Honda G Dash / G' / AF23 - Restore, Modify and Document.
Mar 25, 2024 11:31:56 GMT -5
190mech, aeroxbud, and 3 more like this
Post by hippo008 on Mar 25, 2024 11:31:56 GMT -5
Hello everyone, I am back with another rare Honda!
1989 G Dash / G' / AF23
1989 G Dash / G' / AF23 Short backstory: I was given this scooter as a box of parts in a trade. It came with damaged panels, no motor and missing some of its original parts. It came with a set of OEM Honda ZX wheels. I think the ZX where offered with later models like the Super Dio / Dio 2 models (AF27 and AF28 respectively) or about 6~ years after the release of the G'.
Model History and Details
There is very little information about this model online and essentially none of it is in English. A lot of the information I have is going to be pieced together from a bunch of online sources using Google Translate and the service manual I bought from an auction in Japan. Information is so scarce I can't even determine the actual name of the model. I have seen it listed as G', G Dash, Honda G' or just G. In the service manual its referred to as both G Dash and G' so I am sticking with those names for now.
This is the rarest Honda scooter that came with an AF18E pattern motor ever produced. As far as I know this scooter was only available for the 1989 model year and in Japan only. As far as options go the scooter came in only two color options, black or red. I am not sure if Honda offered any OEM accessories at the time of sale. The red model seems to be harder to find and parts are more scarce. I don't have sales numbers but it seems to me that the Honda G' in Red is the rarest AF18E scooter ever made. The G' is also highly unique and doesn't recycle much from previous models. Quite a few parts for the G' are totally unique and not found on any other model. This makes replacement parts exceptionally rare and expensive.
A special, notable part is the G's airbox. The airbox is different than any other AF18E equipped model. Its larger, longer and de-restricted from the factory. Its larger size and free flowing design make it highly desirable to tuners who want more performance while maintaining a factory look. In the late 1990s a rough clone of the G's airbox was made by a company called DDX. DDX airboxes today are coveted by honda tuners and very valuable. Unfortunately my G' has come without an airbox and I am trying to source one from Japan with limited success.
The rumor is that the G' was the first "race" oriented scooter Honda made. By combining a bent frame similar to that of a Spree/Eve Smile, smaller compact size, Honda's new AF18E motor, a unique enlarged de-restricted airbox and front disk brake the result was a scooter with more power, less weight and better handling. The scooter weighs in at just 140lbs wet.
The scooter was the successor to the DJ1-RR and the G' recycles some of the DJ1 / DJ1-RR parts. The scooter has no underseat storage and instead uses and underseat gas tank. The DJ1-RR was also somewhat uncommon but did have a European counterpart called the Honda Vision.
DJ1-RR
Some time around the release of the scooter a few Japanese manufacturers produced some interesting and unique aftermarket parts. Most notable are the G' style expansion chambers, floor mats and inner baskets. Ive been hunting down all three parts but they are so rare and expensive its hard to justify. All three start at around $350 without shipping from Japan. They occasionally pop-up in Thailand but the prices are just as high.
The goal is to strip the scooter down to its frame and restore the frame, body panels and original hardware. The motor is being swapped out for a big-spline AF18E with Corsa, 98mm JISO CVT and C16 exhaust. Suspension is also being upgraded. A fun fast street setup!
