It is very unclear why and for what the Honda Motra was developed

Japanese madness – Honda Motra
The Honda CT50J Motra is a unique 50cc moped from Honda made for off-road use with all kinds of interesting details. These details and more will be discussed in this article.

History

In the early 1980s, Honda was doing better than ever: the Super Cub is and was a huge success, the Monkey sold well and the heavier motorcycles also went over the counter like hot cakes. In addition, Honda now sold cars almost worldwide and made even more profit from them. Things couldn’t get any better with the Japanese motorcycle company and that’s why they started releasing special models that weren’t necessarily focused on big profit margins, but more for fun. An example of this are the different special editions of the Monkey. One of the stories is that Soichiro Honda, founder of the engine manufacturer, had been looking with interest at American motorcycle manufacturer Rokon for some time. Rokon built simple, solid two-wheel-drive motorcycles to allow the roughest terrain to explode. For this she used honda lawnmower engines. Soichiro Handlebara team to develop a variant of the Rokon based on existing Honda technology, but still incorporate as many technical gadgets as possible into it. it had to become reliable and be able to drive well in the terrain, without becoming too industrial and clumsy on the road. Where the Rokon had no suspension and giant wheels, the Motra had to have some luxury on board. a different story is that the Motra was developed for the Japanese army, but ultimately not put into use. It is very unclear why and for what purpose the Motra was developed. If you have any information, you can email it to info@fourstrokebarn.com

Technique

Part of the Motra is the same as in other Hondas, but many things are specifically developed. The engine is similar to that of the C50, but with a special adjustment: like many all-terrain vehicles, the CT50J got a low and high range gearbox. That means that in addition to the regular gearbox, with the Motra a three-speed gearbox with automatic clutch, there is a second box to be able to change the end ratio of the first. It works a bit like a road bike, where you have a pair of gears in front and behind. Thanks to this system, the motra could also climb the steepest hills with its 50cc, but you still have the reliability of the reclining Honda four-stroke engine.
Also nice are the Rear chusion Thanks to a kind of built-in bicycle pump, you can increase or decrease the pressure in the springs with a lever and thus make the spring stiffer or slacker. Do you have a lot of luggage with you? Then you put it nice and firm. Are you going to ride a bumpy boulder? Then you soften it. In combination with the giant bagerek, this ensures that you can bring a lot of stuff. Handy for holidays, so!
When you stand on a steep hill, you can of course not just put your moped on the Main stand Then it falls over. At the Motra, this has been considered: by squeezing the left lever at the Handlebar you can fold in and out of the Main stand If you haven’t retracted this lever, the Main stand is clamped. So it can’t move back and forth. Furthermore, the CT50J is one of the few Honda mopeds to have a petrol meter. All the snakes are so concealed that no water enters if you have to cross a river.

Rare
Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a Motra. Occasionally someone gets one (or more) from Japan, but that’s what it stops. At the time of writing, two are for sale in the Netherlands, one of them at De Viertaktschuur. At the end of 2014, Kjell brought six to the Netherlands, but they went over the counter like hot cakes. Still, it’s not as bad as it looks. For an SS or CD in good condition you pay about €3000,-. With a Motra, it’s about the same. On top of that, at a Motra you’re almost certain that it hasn’t been beaten up by a few race pubs and especially that it been torn apart ten times and put back together by a bunch of bras. That gives a little more certainty.
Although there is not a good chance that something will break, it can still be difficult to repair or replace something. Most parts in the engine are interchangeable with other models, but parts of the gearbox are much more specific and therefore more difficult. If something breaks on your Motra, you have two options: search Japanese secondhand sites or have it made yourself.

Present
Although the Motra has not been made for a long time, there is still a lot of interest in it. That’s not crazy, with such a funny look. Even in Japan, they are rare, but that doesn’t stop some people from turning it into their own creation. itis even cheaper to make a custom Motra than it is to restore one, because of the tricky parts. Manufacturers such as Takegawa and Kitaco make many parts for Monkeys. They sometimes look after a Motra.

A pimped Motra

The Honda Zoomer may look a bit like the Motra, but it’s quite different. In America, the Honda Big Ruckus is also supplied and it already looks a lot more like it. Are there really no Motra alternatives? Yes, the engine that did give Misshien Soichiro the idea to develop the fun moped, the Rokon, is still being newly built and sold in the USA. Still, it would be nice if a manufacturer like Honda dared to do something crazy and re-release the Motra. Maybe they’ll do it again…
A new Rokon with sidecar