Bicycles and scooters have been the predominant means of transportation in southern Vietnam before 1975 and up until now. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the scooters that were present in southern Vietnam before 1975.
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>> Before 1975, what did people in Saigon ride? (Part 1)
Honda 67, Cub, Dame – A shining era
Around 1965, Honda’s name began to be mentioned, with some new and unfamiliar models appearing. Some of the first Honda motorcycles were bought by Americans and brought to Vietnam for work, and when they returned home, they left them behind, leaking out of the market and being bought by Vietnamese people.
One of the uses of Honda motorcycles was for American pilots to commute between the aircraft parking lot and the base. The distance from the base to the parking lot was often far, and it could take several minutes to tens of minutes on foot. With the Honda motorcycle, pilots could save the shortest time, especially when there was an alarm, by quickly driving the Honda motorcycle to the plane instead of running on foot. The Honda S90 was probably the most popular model among the Honda motorcycles before 1965 because of its beautiful design, strong engine, and crisp sound.
Honda 67 used to be very popular in Saigon
Other models included C110, S65 (commonly known as S50), P50, and C50. The P50 had a special structure with the engine located close to the rear wheel and the direct drive into the wheel instead of using a chain. This engine placement had the advantage of avoiding power loss when transmitting through a chain and reducing the number of parts, but the downside was that the bike was prone to imbalance due to a light front end and a heavy rear end. Also, when going over speed bumps, the lack of suspension could cause damage to the teeth of the wheel rim. The Honda Dame C50 before 1965 had the convenience of an electric starter, eliminating the need to kick-start. However, the later batch of Honda Dame motorcycles had to be kick-started.
Honda Dame
The Honda Dame was officially imported to be sold to consumers in 1965. Honda referred to it as the C50 model, but people usually called it Honda Dame. Although there was a Honda Dame, nobody called it Honda Dame, instead, they referred to it as “Honda đàn ông” (men’s Honda). The first Honda Dame motorcycles appeared in Saigon and attracted the attention of passersby. In the early days of sales, on the streets, people saw red or light green Honda Dame motorcycles. Some people stalled the engine, looked down at their feet because they were not used to shifting gears with their feet. Shifting gears incorrectly could stall the engine. When seeing some people pushing Honda motorcycles on the side of the road, someone said that the Motobécane brand of Mobylette hired people to push Honda Dame motorcycles around the streets to make people see the faulty Japanese motorcycles, which often stalled and made people afraid to buy.
The Honda Dame motorcycle was designed for women to ride, so it used an automatic clutch, and when shifting gears, there was no need to squeeze the clutch lever with the hand, just reduce the throttle. The Suzuki Dame and Yamaha Dame models were also the same. On the other hand, the Japanese men’s model motorcycles were designed to resemble larger motorcycles, with no pedals and instead had a kick-start lever, with crossbars for the feet on both sides. The right side had a foot brake, the left had a gear shift, a left-hand clutch lever, a right-hand front brake lever, and the fuel tank was located in front.
Saigon street corner with Honda Dame, SS50
These motorcycles also resembled motorcycles in that they had two rubber pads on each side of the fuel tank for the knees to rest on, making it more comfortable to climb on the bike and balance it. The throttle was light and smooth, not heavy like “Western” motorcycles. The pedals were light and easy to kick-start. In short, Japanese manufacturers made motorcycles that were easy to use and convenient, making riders feel very comfortable when riding.
Honda gradually dominated the parking lots of old Saigon
After the Honda Dame was the appearance of the Honda đàn ông 66 (SS50). SS stands for Super Sport. The Honda 66 was introduced in 1966, with colors ranging from red to black, short handlebars to narrow the distance between the hands, reducing wind resistance. The bike did not have turn signals, had a 5-speed gearbox, and could reach an impressive top speed of 90km/h for a 50cc motorcycle. It was a motorcycle designed with the characteristics of a racing bike. However, this bike was not practical in the city because the handlebars were too short, making it difficult to control.
Honda SS50 1967
In 1967, Honda redesigned the bike with wider handlebars, a 5-speed gearbox, black or red paint, turn signals, and front suspension with rubber covers. The maximum speed was 80km/h. The 67 model (SS50E) went down in history for its powerful engine, fast speeds, and widespread popularity in southern Vietnam alongside the Honda Dame. Later, Honda introduced other models, but the Honda 67 remains the most well-known. Because of its powerful engine, the Honda 67 was used to tow carts in place of the previously used German motorcycles.
Thế Đạt (According to PL&XH/Source: Honda67)
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