Gyro

HONDA GYRO (NN50, TG50)

Honda introduced the Gyro in Japan in 1982. In Japan, the Gyro name refers to Honda’s family of seven tilting three wheeled scooters, some of which are still on sale as of 2008. The Honda Gyro’s name is actually an acronym for ‘Great Your Recreation Original’. Obviously something was lost in translation. All of these scooters use a linkage to allow the main part of the scooter to lean while the engine and dual rear wheels remain planted on the road.

It was the NN50 version (called the ‘Just’ in Japan) that arrived in North America for 1984 as simply the Gyro (pictured in blue). Besides having three wheels, this model featured styling similar to Honda’s

other scooters at the time. As it was only sold for one year and probably didn’t sell well then, the NN50 Gyro is quite a rare scooter and certainly a prized find for an enthusiast, especially if it’s in good condition. There’s one on eBay now that’s been restored and the bidding it at $1200. The NN50 Gyro may very well be the rarest Honda scooter of all. In Japan, the NN50 Gyro had a handy glovebox but for the USA market Honda unfortunately removed this storage space.

The Gyro featured a ‘one touch parking lock mechanism’ to lock the scooter while parked. This lever locked the tilt in one of five positions and it also locked the rear wheels. Accordingly, Honda felt no need to equip this scooter with a centerstand or sidestand. In Japan (and perhaps North America?) Honda sold an optional windscreen for the Gyro.

For 1985 Honda kept the Gyro name here but switched the actual model to the exposed frame TG50 (shown left), which was sold under the ‘Road Fox’ name in Japan. In the USA, this scooter was sold as simply the ‘Gyro’ but the ‘Road Fox’ badging did make it onto the left rear fender. Unfortunately for Canadians, they did not get this new version of the Gyro so the only year Canadians could buy a Gyro was ’84.

Mechanically both Gyro’s were very similar, but the styling is quite different. The exposed tube frame was a first in the Gyro series and made for quite a different look. Both Gyro’s used Honda’s TB08E motor, but the Road Fox has slightly higher power specs from Honda, so it seems Honda may have made a few tweaks.

The NN50 Gyro was odd, but the TG50 took it to the next level. The new seat with a backrest along with the tube frame gives this scooter almost a chopper-ish look. The ‘Road Fox’ Gyro was also sold here for 1986 and then it was permanently withdrawn from our shores. Both models of Gyro’s were capable of 30mph. I don’t know much about the actual engine but I suspect it shares a lot of similarities with the Aero 50’s (NE50) engine. You may be able to find the parts you need for this engine from either the Aero 50 or the Spree scooters. These two engines formed the general basis for virtually all of Honda’s 50cc 2-stroke scooters until the 90’s. Unlike those scooters, the Gyro did not use a CVT (continuously variable) transmission but rather used a 2-speed automatic transmission.

Honda did sell a few neat accessories for the Gyro (shown at bottom of page). They sold a front basket for the earlier NN50 Gryo and they sold a rear ‘tote box’ and front rack for the later Gyro which are shown below. The tote box appears to be the same tote box that Honda also sold for their Elite 50, Spree and Aero 50 scooters. Both models of Gyro offered very little storage in their stock form. The earlier NN50 Gyro has a couple cubby holes in the legshield but the TG50 had nothing for storage unless you added a rear case or basket up front. Both Gyro’s offered okay performance for their time with a top speed around 30mph. By today’s standards that’s pretty slow though. Given it’s slow speed and lack of storage, I wouldn’t recommend the Gyro for regular putting around town. If you’re after something unique or you just appreciate the history of this scooter, then a Gyro is an amazing pick up. I’d love to find one someday.

Pros:

* 100% unique
* It’s gotta be a blast to ride
* Honda reliabilty

Cons:
* Slow (30mph)
* No aftermarket parts
* Storage space

Links:
MotorscooterGuide Forums - Visit the forum on this site to chat about your scoot.
Japanese Gyro Just - Honda’s Japan website page on the Gyro translated to english.
BikeBandit.com - Good for looking up OEM parts and finding out what’s still available
RoadFox Video - Here is a neat video of someone riding the RoadFox Gyro made by Honda Japan.
Here is a neat YouTube video showing the Gyro’s pivoting mechanism.
Here is a nice video walk around of an ’84 Gryo.
Check out the Gryo entry on Wikipedia here for more info on the complete Gryo series sold in Japan.

If you have any info to add, email me at dandurston@hotmail.com

Colors:
1984: Sparkling Red, Neptune Blue
1985: Black, Matte Black
1986: Monza Red, Matte Black

Key Specs:
* Engine: TB08E 49 cc air-cooled 2-stroke
* NN50 Power: 3.7 hp @ 6000 RPM, 3.4 ft/lbs torque @ 5000 RPM
* TG50 Power: 4.0 hp @ 6000 RPM, 3.5 ft/lbs torque @ 5500 RPM
* Bore & Stroke: 41 mm x 37.4 mm
* Compression Ratio: 7.2:1 (NN50)
* Ignition: CDI
* Transmission: 2-speed automatic transmission
* Tires: 2.75-10-2PR (front), 3.00-8-2PR (rear)
* Brakes: Drum (front and rear)
* Curb Weight: 128 lbs / 58 kg (NN50), 139lbs / 63 kg (TG50)
* Fuel capacity: 3.2 liters, 0.8 gallons
* Headlight: 30W/30W, 12 volt
* Starting: Electric start
* Length: 59.9” / 1520mm (NN50), 62.8” / 1595mm (TG50)
* Width: 24.4” / 620mm (NN50), 23.8” / 605mm (TG50)
* Height: 37.2” / 945mm (NN50), 36.0” / 915mm (TG50)
* Wheelbase: 42.5” / 1080mm (NN50)
* Seat Height: 27.3” / 695mm (NN50)
* Colors (NN50): Sparkling Red, Neptune Blue