1984 Honda SH50 City Express review from United Kingdom

After just days of buying the bike, the starter solenoid blew. Dealer replaced it free of charge.

The rear brake light switch was a problem. This was never replaced.

The main bearings that support the crankshaft rumbled like mad. The engine was never rebuilt. The bike just kept going.

Screws that fasten the top handlebar cowling detached themselves. Used spare screws.

Huge drop in performance at 22000 miles.

Renewed piston rings. Main problem was the exhaust port was obstructed with carbon deposits. Decoke was necessary. Performance was hugely improved.

Difficulty starting once in a while due to the automatic choke.

This machine was very reliable and never failed to start. At the age of sixteen, it was a dream, but not now.

The machine was a bit slow off the mark.

Once above 20mph, the acceleration picked up.

Bearing in mind that this machine was only 49cc, the two-stroke motor coped pretty well with head winds and hills compared to the four-stroke step-thru I owned later.

The suspension was pretty hard and the all-round drum brakes were adequate.

The seat space was comfortable and adequate for two people.

Even two up, the machine pulled reasonably well.

I never gauged the fuel consumption, but every day I would do an average of sixty miles on about two to three litres of petrol. It used about a litre of oil every 500 miles.

The twelve volt electrical system was impressive.

The SH50 is nothing to look at, but is a practical machine for around town.