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This Tiny Rider-Friendly Honda Apes an Early Action Movie Moto Legend

What this little Honda lacks in power and size, it more than makes up for through its commitment to the bit.

Close-up of a white motorcycle front with large round headlight, blue auxiliary lights, and "Kwaka" and "ZR-50" decals.Bring a Trailer
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By Gray Van Dyke

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A lot of motorcyclists love a good movie bike tribute, and you can’t really blame them. 

Any time you throw on a helmet and leathers, it already feels like you’re stepping into a different sort of persona, if only for the length of the ride. What harm are a few extra stickers to make you feel a little more like Maverick on a Top Gun GPz replica?

Now, not all homages take form as direct translations. For instance, this mini on Bring a Trailer, a 1986 Honda ‘Monkey’ Z50J, is aping (sorry) a much larger star in a role it never actually played.

Silver and blue Kawasaki ZR-50 motorcycle with black seat and front fairing on speckled gray floor.
This Z50J has been made to look like a Kawasaki KZ1000 from Mad Max.
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Even still, you have to admire the little Honda motorcycle’s commitment to the bit. It might be small, but it’s not lacking enthusiasm.

One mad mini tribute

I mean, just look at the thing. Action movie buffs will quickly recognize this as a pint-sized recreation of Jim Goose’s Main Force Patrol KZ1000 from the OG 1979 Mad Max.

Silver and blue Kawasaki ZR1000 motorcycle with black seat and "MFP" on rear fairing parked on asphalt near chain-link fence.
Whitehouse Japan clearly has the look down, regardless of the scale of the bike.
Whitehouse Japan

Even if that’s too deep a cut for your film tastes, it’s hard not to appreciate the quality of the execution with this little wonder. It’s the work of Whitehouse Japan, and it gives a convincing impression of the outfit’s full-scale, Kawasaki-based MFP replica (above).

After all, the cosplay is extensive.

Close-up of a silver motorcycle front fairing with a clear headlight, two blue auxiliary lights, and an orange turn signal.
That front fairing is quite the statement on a mini moto.
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From the itty-bitty front fairing to the toy-size lights and megaphone to the tiny tail cowl, it’s wearing just the right pieces. Its bodywork even comes with the film-appropriate ‘Kwaka’ script on the tank and a clever ‘ZR-50’ on the side covers in place of its usual Honda digs.

What’s more, Whitehouse’s changes go deeper than they look.

Close-up of a gray plastic knob with ridges mounted on a gray surface.
Even the megaphone comes in at the right scale.
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According to the listing, the Z50J now rocks an 80cc big-bore kit, and it also comes equipped with a high-mounted oil cooler, a Takegawa intake, a cone filter and some dual mufflers.

Close-up of a motorcycle rear wheel with a silver multi-pipe exhaust and blue coil spring suspension.
Twin mufflers give the little Z50J some presence.
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Honda’s small single obviously won’t ever have the same giddyup as Goose’s four-cylinder literbike.

Nevertheless, that amounts to a meaningful increase in displacement for a mini that started with a mere 49 cubic centimeters. Besides, the new 140-km/h (86-mph) Takegawa speedometer will have riders chasing speed all the same.

White and blue Kwaka ZR-50 mini motorcycle with round headlights and orange indicators in a showroom.
It’d be too slow for Goose’s needs, but that doesn’t stop it from being a sweet reinterpretation.
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Availability and pricing

If you’re looking to add this 1986 Z50J to your garage, you still have some time left as of this writing.

The auction ends July 29th. Even with $3,500 in bidding, however, this small Honda stunner hasn’t yet met the reserve.

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.

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