 49cc single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled engine. These little thumpers also had a three-speed, foot-controlled, semi-auto transmission. These transmissions also came on the Honda trail bikes like the CT90. The rider still had to change gears, but there wasn’t a manual clutch. You would just slam gears to change them. 

The Z50R had front and rear drum brakes and spring shocks outback and traditional telescoping shocks up front. These bikes also have high-mounted exhaust and fenders to resemble bigger scrambler bikes like the CB350 and CB360. These bikes were painfully simple in design, but that added to their low-stakes appeal. Although these were intended for learner bikes for kids, many adults loved these little dirt machines’ playfulness. They weren’t street legal, so they spent most of their days in the dirt and trails. 

This Honda Z50R Christmas Special can be yours

This particular bike is going to auction at Mecum, where many great and rare motorcycles go to be brokered. If you want to own the Donkey Kong of the monkey-bike scene, this is likely where you’ll have to go to find one of these unicorns.