1963 Honda 169cc M85 Juno Scooter
Frame no. M85-63-33366
Engine no. M85E-210290

Honda first entered the scooter market in the mid-1950s with the cumbersomely styled K-type Juno, which was produced during 1954/55 only and must be considered a failure by Honda standards. In 1960 Honda had another go at making a scooter only this time with an all-new design: the M80 Juno. Being a Honda, the new Juno was powered by a four-stroke engine rather than the two-stroke favoured by the vast majority of European manufacturers; and not only that, it was an overhead-valve horizontally opposed twin, unique among scooter power units. Mounted transversely immediately behind the front wheel for optimum cooling and ideal weight distribution, the latter incorporated hydraulic tappets and was coupled to a variable ratio hydraulic transmission. A twist-grip on the left handlebar altered the ratio. Why Honda chose not to use the tried-and-tested automatic clutch transmission of the Cub step-thru moped is a mystery, but the Juno has all the hallmarks of a 'blue sky' project where the engineers were given free reign. It would not be the last time that Honda built a technological tour de force just to show the opposition what it was capable of (think NR750, CX500 Turbo, etc). Originally displacing 125cc, the Juno engine was bored out to 169cc for 1962, this version's designation changing to M85. However, it would seem that Honda had once again overestimated the scooter market's appetite for complex and expensive machinery, and production of both Juno models had ceased by early 1964. Not surprisingly, given its innovative new technology and necessary complexity, the Juno was not sold outside of Japan and there are few examples in Europe.

This rare Juno scooter has not been used since being fully restored and has been on display in the CNS offices for more than ten years. The machine is offered with Japanese registration papers.