SS50 HONDA ‘Slowped’ Salvage
BACK IN EARLY MARCH, WINTER MAY HAVE begun to release its grip, although it certainly wasn’t balmy enough for a paddle as I approached Portsmouth to meet a man selling moped spares.
My purchase was mainly rusty parts, a few quid changed hands and the conversation turned to his mate’s Honda SS50 – asking if I was interested. Back in the day, you were either a Fizzy fanatic or trusted in the steady SS, I was the latter. I had a later five-speed finished in bright yellow that never let me down – unfortunately it was the other way around as my neglect allowed the oil level to drop, followed by seizure; a practice usually reserved for the two-stroke brigade.
A few decades later I put on my best poker face when presented with a rather sad, but totally original 1973 four-speed example with wonky pedals and lots of corrosion. Sitting on flat rubber with rims way past their sell-by date the tank featured a huge dent. I began to lose interest when it became apparent there was no V5 and whilst I hate dancing the Swansea ‘two-step’ I took the reg number to check.
It seems the bike was uncovered in a locked garage when the elderly owner passed away, and with no next of kin the SS became part of a house clearance. The engine turned over and all the gears engaged (well, it is a Honda) with suspect areas along the base of the frame proving to be solid. Conclusion, it needed everything and therefore parts may be an issue, so
