The Yamaha Passol is a line of scooters that began in 1977 with the Passol S50, Yamaha’s first production scooter. Sold only in Japan, it was designed to be easy for anyone to ride and helped create a new market for small, friendly machines.
Yamaha Passol at a glance
| Maker | Yamaha Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Class | Scooter |
| First model | Passol S50, March 1977 |
| Market | Japan only |
| Price at launch | ¥69,800 |
| Engine | 49 cc vertical air-cooled two-stroke single |
| Bore and stroke | 40 × 39.7 mm |
| Power | 2.3 hp at 5,500 rpm |
| Torque | 3.6 N·m at 3,500 rpm |
| Top speed | 45 km/h |
| Weight | 45 kg |
| Fuel consumption | 75 km/L |
Based on one source (English Wikipedia).
History of the Yamaha Passol
The Passol S50 was launched in March 1977 as Yamaha’s first production scooter and was sold only in Japan. Yamaha wanted to compete with Honda’s Road Pal, which was promoted by Sophia Loren, so it hired actress Kaoru Yachigusa for its commercials. The company also held exhibitions and moped licence schools so that more people could ride the scooter.
The Passol was marketed as a commuter and priced at ¥69,800, roughly $250 at the exchange rate of the time. It was aimed specifically at women in Japan and helped create the so-called “soft bike” market at a time when more women were entering the workforce. The 2E9 frame was designed so that almost anyone could ride it, with engine covers to keep clothing clean, a step-through layout instead of leg-over mounting and bicycle-style handbrakes. The 49 cc vertical air-cooled two-stroke single had a 40 mm bore and 39.7 mm stroke and produced 2.3 hp at 5,500 rpm, with a continuously variable transmission, drum brakes, a telescopic fork and a single rear shock.
A higher-grade Passola SA50 followed in 1978 at ¥89,800, adding half a horsepower, a fuel gauge, an automatic choke and an oil-level warning lamp. The Passol name returned in 2002 on an electric scooter sold only in Japan. Weighing 44 kg with a claimed range of 32 km, it was described as Japan’s first mass-produced electric motorcycle and used a lithium-ion battery. A Passol-L with a larger battery followed in 2005, along with the related EC-02, and a battery recall in late 2006 led Yamaha to halt electric motorcycle production in 2007. The Passol won a Good Design Gold Award in 2003, and in 2004 Kanichi Fujiwara set off to circumnavigate the world on one.
Design and features
- Easy mounting: a step-through 2E9 frame and engine covers made the scooter approachable.
- Bicycle-style controls: handbrakes and a simple CVT transmission lowered the learning curve.
- Electric revival: the 2002 Passol was an early mass-produced electric scooter in Japan.
- Design awards: Good Design Gold Award in 2003 and a Design for Asia Award in 2004.
Yamaha Passol versions
- Passol S50 (1977): the original 49 cc scooter, Japan only.
- Passola SA50 (1978): higher-grade version with more power and extra equipment.
- Passol electric (2002): lithium-ion scooter with a 32 km range.
- Passol-L (2005): electric model with a larger battery.
- EC-02 (2005): related electric model with an iPod dock.
Other small Yamaha scooters include the QT50 and the Jog. More models are in the Yamaha collection.
Sources
- Yamaha Passol, English Wikipedia: S50, Passola, electric models, awards, specifications
