In the August 2025 edition of the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics magazine they features a MBX80 Buyers guide spread over four pages. The bike featured was the excellent restoration by Steve Mawson that was displayed on the VJMC stand at the 2024 Stafford show
You can buy a copy of this magazine here. or pick one up at your local news agents.
A big thank you to the writer who gave this website and facebook page a shout out! 👍
Here is another look at Steve's bike
We are excited to announce that the facebook group page Retro Mopeds 70's-90's will have a stand at this years Stafford Classic motorcycle Mechanics Show on the 11th and 12th October.
This will be the first major show for the Retro Moped club and myself and my Honda MBX80 will be part of it along with another private entry...
It would be fantastic to put some faces to names and have a chat, so we hope to see you there!
Back in the mists of time my first bike was a black MBX50, being 16 this bike was a revelation but being a restricted 50cc a somewhat limited revelation. When I turned 17 at the end of 88 I could trade up and ride up to a 125cc bike with a maximum power of 12hp, being young and short of funds my eye got turned by the Honda MBX80. This little Honda had liquid cooling, a bikini fairing, belly pan and twin front disc brakes, and even though it was down on cc's it produced a very healthy 11hp so ticked all the boxes without the costs of something like a NS125F.
I started to search for a used bike via Auto Trader, Free Adds and the local news paper classifieds and finally we found a bike in a dealers near Ringwood, my Dad managed to borrow a flat bed and off we went. The dealer was somewhat sketchy, it was more like a breakers yard down a very worn dirt track, but it didn't matter, there she was, B784 BFE in white with red graphics and I absolutely was not walking away without it.
The bike was in pretty good condition and its speed compared to the 50 it replaced was a revelation! With my newly found power and freedom I hatched a plan to ride it down to Devon for our summer holiday. Keeping in mind I couldn't at this point use a motorway and wanted to keep of very fast roads like the A38 past Exeter racecourse I planned the route at set of solo...
The ride was pretty good but it became apparent the little Honda was having running problems. A few days later my Dad joined me at our caravan and we booked the MBX in to the Honda Centre in Newton Abbot for a check over to see if they could work out what was wrong. As it turns out, not much, they de-coked the exhaust and the bike was transformed. I jumped on it to pull away from the shop and it shot off like a scolded cat, red lining in every gear it would fly along at an indicated 70mph, this was the business!
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| I found this image of B784BFE lurking in the background at the campsite |
After my summer holiday a few of my friends got 125's including a nearly new TZR 125 which i was a little bit jealous off. But the little MBX could easily match the TZR in speed up to around 50-55mph then the TZR had the edge. I think what surprised everyone about the MBX was how free-revving it was and the way it could launch off the line, which caused a lot of bruised egos to people with far more expensive machines.
In the end I started to earn a little more money and I had my head turned by a blue TZR125 with a full fairing so the MBX was part exchanged against the Yamaha at Rob Willsher Motorcycles in Bursledon.
looking at the governments website the road tax ran out on B784 BFE back in July 1993 so the chances of it surviving are slim to none, however if this bike is sat in the corner of your shed or garage gathering dust I will buy it, and it doesn't matter what condition it is in, please message me.
A post for the stat lovers, I compared the MBX to its main competition of time including the performance data. Everybody has anecdotal memory's of how fast they were, but I have included the only measured data from a period magazine that tested them at the same time. If anybody has any road tests of the bikes together, I'd love to dee them.
Here are some of the Youtube video reviews form the Stafford Classic Bike Show, look out for my MBX80 and also Andrews MT50... Next show we will make something a little more like these.
I have a couple of parts for sale and currently on ebay,
Saddle: SOLD
Two stroke oil tank: Link https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226420249833?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=jlRtwxJCT4u&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=jlRtwxJCT4u&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Rear rack: SOLD
Words and images by Alan Clarke
"Was just reading the website on the mbx 80 register section. I own an MBX 80 which I purchased to restore. I have it 2 years now and slowly getting around to it. It was originally a UK bike but has ended up here in Ireland since 1993. I have no idea of the original UK registration as its not on paperwork."
If you have any info on the back story of this bike please contact me and Ill pass it on to Alan.
Our show
started relatively early as we needed to get the bike on the stand before the
show opened, the hall opens to exhibitors at 7:30 so we were there ready to go.
After collecting our pack and security done I set about cleaning bike as it was
raining a little outside, I came prepared with clean cloths for the bodywork
and a dirty one to wipe the tyres and it didn’t take to long to get the MBX
looking great.
Like last
year the standard of machines and restorations are exceptional, in fact there
are some many fantastic bikes you cant help but feel like you have imposters syndrome.
This year there was some direct competition from Steve Mawson’s lovely black
MBX80, Andrew Longley’s original MT50 and a super nice AR80 from the AROG.
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| strapped down and ready to go |
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| its wet outside! |
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| inside the hall looking for our spot |
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| cleaning |
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| flash.... |
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| all set up and show ready |
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| Steve Mawson's MBX80 on the VJMC stand |
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| Andrew Longley's MT5 - private entry |
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| Minty fresh AR80 on the AR Owners Group stand |
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| the place to be |
We got to the show at around 8:30 to check out all the rosette winners but the judges were only just putting them out, it didn’t look like we were in for a shout so we decided to go off and check out the bikes that did win. After launch we got caught up in the GP paddock listening to Carl Fogerty and Frankie Chili talk and Foggy’s Ducati start up. We popped back to see the MBX and catch up with some people and there was a ‘Highly Commended’ rosette on the fuel tank. Initially I thought we were being pranked by Mr Longley, but thankfully it was the real deal and the bike had won an award two years in a row, feeling very proud and humbled.
At the end
of the show we were just removing the bike from the stand and two judges came
over and shook my hand and said, ‘well done, we had to give it an award as it’s
such a lovely bike and you just don’t see them anymore’. That was the icing on
cake and to be praised like that truly made my day.
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| winner! |
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| Me, William (my son) and Andrew Longley |
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| the MBX with its info board |
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| GT550 - Best in Show |
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| William celebrates! |
Will be
back? Absolutely, we have lots of ideas but in whatever way that might look like we will be there. It is
the best show with the best bikes with some great people, the classic bike
scene is where I want to be. My goal next year is to be there with my Aprilia
but if there is room for my Honda either as a private entry or on a club stand it will
be there as I have a few more improvements lined up to make it even more original… 😊
The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show is almost here and will be at the Stafford Showground on the 12-13th October 2024.
I am really please to say my MBX80 will be in a prime location next to the main stage opposite the VJMC main stand, here is how to find me:
To display the bike at a better lean angle I have been working on a side stand 'puck', this holds the bike at a more vertical angle which looks a lot better visually. Bellow is version 1 as proof of concept, currently I am refining it to look a bit prettier!
Links
To get tickets visit here https://tickets.mortonsevents.co.uk/event/11
Show prep 1, view here https://www.mbx80.co.uk/2024/08/the-classic-motorcycle-mechanics-show.html
Stafford 2023 show report, view here https://www.mbx80.co.uk/2023/10/show-report-classic-motorcycle.html
Following on from the guide to restoration part 1 and 2 blog posts here is the parts listing for my restoration. Where possible I have included the original Honda Part number and where the item was bought from, shop links at the bottom of the page.
Part 1 of the restoration guide here
Part 2 of the restoration guide here
view the complete restoration here
Visit CMSNL here
Visit the Honda M Shop - now Honda M Parts here
Visit David Silver Spares here
