Honda CT70HE from 1970

Divouneh

Divouneh

Active Member
#1
#1
I just bought an old CT70HE, this specific model have 4 speeds and manual clutch.
To be honest is far to be my best buy :mad:, I realize at home that the frame is not strait and I will probably have to find
another one but... it will an interesting project. ;)
It will probably be a custom project but keeping the CT spirit...
Engine is complet, electrical circuit in fair status, original key...
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Divouneh

Divouneh

Active Member
#2
#2
Today cleaning and frame investigations :D.
The swingarm shaft is damaged, shaft is probably bent. I can't remove it( I will probably need to cut ).
This means my frame could be good, however it's to early to confirm.
I am going to open the clutch side to clean the oil circuit (pump screen and centrifugal filter).
The brake pads from the rear wheel are gone :mad:...


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C

cfh

Well-Known Member
#3
#3
I re-did a 1970 Honda CT70h K0. i don't think i'll ever do it again. talk about money money money. and in the end, it's not really a very good mini bike. i would rather ride an XR75 or any Speedway with a Tecumseh than this thing. It's fragile, handles poorly, and expensive to deal with. Juice not worth the squeeze. Before and after pictures below...
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RobertC

RobertC

#4
#4
Hey Eric, that's encouraging about the swing arm shaft !

I hope that's all it is.

That's great progress for the first day. When you get a new project, you don't mess around ! :)
 
C

cfh

Well-Known Member
#6
#6
Yeah the CT 70 was the most expensive Minibike project I ever did. Just it seems like every little part is missing. Or broken. You can get every part new or repro, which is nice. But man you gotta pay for it. i swear you could make a new ct70 from parts that are available!

don’t really care about the street legal thing. I mean it’s cute but let’s be honest, it’s still a Minibike. and it doesn’t go fast enough, at least where I live, for any real street use. I have mine licensed through Vermont. But I’m not really sure that buys me much. Ha!

The engine on my orange one was just whooped. the amount of money and time spent on rebuilding the motor was devastating to my wallet.

I bought another blue one that I did not restore. It’s a three speed automatic and it more or less ran when I bought it. That’s the way to buy these, so you can kind of see what kind of trouble you’re getting into. The automatic is not as good as the four-speed manual, but it’s still a Minibike…

i’m much more interested in the Honda XR75s. Particularly the 1977 and 1978 models. Which have a five speed transmission and aren’t nearly as expensive as the 1973 through 1976 xr75 models. They’re a lot easier to work on and much more durable. And they actually handle really well. Great little bikes for a decent price point. And the 1979 to 1982 XR80s are even less expensive, and just as fun. I mean they’re not collectible, but they’re just fun little bikes that are easy to work on and ride great.


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Divouneh

Divouneh

Active Member
#8
#8
Today my first order of spares :eek:, preparing the engine to be open (oil pump screen, centrifugal filter,
Ignition checking, valves play} ....
Cleaning my workshop to start the second phase after the main checking (Frame and dust removal).:confused:
First question : Are all gears in the bottom of the neutral N/1/2/3/4 Not 4/3/2/N/1st ?
View recent photos.png
 
C

cfh

Well-Known Member
#9
#9
The CT70 is all down.... 3 speed autos are 3 down. 4 speed manuals are 4 down. Another reason i don't really like the CT70 so much. It's more like a Hodaka Ace motor in terms of shifting pattern. Much prefer 1 down, 3 up (or 1 down, 4 up) on the manual transmision ct70. I think 3 down is fine for automatics though...
 
pomfish

pomfish

Well-Known Member
#10
#10
cfh said:
Yeah the CT 70 was the most expensive Minibike project I ever did. Just it seems like every little part is missing. Or broken. You can get every part new or repro, which is nice. But man you gotta pay for it. i swear you could make a new ct70 from parts that are available!

don’t really care about the street legal thing. I mean it’s cute but let’s be honest, it’s still a Minibike. and it doesn’t go fast enough, at least where I live, for any real street use. I have mine licensed through Vermont. But I’m not really sure that buys me much. Ha!

The engine on my orange one was just whooped. the amount of money and time spent on rebuilding the motor was devastating to my wallet.

I bought another blue one that I did not restore. It’s a three speed automatic and it more or less ran when I bought it. That’s the way to buy these, so you can kind of see what kind of trouble you’re getting into. The automatic is not as good as the four-speed manual, but it’s still a Minibike…

i’m much more interested in the Honda XR75s. Particularly the 1977 and 1978 models. Which have a five speed transmission and aren’t nearly as expensive as the 1973 through 1976 xr75 models. They’re a lot easier to work on and much more durable. And they actually handle really well. Great little bikes for a decent price point. And the 1979 to 1982 XR80s are even less expensive, and just as fun. I mean they’re not collectible, but they’re just fun little bikes that are easy to work on and ride great.


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Alright, Love that XR80, fantastic machines.
But it is not fair to compare Mini Cycle (CT70) and certainly not small motorcycle (XR80) to lawnmower engined mini bikes.
Of course the CT70 cost way more to rebuild/restore. It has lots more parts to begin with and you have to buy them from Motorcycle Dealers (I.E. list Prices) so no deals on spare parts and you can't just swap another engine off Snowblower/Tiller/Brushgrinder etc.

Talking nothing away from the Speedways, but if you were to list your Honda up against those, mainly only seasoned mini bike guys even know what Speedway bikes are whereas most everyone knows of Honda and the quality reliable reputation that they have established.
Therefore the return on investment can be better. Not that Speedways are not valuable, they are.
Yes your CT70H probably had too many things missing and worn to make it a viable return but is always going to be able to be sold on demand for a decent price. Restore looks Killer by the way, great presentation.

I have a Red 1970 CT70 3 speed auto and can not get it out and wash it without someone stopping by the house when driving by to ask if it is for sale.
Then they always tell me why they remember those bikes and it is not always because they owned one but they had ridden one back in childhood and it left great memories.
Also have a 73 SL70 and it is a fine small motorcycle but does not have enough power for someone 6' 2" 235 lbs. to safely ride in traffic but it is fine for fun off road with the manual 4 speed and bigger carb than the CT70.
Best part to me from a fun standpoint is they never need to be tinkered with, gas and go and the brakes are bulletproof wet or dry.
Don't burn oil and they do not leak.

Still love my lawnmower engine powered mini bikes but the Mini Cycles and Small Motorcycles are just a different breed.
Thanks for the read. Peace out.
Keith
 
C

cfh

Well-Known Member
#11
#11
so i have a place in south Las Vegas that i ride on the border of the black hills. and i have a CT70 (actually a china made clone with a125cc motor), and a Speedway Red Baron rebuilt with an HS50 engine/hot cam/slide carb, and a 1979 honda Xr80. i take them all up in the black hills to ride. the ct70 rides decent, but handles poorly. the xr80 is Ok but for some reason, i just can't seem to like it. The speedway is actually the best of the three. as far as ride and handling.

Now here in michigan i have basically the same trio. but the terrain is radically different. more dirt and grass, where in vegas it's rocky dessert. here i like the xr80 (or xr75) best, followed by the Speedways. Last place is for sure the Ct70. it just kinda sucks all around.

I understand the demand for the ct70. i remember when i was a kid i had a broncco tx1 with a hs40 and comet torque converter. and the neighbor got a ct70 auto 3speed. they made endless fun of me. but frankly in a drag race, i could kill them. run circles around the ct70. hill terrain was better with the broncco also, at least for the most part. but the ct70 was more glorious, fancy, and street legal. (none of us were 16 so not sure that mattered.) i think top end speed was higher on the ct70, but off the line, could just kill the ct70 with the tecumseh powered broncco.

but the king of the neighborhood was the guy with the Rupp Roadster2. That kicked everyone's butt! well at least until we got older and bought Kawasaki Kx100 or Yamaha yz80 or suzuki rm125 bikes...
 
pomfish

pomfish

Well-Known Member
#12
#12
Yeah agree 100% about Honda 70's getting lunch eaten on take off. Takes them forever to get to top speed too. But the luxury of having dedicated gears makes it so much better in the woods for the technical areas and you don't have to worry about smoking out your convertor belt during a heavy day of riding. Again the brakes spoil you as well.
Now the guys of current day with CT70's that show up at Windber have some stuff that really goes but most of them are big bore and tricked out cams, pipes etc. so no comparison to stock.

Currently have an MTD 10"Trailflight with converter and leading link front and and that bike handles really well for spring shocks front and rear.
Friend had that Broncco like yours and it did handle way better and faster than my second hand Cat Slingshot with the 3.5 Tech.
As kids we used to ride outside this Cardboard Box factory in some unclaimed land which backed up to the Flood control Dam so you could come off the dike full speed then go into the track area and there was like a 4 foot drop so could get air without being so high that the forks would get damaged.
Remember the day school mate Dean shows up with Honda XR75 and it was game over for the handling compared to our hardtail mini's.
Guys with the converters could get him off the line but in the rough stuff, well there is nothing like Hydraulic forks and decent travel swingarms :)

Then like 2 years later upgraded to a Kawasaki F7 175 and thought I was king sheet until next summer skinny kid John shows up with new Yamaha YZ125 with the Mono Shock.
Dude was jumping the dike, we just stood there and stared. It was a new day at the Box factory.

Good times.
 
ZR9B

ZR9B

#13
#13
Nice score!!! I really want a 4spd. I just did a 71 CT70 3 spd and yes it is $$$$$ . I did use mostly OEM when I could. I think I counted 1268 parts that I put my hands on....I have it written down somewhere. It is slow and I don't think I would take my hands off the bars for very long , but it sure does draw a crowd...maybe to much attention. I have a spare motor i will big bore , that should help. I do enjoy riding around with a few of my neighbors. The one has a new Honda 50 looking bike the other has a early Honda elite he has had since new...less than 100 miles on it when he pulled it out of storage....he is like 80 years old and still gets out with us!!!
 

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cfh

Well-Known Member
#16
#16
on the H models it is *very* important the frame serial number syncs with the motor. there's an "H" as part of the serial number. I would not change the frame unless there's a really good reason to do that.
 
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cfh

Well-Known Member
#18
#18
Yea but the "H" in the serial number means *everything*. and the serial number and motor number need to sync up too. or you're losing value on the bike.
 
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