Honda C90

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Honda C90

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 36 total)
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  • #227201
    Barnaby Wilde
    Participant
      @barnabywilde70941

      I've never 'restored' a motorcycle as such, much preferring to upgrade, modify & tune them, but with the onset of old age comes a shortening of the sight & the quick reactions needed to chuck a performance motorcycle up the Via Gellia to the Cat & Fiddle like I used too. So I've pretty much retired myself to life in the garage.

      I've been looking around for a sensible restoration project & somehow become focused on restoring a Honda C90.

      My God. Have you seen the prices they fetch?

      A ratty old field bike can fetch £800. A mint example will sell easily for £3k !

      We used to trade these for conkers & I can't ever remember anyone admitting to paying more than £50 for a road legal one. I used to pass the carcass's of at least 5 when out walking the dog !

      So if anyone knows of one sat in the back of a shed anywhere? Fair (current) price will be paid & maybe I'll have a go at my first concours restoration.

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      #34310
      Barnaby Wilde
      Participant
        @barnabywilde70941
        #227202
        Russell Eberhardt
        Participant
          @russelleberhardt48058

          I had one of those in the early 1970s but soon got rid of it. £50 sounds about right. I wouldn't pay any more for one today!

          Russell

          #227203
          Nick_G
          Participant
            @nick_g

            .

            Has it got to be a C90.?? – I understand if it has to be as a lot of people want to restore something like their first bike. – Hence the prices of things like the Honda 400/4, SS50's and FS1E's.

            If not then how about an old original CG125. Once done still a very usable and reliable bike.

            Yup. ………… I know that Cat and Fiddle feeling. Every time I start to ride it I have delusions of being Valentino Rossi. But within 400 yards I end up riding like my Grandmother.! laugh

            Nick

            #227204
            mechman48
            Participant
              @mechman48

              Aaah memories; at 16, (over 52 yrs ago now ) my first bike… tongue in cheek, a Capitano moped… 50 cc, anyone remember those ?… followed up by a Honda C50…followed by a James 197 ( Villiers engine ), had to give up biking after that… sadly missed.

              George.

              #227205
              Nick_G
              Participant
                @nick_g
                Posted by Nick_G on 27/02/2016 10:01:10:

                .

                If not then how about an old original CG125. Once done still a very usable and reliable bike.

                Nick

                .

                Here. **LINK**

                Not one of the first. But a good base for a restoration project.

                Nick

                #227212
                Gerald Caswell
                Participant
                  @geraldcaswell30890

                  I loved restoring my motorcycles but beware the cost, I purchased a 1981 cx500 custom in 2013 for £400 and rebuilt it . I will be selling it shortly for £2000 and you may think that is a good profit, but this will not cover the expense of parts needed to get it into as new condition.

                  #227213
                  Hollowpoint
                  Participant
                    @hollowpoint

                    A good place to pick up old bikes are autojumbles. I don't know where you are based but try and find one local to you. I know the is one tomorrow at Newark. It costs to get in but the prices are usually far more reasonable.

                    #227214
                    Gordon W
                    Participant
                      @gordonw

                      If you do find a C90 or even 50cc. I've been looking for years, as you say very silly prices.

                      #227217
                      Barnaby Wilde
                      Participant
                        @barnabywilde70941
                        Posted by Nick_G on 27/02/2016 10:01:10:

                        .

                        Has it got to be a C90.?? – I understand if it has to be as a lot of people want to restore something like their first bike. – Hence the prices of things like the Honda 400/4, SS50's and FS1E's.

                        If not then how about an old original CG125. Once done still a very usable and reliable bike.

                        Yup. ………… I know that Cat and Fiddle feeling. Every time I start to ride it I have delusions of being Valentino Rossi. But within 400 yards I end up riding like my Grandmother.! laugh

                        Nick

                        I noticed that my old FS1E was still MOT'd & finally tracked her down via the many Facebook fizzy pages. I was the 4th owner with the current one being the 29th . We used to call that a slag. She's a different colour now with disk brake front end. Strange but I didn't get an overwhelming urge to buy her back.

                        I owned an early CG125 with the filler cap on one side of the tank but it has bad memories for me, I recall pushing it home more than riding it.

                        If I'm reliving my youth then I must say that I must have had very good taste in motorcycles. Aircooled RD250's & 350 Elsie's fetch ridiculous amounts & I doubt that any of the barrels & cranks are serviceable. GpZ 900r's seem reasonably priced & this was the bike that elevated me to 'riding God'. I was the first of my mates to have one, but that would be a complex & expensive restoration.

                        I'm still not budging from a C90.

                        #227218
                        Tim Chambers
                        Participant
                          @timchambers76147

                          This might be why they are at a premium nowadays.

                          **LINK**

                          #227221
                          Cornish Jack
                          Participant
                            @cornishjack

                            Timing is all!!

                            Bought a C90 for local transport in the mid 70s. After 4500 miles changed jobs and it was stored and remained so through a number of location changes. Had it made roadworthy just after arrival in present location but then nadgered my knee so couldn't start it. Left it in garden shed until shed was demolished by 2013 'surge' Young lad helping to clear storm damage showed interest, so gave it to him to remake roadworthy. Seemed quite chuffed!

                            Memories of a super little runabout, comfortable, reliable and SO much easier to do any work on the points after a previous C70. For me, the lack of electric start was the only problem.

                            rgds

                            Bill

                            #227222
                            Ian Parkin
                            Participant
                              @ianparkin39383

                              I can do you a ripe for restoration MZ es250/2

                              all complete new tyres tubes two seats…individual rubber saddles type

                              Earles forks

                              Not for nothing but negotiable

                              #227226
                              mike T
                              Participant
                                @miket56243

                                Hello Mick

                                You may be in luck.

                                We have a Honda C90 (with some spares) which is just ripe for restoration. I will get it out of the shed and take some photos this afternoon if you are still interested in a C90. It was a good reliable runner but has been stored for a few years.

                                Send me a PM with your email address so I know where to send the photos.

                                What part of the country are you located? I am near Portsmouth.

                                Regards

                                Mike

                                #227227
                                NJH
                                Participant
                                  @njh

                                  Well many years ago I bought a C50, new, for journeys through town to work. It was, I suppose, OK for this but it was unlovely, at times hard to start, and not enjoyable to ride. If I was looking for a restoration project, I think I would seek something a bit more worthy of all the time, effort and cash involved. ( …..but maybe you find the C90 so ?!)

                                  Norman

                                  #227228
                                  Martin W
                                  Participant
                                    @martinw

                                    Hi

                                    There is quite a nice looking one here for £650.

                                    Cheers

                                    Martin

                                    #227267
                                    Tim Stevens
                                    Participant
                                      @timstevens64731

                                      One of my students in the 1970s explained to me a 'deliberate design fault' on the C90 which he said was built in for a purpose.

                                      The fault? A lack of paint protection under the seat pan.

                                      The purpose? – to rot away eventually, as no-one could work out another way to get them off the road (and so sell new ones).

                                      So, that's why they hold a good price!

                                      Cheers, Tim

                                      #227282
                                      john fletcher 1
                                      Participant
                                        @johnfletcher1

                                        Wife and I have had C90 for many years now, they are very reliable little bikes, good brake and comfortable.to ride in spite of the pot holes. I have had engines to bits and fitted big ends and other bits as required.Nothing to complicated but very well thought out and well made. I haven't found an easy way to remove and refit the back wheel without help. Also the centre stand isn't easy to oil without help, it get all the mess from the road with no protection, therefore it gets rusty. As the engine has small oil capacity I change it often, only takes about a litre. Apparently Honda stopped importing C90 into UK, they import a 125 4 speed instead. I'm told the will pull two with ease but have only a small fuel tank, I've had two up on mine a few times with no problem and where we live its very hilly. John

                                        #227288
                                        Mark P.
                                        Participant
                                          @markp

                                          In my view the prices asked for what was/is a run of the mill bike, for machines which were produced in their thousands are more than silly. I think that the word “classic” is very over used. A lot of them were not really much cop in the first place. Just my opinion.
                                          Mark P.

                                          #227289
                                          Neil Wyatt
                                          Moderator
                                            @neilwyatt

                                            My dad (who used to own Triumphs, Nortons, Vincents and Velocettes before I came along) eventually ended up commuting from Barry to Cardiff on a step-through.

                                            He used to wear bright yellow/orange waterproofs and a peaked white leather helmet (probably 20 years past being legal…)

                                            Naturally I noticed this gear gave him resemblance to a popular water bird, so one night I got out a magic marker and drew a large cartoon of a bath-duck on a wheeled-toilet-like scooter on the back of his waterproof jacket surrounded by the words 'DEMON DUCK'.

                                            Next morning he got to work to be met with much ribald comment from his colleagues. He'd been wondering why the whole way into work people had been honking their horns and waving at him. Worst part was he had to ride all the way home again in the same gear

                                            He had some choice language for me

                                            Neil

                                            #227315
                                            Mike Poole
                                            Participant
                                              @mikepoole82104

                                              Two friends of mine went to a bike rally in the Coventry area from Oxford on a C90 with camping gear. There were some interesting creations at the first moped Grand Prix at Birmingham wheels centre, I am not sure if C90s were eligible but there were C50 based entries.

                                              Mike

                                              #227320
                                              Chris Evans 6
                                              Participant
                                                @chrisevans6

                                                They come up in Old Bike Mart at times but good ones are around the £1200 mark.Brilliant little bike loved by many. Heed what Tim says though and check the rear mudguard/seat pan they rot big time.

                                                #227457
                                                mike T
                                                Participant
                                                  @miket56243

                                                  Well there was lots of nostalgia for the C90 but mine was the only offer of a donor C90 for restoration by Mick.

                                                  Mike T

                                                  #227620
                                                  nigel jones 5
                                                  Participant
                                                    @nigeljones5

                                                    I once rode my c50 up a field, turned round and hurtled back down, only to discover that in that short space of time a mine working had collapsed and there was now a 4 foot deep trench where there hadnt been one minutes before! Bike in tranch, left arm took full impact, disslocated shoulder, elbow and wrist…oh, and broken arm in eight places. That was my last ever ride on a step-thru! Sold it with broken fork legs for £10 next day.

                                                    #227632
                                                    JimmieS
                                                    Participant
                                                      @jimmies

                                                      The 'Buzzing Club' – National Autocycle and Cyclemotor Club – is a nationwide club specialising in Cyclemotors, Autocycles, Mopeds and Small Motorbikes. Instead of a C90 why not locate a set of unmachined castings and produce your own cyclemotor. Plans and advice in the 1940's Model Engineer magazines.

                                                      Or even print your own 3D patterns!

                                                      Jim

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