mb5

The restricted MB-5 and MT-5 were released in Britain in 1980, advertised along side the CB1100RB and XL500S (the MB-5 only being available between 1980 and 1982). It was late-Summer in 1980 that Ian aged 16 and his brothers (15 and 14) were pleasantly suprised to receive a brand new red MT-5 from their parents. It was delivered by Billy Nutt's Motorcycle Shop in Coleraine, N.Ireland. It was to be shared by them all to learn to ride and to do chores on around the farm, eg. bringing in the Dairy herd at Milking time. This would strain the previously strong "brotherly love" as Ian remembers when he would be ready to head off for a "hot-date" in the local town, his brothers would arrive back with a muck-covered MT-5 ... aaaahhhh!

Ian and a group of School-friends all had 50's when they were 16. Among their "Gang" there were an assortment of MB-5s, MT-5s, a Honda CB50, a Kawasaki AR50, a battered up FS1E, and one mate even had a step-thru with the rear axle-nut replaced by some binder-twine string! They would use them to commute to School, and each Sunday afternoon they would meet in town and head to Binevenagh mountain or down to Benone Beach. Going up the mountain sounding like a swarm of bees going at about 10mph, belching out clouds of blue-smoke! On the way down free-wheeling could achieve some "real" speeds!!!

Ian"s Collection of MB-5s (2no.) and MT-5s (4no.) started as a "wander down Memory Lane" looking on eBay. The first one Ian brought back to store at his parent's farm in N.Ireland had his mother comment that she remembered that noise and smell from when they were kids! Tootling along at 25mph Ian says he cannot remember it being so slow when he was 16 ... maybe it was better than walking; maybe it was the "freedom" of being able to get himself to the local town; maybe it was being only 12 stone; maybe it was eventually becoming a "Real Biker" after years of reading magazines!

The Club For Classic Japanese Motorcycles

For Japanese Motorcycles 15 years plus