In 1977, the Yamaha Passol made its debut as a brand-new scooter intended for those who had never ridden or owned one, the perfect beginner bike. The Passols design leaned into a "light, gentle, friendly" persona rather than being just another little two-stroke city bike like the rest of the bikes during this late 70s era. Yamaha purposefully created it to be welcoming for women and novice riders. Its compact frame, small 2E9 chassis, pastel 2-tone color choices, nimble handling, and low seat height with a pass-through design for skirts emphasized the lifestyle appeal, simplicity, and classiness over sportiness and speed.
Despite not being promoted as a youth tuner bike at that time, the Passol's playable size and weird proportions design compared to other bases in this list led to its acceptance by the scene. Builders mostly used the Passol like a blank canvas, keeping it simple with a 2 tone color way. There were a few people who did the complete opposite and pulled it off. Small skinny side panels, front leg shield, handlebars that are a part of the design, sharp but skinny fender, and a square headlight in the front makes up the sleek and uncomplicated shape. Despite its slow and low engine tuning ceiling, these somehow caught on and created their own styling within this subculture.
Common Modifications
The Passol can be built in three main styles, each reflecting a different era of customization.
The first approach keeps the classic two-tone look. The front panel is always left in its original cream color, while the rest of the body can be painted any color you want. This style focuses on preserving the simple charm of the Passol rather than slamming it to the ground. Small upgrades go a long way, new grips, different handlebars, and clear indicator lenses are usually enough. Some builders even add a grass floor mat for that old-school touch.
By the late 90s and early 2000s, ketsuage (ass raised) scooters became popular, and the Passol worked surprisingly well as a base. Builders would raise the rear suspension as high as possible, add sandan seats, high-rise handlebars, a chamber with a painted fan cover, two-tone wheels, and a wing on the back. This created a tall, flashy silhouette that fit the 2000s era perfectly.
The third and most common modern approach mixes both styles. Most Passol builds today get a cowl, wing, chamber, wrapped seat, clear signals, a metal or chrome headlight cowl, and sometimes a short flagpole mounted near the front wheel to pull everything together. Because the Passol has limited body panels, venting isn’t a major part of the styling, though some builders add or source front panels with three vents on each side. Sticker placement is also distinctive: team stickers usually run along the panel under the seat and up to the floorboard, while personal slaps are often placed on the inside of the front panel facing the rider.
This is one of the only scooters that you can leave the suspension and still look as good or better than without suspension!
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Bar & Grip Upgrades
Small touches go a long way on this base. New grips, different handlebars, and clear indicator lenses are the main upgrades for the clean, classic build. -
Grass Floor Mat
A very old-school touch. Some builders add a grass-style floor mat for that old man ’80s styling that fits the Passol perfectly. -
Ketsuage (Raised-Ass)
For 2000s-style builds, raise the rear suspension, add a sandan seat, high-rise bars, and a chamber with a painted fan cover. Two-tone wheels and a rear wing finish the tall silhouette. -
Stickers
Sticker placement is part of the style: team stickers run along the lower body and floorboard, while personal slaps go on the inside of the front panel. -
Tail cowl
Remove rear rack and fit a tail cowl (wing), often paired with undercowl and headlight cowl. Dream revolution makes a really cool V-notch wing! -
Mini Flagpole
A short flagpole near the front wheel is a common finishing touch, usually topped with a Hasio-style crystal gem topper for the classy look.
This generation of the Passol had several variations. This covers the main ones you will run into:
Passol
The original model came with a compact frame and a clean panel design, using fully enclosed bodywork to keep the lines smooth. Offered in Competition Yellow, Urban Blue, Cream White, Lime Green, and Red, it had a friendly, simple look that matched its lightweight 45 kg frame and beginner-friendly styling.
Passol D
Minor specification updates and comfort tweaks were added, with the most noticeable changes being the addition of a fuel gauge and a front basket. The color palette stayed mostly in line with the original release.
Passol Million
A limited edition celebrating sales milestones, offered only in cream-white with a blue seat and painted wheels. Although it was originally sold for the same price as the 1977 Passol, it’s quite rare to find one for sale today.
Why People Choose This Base
The Passol is one of the most visually distinctive scooters in this style. Its thin 70s design is clean and instantly recognizable. With the Passol, less is more, keeping it close to stock with a flagpole and a clean paint job is where this base shines. It’s also relatively inexpensive compared to other 50cc scooters on this list, which makes it appealing for project builds.
The Downsides
The Passol is not performance-based. Its tiny frame and older engine design mean you won’t be pushing tuning limits or doing aggressive riding. Aftermarket parts are far more limited than for Yamaha Jog, Honda Tact, or Dio platforms. If you’re aiming for a wild cowl or a performance-heavy build, the Passol will fight you, although that’s not to say it isn’t possible…
So Why Should You Buy One???
The Yamaha Passol is perfect for people who want a stylish, classy, and simple scooter rather than a fast or heavily modified, spark-throwing build. It shines when treated like a fashion piece, lowered stance, painted wheels, custom bars, clean paint, and small details. If your vision leans toward performance, aggressive aero, wild vents, or high-speed tuning, this isn’t the platform for that. But if you’re into vintage aesthetics and want something charming and low-key, the Passol gives you a unique base that rewards creativity over power.
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