It was 1980 in the UK, The Buggles' Video Killed The Radio Star was in the charts. Ford released the latest generation of its Escort (The Mk3), Punk rock was being replaced with the Synthesizer and Yamaha released the SA50 Passola.

Scootering gained popularity in the 1950s & 60s with models such as Piaggio's Vespa and Innocenti's Lambretta. You could say that the Italians invented the motor-scooter. There were many attempts by other motorcycle companies at the time to replicate Innocenti's & Piaggio's success, but they either didn't get it right, or were just not as popular.

The 1970s saw the birth of the first superbike and the rise, and fall, of the sports moped, but not many scooters. The Vespa & Lambretta were still being sold and there were new machines such as Honda's NC50 Express, but these were basically an exposed frame with an engine bolted on.

What is the point of this history lesson? I hear you ask.

Unlike the motor scooters that came before it, the Passola was designed with simplicity and ease of use in mind. It was the first serious attempt from a Japanese manufacturer to replicate the Italian scooters of the 1960s. It may've been a simple machine to operate, but the design and engineering was advanced and typically Japanese.

It was hoped that the Passola would get more Women onto two wheels. Motorcycles were seen as dirty, smelly machines which you needed to wear leather suits, big gloves and boots to ride. Both the Vespa & Lambretta had manual gearboxes and the 'large frame' models were quite heavy. One similarity the Passola had with the Italian machines was that all the working parts were hidden behind body panels. The Italian machines had metal panels, but the Passola used lightweight plastic.

Most two-stroke machines up until this point were pre-mix, which meant the oil had to be mixed with the fuel manually. This could be a messy affair, so the Passola was fitted with the YamaLube (Yamaha Autolube) oil injection system. There were two filler caps under the seat, one for fuel and the other for oil. The rider simply refilled the oil when the warning lamp came on.

One advanced system on the Passola was the fully automatic fuel-tap and choke setup. The fuel-tap was operated by a vacuum that was drawn from the carburettor while the engine was running. The choke system used vacuum and a Bi-metalic Valve System (BVS) which was fitted to the head. When the engine warmed up, the heat from the head opened the Bi-metallic valve which allowed vacuum pressure to overcome the sprung pressure on the choke plunger inside the carburettor. This made starting a Passola a very easy task. Just put your key in, switch the ignition on, and kick the engine over. This process became even easier in 1982 when the electric start SA50ME was released.

The Passola's ignition system used a CDI (Capacitor Discharge Ignition). This did away with points and a condensor which meant it was more reliable and there were two less things to check or replace while servicing the machine.

The transmission system on the Passola was another great piece of design. The UK machines featured a fully automatic, two-speed gearbox which used two separate centrifugal clutches with chain drive to the rear axle. When you were ready to pull off, you opened the throttle by using the twist-grip, the engine revs increased which then caused the first-gear clutches to throw out; You would now be on the move – hence the expression 'twist & go'. When the engine revs reached around 4900rpm, the second gear clutches would then throw out and change gear. When slowing down, the clutches would disengage just before stopping and the engine would return to idle. This eliminated the need for clutch and gear levers.

Passola's in other countries were fitted with a single-speed transmission. This would've been to comply with rules and regulations for powered two wheeled machines. Top speed on these machines would've been around 20mph, while the UK machines would reach 30mph.

All of these things kept the operation of the scooter as simple to operate as possible, only the essential controls and switches were kept.

The Passola was so successful, rival companies decided to release their own models to compete. Honda brought out the NS50 Melody, while Suzuki responded with their CL50 Love. Both of these machines had air-cooled 49cc two-stroke engines and a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).

Finally in 1982, a new model of Passola was released – the SA50ME, or Passola Electric as it was badged. The standard Passola was restyled to match the new electric start model. They both featured a restyled front-end, which included the upper & lower legshields, handlebars & cowlings and also the speedometer.

The electric start model had a larger capacity battery and charging system, a redesigned oil tank, relocated ignition coil and regulator and a modified wiring loom. The starter motor was fitted inside the transmission cover and drove the engine via a modified first gear clutch assembly.

The production of both the Passola & Passola Electric ended in 1985.

In more recent years, 80's scooters like the Passola, Melody and Love are enjoying a resurgence and have become popular with people who own motor-homes as they are small, lightweight and can easily be transported. Second-hand values for nice examples are on the rise.

SA50 Released : May 1980 - SA50M & ME Released : July 1982 - Production Ended : 1985