The Honda Gyro is a family of small three-wheeled motorcycles sold primarily in Japan and often used for delivery or express service. They are tilting three-wheelers, combining a tricycle’s stopped and low-speed stability with a leaning main body for stability while turning at speed.
Honda Gyro at a glance
| Maker | Honda |
|---|---|
| Type | tilting three-wheeled motorcycle |
| Main market | Japan |
| Configuration | scooter with a hinged rear pod and two drive wheels |
| Origin of layout | patented by George Wallis, 1966 |
| First used | BSA Ariel 3 of 1970 |
| Licensed to | Honda |
| Personal models | Stream, Joy, Just, Road Fox |
| Cargo Gyro X | October 1982 |
| Gyro X sold by May 2002 | 135,226 |
| Engine change | two-stroke to four-stroke in March 2008 |
| Gyro X price, 2008 | ¥252,000 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Gyro.
History of the Honda Gyro
A licensed layout
The Gyro resembles a scooter with a small hinged rear pod containing the engine and two drive wheels. This layout was developed and patented by George Wallis of G. L. Wallis & Son in Surbiton, Surrey, in 1966; it was first marketed in the failed BSA Ariel 3 of 1970 and then licensed to Honda.
Personal and cargo versions
Honda has built seven models with this configuration. The first Stream was introduced in 1981, followed closely by three other personal transport versions, the Joy, Just and Road Fox, all short-lived. The cargo-oriented Gyro line begun in 1982 found a ready market, and all three variants were still in production in 2015.
Gyro X
The first Gyro X was introduced in October 1982 with front and rear tie-down racks, small low-pressure tyres and a limited-slip differential for grip on snow and mud, plus a one-push parking brake. By May 2002, 135,226 had been sold. Honda’s suggested retail price for the basic 2008 Gyro X was ¥252,000, close to the simple 49 cc Zoomer at ¥236,250. The second-generation Gyro X of March 2008 switched to the TA03E four-stroke four-valve single with 3.4 kW (4.6 PS) at 7,500 rpm and 4.4 Nm at 7,000 rpm.
Engines
All these vehicles were powered by a 49 cc two-stroke engine until March 2008, when the two-strokes of the Gyro X and Gyro Canopy became four-strokes and the Gyro Up was discontinued.
Design and features
- Tilting three-wheeler: stable when stopped, leaning in turns.
- Hinged rear pod: engine and two drive wheels in a compact unit.
- Limited-slip differential: traction on snow and mud.
- Delivery racks and parking brake: built for commercial use.
Honda Gyro versions
- Stream, Joy, Just and Road Fox: personal transport versions from 1981.
- Gyro X (1982): the cargo three-wheeler.
- Gyro Up: cargo variant dropped in 2008.
- Gyro Canopy: the enclosed delivery version.
- Second-generation Gyro X (2008): four-stroke TA03E engine.
The Gyro shares its small-engine engineering with the Honda Zoomer and the Super Cub. More Hondas are in the Honda collection.
Sources
- Honda Gyro, English Wikipedia: layout, models, Gyro X, engines, prices
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