How did you get interested with the Honda CT70's

How did you come to know about the CT70?


  • Total voters
    33
  • Poll closed .

scrubus

Member
I am curious how people came to love these little bikes.
I knew a kid (the rich kids in the neighborhood) that had one and I never rode it.
How about you?
 
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duggerwild

Member
My neighbors got two brand new CT's when I was in third grade. I was so jealous of them. They never let any other kids ride them.

It's weird... I think for some reason just the shape and design of these bikes really resonates with kids. Even today. I can't tell you how many times a young kid will stare wide eyed with wonder at my bike when I ride by.
 
I was born in '87, so the hay day of these bikes was before my time. Never had one as a kid. My cousin had a 90's era Z50, and I started on a Yamaha BW80. Raced motocross growing up, and years later got into pit bikes. Something about small bikes that go faster than they probably should brings enjoyment to my face. At 6' 3", I'm big for anything considered mini, and yet find myself collecting kids toys. I have 2 atc70's, 4 ct70's, a passport c70, and a pitbike. Still want a Z50 someday. I'm going to be building a restomod CT shortly, but have a few other stockers right now. Just something about them...easy to work on, easy to haul, and just plain cool, I guess.
 

hornetgod

Well-Known Member
Great poll idea!

As a kid (around 11 or 12 years old), my Dad bought a used HKO from his older brother that wasn't running. He replaced the exhaust valve and got it running again. My brother and I rode the crap out of it for many years. Unfortunately, he sold it once I left home and joined the Navy and I didn't find out until I returned home for vacation.
 

boz

Member
In 1972 asked my folks for a motorcycle for Christmas. So we went to the Honda dealer and I picked out a gold Z50 K3. I didn't have much of a place to ride, so we took it out to my grandparent's farm. An uncle saw it and thought it was pretty neat, so he went to his local Honda dealer and bought a 1972 CT70 and an ATC70.

I didn't need to take my Z50 to the farm after that because I would ride the CT and the ATC whenever I visited. I asked my cousin a few years ago what happened to those bikes (as I knew they were still at the farm as late as 2000) but it seems my Uncle had given them away sometime before he died.
 

theraymondguy

Well-Known Member
I saw a brand new '92 CT70 in the show room in the spring of that year - thought it was a 'new' model as I'd never seen one before. Not so much. Also in the same dealership was a NOS ZB50 (Ended up buying a 1990 CB-1 that I sold just after college).

Talk about your missed opportunities.
 
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BadDogMax

New Member
My neighbors bought 2 new CT70's when I was 11 years old. They let me ride them around their backyard but my family couldn't afford one. In my twenties I found a tired HK0 at garage sale for $100 and bought it. It had a "Ninja" sticker on it. After years of riding the "Ninja 70" in the hills behind my house I restored it to like-new condition. It's been 20 years since the restoration and it still looks good and is ridden occasionally.
 

minitrail

New Member
I had a Z50, we got used at the age 8. One friend had a used QA50, and another had a CT70. The CT70 was the "dream" bike until we moved on to XR70's and bigger.
 

Bevelsd

Active Member
I like several other kids in my neighborhood got the bug from the lawnmower style mini bike craze that started in the late 60's & early 70's. I was happy with my J.C. Penny Golden Pinto until a kid rolled up one day on a bright new red CT70 KO three speed his dad bought for him. One look at that graceful frame and that long chrome exhaust I was hooked. I was 12 going on 13 but made up my mind that I had to have a CT70 just like that one. Six months of cutting grass, hauling trash, and picking up a paper route I had the 425 bucks that the local Honda dealership wanted for the last red CT70 they had in stock. The salesman even threw in a red sparkle helmet with Honda Flying Wing decals on the sides after I let it slip that I had worked my butt off for months to get enough cash for the bike. I rode that bike for several years until I got my first car but even then the CT was always well kept in my parents garage. 42 years later it still sits in my own garage. Rode it yesterday as a matter of fact. Got talked out of the sparkle helmet years ago but never the CT70. Three other CT70s keep her company. KOH, 78, and a 93.
 

scooter

Well-Known Member
My neighbors got two brand new CT's when I was in third grade. I was so jealous of them. They never let any other kids ride them.

It's weird... I think for some reason just the shape and design of these bikes really resonates with kids. Even today. I can't tell you how many times a young kid will stare wide eyed with wonder at my bike when I ride by.

Dugger, when you see those wide eyed kids staring at your bike do you let them take it for a ride or will they end up being the ones we end up selling our bikes to it 20 years:39:
 

cjpayne

Well-Known Member
....It's weird... I think for some reason just the shape and design of these bikes really resonates with kids. Even today. I can't tell you how many times a young kid will stare wide eyed with wonder at my bike when I ride by.
A few months ago, I rode my 72K1 to a friends house close by and this 5 or 6yr old boy came running down the sidewalk as fast as he could. When he got to the driveway, he pleaded with me to give him a ride. I gave him a ride back to his home down the sidewalk that he had traveled. To my amazement, he had run over an 1/8 mile to get to me.LOL. He was very thankful and said he really liked my "different" bike.
 

CT70sKid

Member
My dad had always enjoyed motorcycles, and he wanted to pass that enjoyment on to me. So when I was about 10 years old, he bought me an 11 year old used 1971 CT70KO from the local Yamaha dealership.

It's weird... I think for some reason just the shape and design of these bikes really resonates with kids. Even today. I can't tell you how many times a young kid will stare wide eyed with wonder at my bike when I ride by.

Very true dugger. My KO was out of my possession for many years (I have since gotten it back) so 5 years ago I bought a 1972 CT70HK1. When I told my 12 year old nephew that I was buying a "mini bike that was as old as me" he made fun of me-until he saw it. Then all of a sudden it was "awesome!"
 

darrel gunderson

Active Member
In 1969 my cousin who was 2 years older than me got a Z50 K1 for Christmas. He never let me ride it though. I always wanted one. After I left in 1977 to go into the service my dad bought that same Z50 from my neighbor and my younger brothers got to ride it. My son also grew up learning to ride it at my parents house. My younger brother still has it. I as an adult thought the CT70's were a cool bike and have been buying, restoring and enjoying them ever since..... I am now 53 years young :)
 

Boomer3

Member
I am 30 years old and had never heard of a ct70 until about 2 years ago. My buddy picked a green H model up from some idiot selling his dads stuff for $150.00. Perfect condition. It was love at first sight and my other buddies and I knew that we had to get one. 2 years later....... There are 7 of us in our early 30's with 15 ct's between us. My dad was over and goes " HOLY $h*& My buddies and I used to ride those around Allen Park as kids! I drive mine around my small town of Milford Mi. and whenever I stop, it never fails, that someone is going to be waiting for me to talk about the bike. I have people honking their horns and giving me thumbs up whenever they see me riding the bike. I even had a group of some big burly guys on their Harleys flag me down to talk about the bike. I let them ride it around and they were in love. It was a sight to see a 250 pound man with long hair, tattoos, wearing just a leather vest, tool around my neighborhood with the biggest smile on his face! Its an addiction now and I count down the hours at work so that I can get home to my garage to work on my bikes. I don't have kids yet but I can't wait to share my love of the Ct's with them!
 

scooter

Well-Known Member
Grew up in the 70s riding my older brothers mini-bike that he purchased from money he made picking string beans at a local farm. In third grade I would walk home from school and pass a home with 2 boys one my brothers age and one mine. They had a CT70 and a Z50 and I always approached wide eyed as dugger coined in his thread hoping the bikes were out so I could get a glance. My first motorcycle didn't happen until the summer after I graduated High school. It was a 1976 Honda CB360T.

About five years ago, I'm on e-bay and see a 76 CB360T in mint condition, with 500 miles for sale and I start bidding, I didn't win but think restoring some old bikes would be cool and I remember the Z50 and CT70 in Billy and Donny's drive way. So I set out to find me a CT70. Five years later, I've got a bunch plus some other models with plans to continue the hobby when I retire. I've got enough to keep me busy for years.

To bring the story full circle, last year while looking for CT70 parts, I picked up a 76 CB360T engine still in the crate at an old Honda dealership and last week I bought the motorcycle that will receive that engine and round out my collection.

Great thread
 

duggerwild

Member
Dugger, when you see those wide eyed kids staring at your bike do you let them take it for a ride or will they end up being the ones we end up selling our bikes to it 20 years:39:


Hehehe.. well my first thought is a bit of disappointment that the kid might never know the feel of twisting a throttle in the dirt, as his mom yanks him back into the minivan and off to their gated community. And while I usually enjoy letting people ride any of my bikes, with a 124SE in the HKO, unfortunately its off limits to kids.
 

duggerwild

Member
My dad had always enjoyed motorcycles, and he wanted to pass that enjoyment on to me. So when I was about 10 years old, he bought me an 11 year old used 1971 CT70KO from the local Yamaha dealership.



Very true dugger. My KO was out of my possession for many years (I have since gotten it back) so 5 years ago I bought a 1972 CT70HK1. When I told my 12 year old nephew that I was buying a "mini bike that was as old as me" he made fun of me-until he saw it. Then all of a sudden it was "awesome!"

Kids know what's cool!
 

tom0762

Member
Kids know what's cool!
40 years ago when i was in 7th grade my rich friend had 2 of the ct 70's,his neighbor girl had one also.. she became my girlfriend real quick! lol.i'll never forget riding together with shorts on and her two piece swimming suit on.mom and dad had 9 kids in the family,so i never could afford one of the 70's.40 years later,i am a proud owner of 1972k1.i wish i knew then,what i know now about these bikes.sure would like to take her for a ride on my 70 today!lol
 

Anderz

Member
How did you get interested with the Honda CT70's ?

That is a good question. Let me think for a second.

It all started with a short look at a Honda Dax ST50 standing by a wall at my former school mate. Wow got to find out more with a bike like that was the thought at the time. Now this was around 1989 or so. Me being 15 years old and living in country side Denmark I quickly got into mopeds mainly Honda CD50 but riding Puch Maxi's for the most time. Go figure.

Time went on, I had all kind of mopeds and parts at one time or another. Due to my other hobby being guitars I went for a very expensive one and got a good paying job in 1996 at a window making factory to pay for it. Of course now you have money you get into what you always wanted so I bought a red ST50 DAX moped(dax ST50 are mopeds and always treated as such, not many are avaible). The motor was in parts but I had a relationship with a Honda "guru" that could help me and he did. Long story short that Dax were never fully working and after the second time getting stuck on the way to work I gave up on it and sold it 2 days later.

Now I had seen the topaz painted Honda's from the original print ads at my Honda guru and always like that color, still do. Anyway I quickly learned about the internet when it was launched back in 95? I got a very heavy Marshall major guitar amp from US and other stuff. It was no problem for me with ebay.

Somehow I found out the CT70 were the US DAX ST50 and so I got my first red KO to Denmark. I put the motor back on, had it serviced and fixed the caburator. Now this was something! Shortly before the Dax were sold I had installed a new top end but the moped restrickion were gone in that so it ran faster than 30km/h which were fun for the short while. The KO did not have any problems and would go to the 47 mph acording to the Honda speedometer on a straigt road without too much wind .

It was a great bike but needed work to be looking good again so I sold it and it got back to US again. But that is the story anyway.
 
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