The Honda Trail 90 barn find success story

It started with Craigslist an advertised Honda Trail 90 for $750. I went to look at and due to the failure to start we settled for $350.
What have I got here? Was on my mind a motorcycle or a boat anchor.with help from the men at CT90 site and a local shop we did this:
New battery, new fuse, new spark plug, new points and condenser,new rear tire and tube, new fuel line, new air filter.
Carburetor rebuild
Valve adjustment
Parts and service cost $350
Total cost to date $700

It is now running very well

Congrats and enjoy!

Great deal on a cool trail bike!

Those guys in OZ ride them all over the outback - looks like a blast. Hope you have some good trails to explore too!

Oh! I, I, ah (here bites self on shoulder in frustration, vexity, and sheer envy)...

needs a milk crate

Nah it needs this and it's ready for a world tour.

Fullmetalscooter gosh I like your pics! I would like to use some back country trails in to the Uitah Mts. In Utah and of course Moab.

Every morning I start the Honda Trail 90 and ride it around my neighborhood and along the country roads through cornfields. I have been learning the shifting, throttle, braking in short the soul of this breathing machine. I climbed a trail up over the rim rock in low range, what a wonderful bike, it climbed heavily loaded without hesitation.

I post this pic with 120 new miles ridden on this great Bike!

Just something I found on the web. I ve seen a someone take one add a small gass tank from a dirt bike , Take 2 5 gallon metal gas cans make them into saddle bags. Add a second seat and go accross india all the way to england.

Nice ride, Windburn. Here's my '83 CT110. It had better power than my '79 CT90. It would do an easy 50 mph. I put a nice new set of trials tires on it, and it made a great light enduro and run around town bike. I paid $800 for it, then cleaned it up and put the new tires on. Like a big dummy, I sold it a year later for $1400. Wish I had kept it.

HandKPhill, if you still had it we could create the Midwest CT Rally, it might be small at first like two bikes.

Here's the 110 I had for a bit.


I liked it but it wouldn't move my fat butt fast enough for the roads around here. The couple of times I took it off road it was a blast but there isn't enough of that around here to justify keeping it. I sold it.

They are great fun if you have places to ride them.

Windburn, Your 'Barn Find' prompted me to start looking for a CT for myself. I found a 1981 CT110 on ebay, I bid and won!!...The description said that shifting to 3rd and 4th was not easy, just wondered what I can expect, haven't picked it up yet.... After reading your 'Boat Anchor', statement I am a little concerned that maybe that is what I bought.. Or perhaps this is normal????

Here's the '79 Trail 90 I had for a couple of years. My nephew and I went on many an adventure on this bike, and a couple of other old Hondas I owned at the same time. I ended up trading this one (along with some money) for a nice CRF230L dual-sport.

http://hondatrailcts.yuku.com/

Here is a forum where you can get great help and advice. They will likely know what your problem might be. It is in my opinion that the Oil level needs to be full as it lubes the engine and gears. Don't give up tii you get their help. There are several using synthetic oil and a side benefit is smooth shifting.

I rode around the county roads in my quest to start and run the Trail 90 every day. I rode over the highest hill in Clark County. Used the Down hill and 4th gear to kiss 47 eye watering MPH. I felt kid a kid playing hooky from school. That was brought into perspective when I discovered exactly how far I can run on a tank of gas. 100.5 miles and 3 miles from home. I discovered the reserve is non- existent. Thanks to a great neighbor I got on the road again without calling my wife and hearing how it was my own fault for missing church.

My daughter bought me new mirrors for my birthday!

The cold weather near freezing was giving the throttle a very difficult twisting problem. I took the right hand controls off and cleaned and lubed the throttle. It was gumed up with old hard grease. This is not a difficult project but being new to this I took my time and got advice from the CT 90 site and local experience. When I was done the throttle worked very well and every thing about the shifting was feeling like silk with new oil and Lubing the controls. Every time a do some work on this bike I learn, it's a great education. Here's a pic from my morning ride.

Looking good!!

nice!!!

Very nice Windburn!

Truly the Honda Trail 90 is outstanding in it's field. Perhaps most unique would be the high and low range gear box allowing for mountain goat climbing ability along a trail no wider then a footpath, under a load. Four speeds in each high and low range making 8 speeds. Low weight for easy handling. Durability in the well know drive train and steel body construction. Economy in cost and operation, 80-100 MPG.