Is this the coolest paddock bike ever?

The Yamaha Chappy is almost a forgotten example of the mini-bike craze – until you give it a Gulf paint-scheme and a trailer

1977 Yamaha Chappy

MINI-BIKES were a big craze in the 70s, with machines like the Honda Z50 and Kawasaki’s Trail 75 offering big fun in a diminutive package.

Fast forward to 2019 and the mini-bike craze is going through something of a resurgence thanks to bikes like the futuristically styled Honda Grom and newly released Monkey. But they don’t have the same old-world charm of the original, featherweight examples.

And if old-world charm is your thing, this 1977 Yamaha Chappy has it in spades thanks to its classy Gulf paintjob and handy looking paddock trailer.

Going under the hammer at the Race Retro auction this weekend, the machine was created by a classic car race team, who were looking for something a little different to carry their tools and tyres from the pits to the starting grid.

With just 653-miles from new and its perfectly applied paint-job, we think this is possibly the coolest paddock bike we’ve seen. And with an estimate of just £500 to £600, it’s also a damn sight cheaper than a modern mini-bike!

To see the listing, click here.

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