Honda MBX80 : award

Wednesday, 22 October 2025

My Bike, Stafford Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show 2025

A Weekend with the MBX: Memories, Motorcycles, and Magic at Stafford

The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show at Stafford is always a highlight of the year, but this October 11th and 12th felt different. This time, my little Honda MBX80 wasn’t just another bike on the floor – it was part of something bigger: the Retro Mopeds Club stand.

A bit of backstory: I co-admin a Facebook group called ‘Retro Mopeds 70’s–90’s’ with my friend Andrew Longley. The page is a haven for enthusiasts of all bikes under 90cc, whether standard or wildly modified. Last year, Andrew and I displayed our bikes as private entries, and while sharing stories with fellow fans, we hatched an idea – a club stand. Fast forward to this year, and our vision had become reality.

The stand was a small but mighty showcase. Andrew brought three bikes: an MT5, MB5, and RD50. Steve Mawson contributed a jaw-dropping custom MBX80, and my own MBX80 completed the lineup. Standing back and seeing the five machines together, I felt a surge of pride – this wasn’t just my bike, it was part of a movement celebrating a generation of two-wheelers.

I’ll admit, I had a twinge of doubt. The MBX had been on show the past two years – would people still care? From the moment the doors opened, all doubts vanished. Enthusiasts flocked to the stand, eager to chat, share stories, and snap photos. Conversations flowed – memories of rides, modifications, and teenage adventures – and for the first time, my MBX wasn’t just a display piece; it was a bridge connecting strangers through shared passion.

Then came Sunday morning – a moment I’ll never forget. The winners’ names were posted, and my friends Tony and Steve nudged me excitedly. Could it be? Scanning the list, my heart leapt. There it was: 2nd Best 1980s Bike, runner-up to a Kawasaki Z1300! My MBX80, a humble 80cc two-stroke, would be receiving recognition on the main stage.

The day became a blur of excitement. Andrew’s MT5 and my Aprilia AF1 each received a ‘Highly Commended’ award. And then it was time. Walking onto the stage, the buzz of the crowd mixing with my racing heartbeat, I was handed my award by none other than Wayne Gardner, 1987 500cc World Champion and one of my heroes. When he asked about the bike, I replied, “It’s a little Honda MBX80 2-stroke.” He grinned and said, “Ripper!” – and just like that, a childhood dream collided with reality.

This year’s show was more than just an exhibition; it was an experience, a celebration of community, passion, and the joy of two wheels. The club stand added a layer of camaraderie and fun that I’ll be chasing for years to come. Stafford 2025 wasn’t just another show – it was a weekend of memories I’ll cherish forever.

For more on the Aprilia on display, see here:

shaking hands with Wayne Gardner

Dan Jones, Steve Mawson, Tony Mawson, Andrew Longley

Tuesday, 17 October 2023

Show report: Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show Stafford 14-15th October 2023

Now with the bike in a pretty good condition we loaded it into the van and made our way to the Stafford County Showground. Getting in is fairly painless with the pass the organisers send you (which has your stand allocation number on it), the security gave us a couple of wristbands and we were in. As soon as the bike rolled down the ramp out of the van a guy flew over on his Raleigh Burner and said 'I knew what that was as soon as it came out and wanted to get a better look'! It turns out he had several M Honda's so was definitely in to the bike.

We made our way to the main hall and found our spot and picked up the welcome pack, this had the security tag and a neat metal show badge to prove we done it. After a quick clean and set up the rope went across the front and we were show ready.

The first day was really great meeting a few new people and some facebook connects including the serial Honda restorers and www.mb5.co.uk guys Tony and Steve Mawson. These guys have restored more MB/X bikes and won more awards than you can shake a stick at, but very approachable and very encouraging for a first timer like me. I also met up with Andrew Longley who still has his Honda MT5 from when he was 16 amongst a fleet of mopeds and manages a few facebook pages including Retro mopeds of the 70's and 90's. I also managed to touch base with Phil Holme of Holmetech whom Id previously sold a bike to and was there with his Kawasaki AR club. I got to say everyone was super-nice and catching up with everybody made the whole day feel like you were definitely a part of something.

Day two is when the awards and rosettes are given out to the winning machines. Honestly, the standard of bikes is so high I had no expectations and was just happy to be a part of the show, but to my delight the MBX had won a 'Highly Commended' award! The show gives out 30 of these as runners up, so to win one at the first visit to the show was pretty special. The rest of the day was spent checking out all the other winners and marvelling at the quality of their bikes.

At the end of the show after a security check we wheeled the bike of the booth where somebody immediately asked if it was for sale, obviously not!

Overall the show was a fantastic experience, from the organisers to the fellow exhibitors. It was an extremely welcoming and inclusive experience and makes you feel part of the classic bike scene, which is a nice place to be. I will very much look forward to next year and will try to get a couple of bikes in!

If this inspires you to give it a go keep an eye on the Stafford Classic Bike Shows website for updates and how to apply to exhibit.