restoring my first bike

After many years of sitting in a shed I have started working on my first bike, 1966 CT 90. The only reason I parked it some 20 years ago is that I go a bigger bike. It's time for some love for my first!








Anybody have any information on Bill Rudd Motors? I thought it would be cool to reproduce this somehow -

Nice bike! Man there's something about them horizontal Hondas! BEST fuckin motors ever built!

In my opinion still, the most simple, bullet proof motor. I have a 2007 CRF 50 with that motor with a smaller bore and 3 gears, and it is a hell of a motor. No frills, but simple, bullet proof reliability. I never even change the oil, doing it this weekend. And it just runs like a dream.

I have put that 50 thru a lot! Me and my big fat friend road it 2-up one time! Totalling about 400 lbs! And its rated for 88 lbs! Huh! Still pulled well, in 1st and 2nd still plenty of power! Road it down the dried river under the ranch [almost an obstical coarse], almost flooded it thru a huge puddle, gone mudding all over the ranch and flew thru piles of manure, ate shit plenty of times [not literally], etc. But its ALWAYS, since day 1 started on the 1st kick, rather it set for a year or a day, cold or warm. Doesn't even need choke! But one hell of a bike. Not my only dirtbike. But a blast! Perfect for screwing around at the ranch, campgrounds, etc! Not good for long trail rides stock, but perfect for screwing around and wheelies! And I hit 40-45 MPH no problem!

Anyways, nice bike you got! Looks like a fun project! I got a 90 cc Mini Trail chopper project street legal too. Its not like that one tho like a mini bike originally a 50 or 70.

But if I was you, I'd stick with that motor, for it's 3rd world country design, unless you really need extra cc's. Lifan motors are great too. A 140 cc would give that some power. Also 160 cc some brand I don't know I think it's fit that there bike with a lot of power and oil cooler. But not a Honda still. That motor as you probly know is 45 MPH, with a lot of MPG.

And Wow! A 66? Shit, 46 years old? Thats a classic! Give her some love and put some miles on her! Good luck and I'll be watching!

Good bike to redo. Theres only million of them out there still. Even parts can be found in any place in the world. Good touring scooter. http://www.dratv.com/honcttrail90.html I believe has all the part you ll ever need to restore it. even has engine rebuilding video

Cool bike. If it is not rusted, you're in business. Tons of parts available everywhere. For a long time I have been tempted to get one of those off Craigslist, rebuild it from the ground up, and take a non freeway cross country trip on it. Unlike CVT scooters, those have manual transmissions that you can gear down low enough to climb anything, and they work great on gravel roads.

This will be a fun project to watch. It's cool that the scoot has been yours the whole time.

The teardown continues, sure does come apart faster than the "real" bikes do. And it takes up a hell of a lot less space than the XR 500 did that I just finished!

Not finding too much rust, mostly just some spots on the surface, I'll know more when I get a look at the bottom.

The plan has always been to keep the original motor, I never had a problem with it back in the day, I checked the dipstick today and it had nice clean oil on it and it kickes over nicely.

I think anybody that every had one of these as a kid has tales of how much abuse they will take. I remember using it once helping my dad clear out a bunch of trees from the back acreage dragging out 60 odd pounds of tree cuttings at a time with it, I had to practically sit on the handlebars to keep the front end down because we just tied a rope to the luggage rack. It made a great tractor to use in tight spaces. Not to mention the general daily abuse that a pre-teen boy can do to a dirtbike.



Muffler must have made contact at some point.


Growing pile of parts.


Other then grimey, the motor seems to be in good shape.

im doing a really similar project on a CT90,

I was so excited about getting started that I for got I wanted to take pictures. What year is yours? Looks a bit newer with the low range but it's got to be close.

Im guessing thats a 67-68

Ya it's a 1968, I disassembled it today. It's like a puzzle! Nothing was straight on it either. The PO's had hit a number of trees with it!

More disasembly!

Well, that explains why the front break didn't do much as I was pushing it into the shop. I think the oil came from the speedometer drive.

IMG_0348 by Renaissance Redneck Media, on Flickr

20 year old caked on mud!

IMG_0340 by Renaissance Redneck Media, on Flickr

Less and less motorcycle

IMG_0336 by Renaissance Redneck Media, on Flickr

I had a '64 model when I was a kid. I remember it being so much fun, reliable, and cheap on gas.
I recently bought a '69 that, like yours, needs a complete overhaul. My motor has very little compression so that is my first priority. It should be a fun project. I have learned a lot already from researching some of the Honda 90/110 specific forums.

I have been working on my 1971 CT 90 with good results. It is a k-3 body. After 42 years of primarily dry storage. It came to life after a new battery, point, plug, and valve adjustment. I'm interested in your progress with pics.

Not much happening, had a free diswasher and disposal drop in my lap so got some house work taking time from working on toys.

Rear shocks and luggage rack off. (hmmm, long travel shocks...)


Closer view of the dealer logo


More caked on mud!


I've been starting to think about maybe updateing to a 12 volt system. I do plan to ride it, I'm not doing a garage queen. Any thoughts on that?

I agree the original 6Vsystem suffers from having no regulator in it. The battery does the regulation. If your battery
goes you start popping lights. It's a very carefully balanced system too so if you change wattage's on lights or fix a
faulty selenium rectifier with a newer silicon one the battery takes more punishment.

You might be able to rectify and regulate the stock stator output to 12V and have the same current but the easiest
way to go is to swap the motor for a Lifan 125 (or similar). That would also allow you to go batteryless. The only
problem might be limited current for lights. Unknown how much is available...

Battery-less 12V is the only way to go IMHO if you go the Lifan route. I've put Lifan 110s in 2 CT90s and a C100, and a Lifan 140 in a CT90, all battery-less. It's simple, works great, and no battery to hassle with ever! I run a 35/35 watt sealed beam headlight on the regulated 12V AC side of the system and the tail/stop/horn/GPS off the DC side. The lights are bright but do dim slightly at idle. The 140 engine puts out about 100 watts.

That was my first motorcycle too! In 1968 I bought it for $175. I was 14 years old. A fine machine.

A decent pinstriper / sign letterer can duplicate that logo for you. There ought to be some in your neck of the woods.
Keith

If you can scan a logo you can buy laser or inkjet paper to print off you own stickers / logos . If you got a picture of it you can do the same thing. You ll have to google that for sources for it. buck 1.25 per page. Think there even Youtube video how to do it and apply it.

Thanks for the ideas on the logo, I'll have to look into that.