Dezdan's CT70's

[Dezdan]

After several months of conflicting schedules I was able to pick up 3 70's a neighbor has had stored in his barn for the last decade+. I'll post up some photos and complete the info a bit later when I get them cleaned up. I have a lot of work ahead of me to get them running.

1970 CT70 (2/1970)
Frame Serial: CT70-1456XX
Engine Serial: CT70E-144904
Candy Sapphire
6346 Original Miles

1971(?) CT70 (4/1971)
Frame Serial: CT70-2638XX
Engine Serial: CT70E-263526
Candy Ruby Red
3125 Original Miles

1971(?) CT70 (6/1971)
Frame Serial: CT70-2722XX
Engine Serial: CT70E-271933
Candy Gold
3164 Original Miles

 

[Ufester]

I'm glad to see I am not the only crazy person in the world!
No seriously Nice Haul!

 

[Tripod]

Yeah, nice haul. Which one are you going to start on first?

 

[Dezdan]

Looking to start with either the Gold or Ruby bike. All of them have been ravaged by packrats and all of them had some cover/plate removed that enabled the mice/rats to pack stuff into the engines. Both the Ruby and Gold bike still turn over, but I have no idea what it looks like on the inside yet. I consider myself to be mechanically knowledgeable, but I know absolutely nothing about bike engines! So this will be a learning experience!

 

[cjpayne]

Looking to start with either the Gold or Ruby bike. All of them have been ravaged by packrats and all of them had some cover/plate removed that enabled the mice/rats to pack stuff into the engines. Both the Ruby and Gold bike still turn over, but I have no idea what it looks like on the inside yet. I consider myself to be mechanically knowledgeable, but I know absolutely nothing about bike engines! So this will be a learning experience!

Congrats on the find. There are some manuals and wiring schematics in the resources/links that you WILL need. Download the parts catalog, because it has illustrations that will help. I would suggest studying the archives, in this forum, like a college student before attempting anything. IMO, it will save you alot of time in the long run. You can also ask anything here, someone will respond. I like the ruby red one. Good luck.

 

[Dezdan]

Congrats on the find. There are some manuals and wiring schematics in the resources/links that you WILL need. Download the parts catalog, because it has illustrations that will help. I would suggest studying the archives, in this forum, like a college student before attempting anything. IMO, it will save you alot of time in the long run. You can also ask anything here, someone will respond. I like the ruby red one. Good luck.

Thanks! Yea, I've managed to download and have browsed through most of the shop and parts manuals I've been able to get my hands on and have been lurking on the forum for a few months now attempting to absorb some knowledge from everyone. I'm currently debating the cost/time/effort involved in rebuilding a the stock engine vs replacing it with a Lifan.

 

[69ST]

Thanks! Yea, I've managed to download and have browsed through most of the shop and parts manuals I've been able to get my hands on and have been lurking on the forum for a few months now attempting to absorb some knowledge from everyone. I'm currently debating the cost/time/effort involved in rebuilding a the stock engine vs replacing it with a Lifan.

Setting some basic goals, in order of priority and researching what's involved is your best bet for getting what you want on the first try. Doing your homework is a good thing. I would point out the fact that a lot of this is not black and white, i.e. there are qualitative as well quantitative considerations.

The quantitative side...dollars, mph, hp, displacement, grab most of the attention and need relatively little explanation. The quantitative side (a.k.a everything else) takes a lot more time, research and verbiage to get equal consideration. Both sides will affect what you live with. The briefest summary I can offer you is that there's a difference between price tag (up-front cost) and cost-per-mile/year (value) and time + mileage can radically shift the balance point. The more years & miles you accumulate, the less up-front cost matters. In fact, better quality items can end up costing less - over the long haul. Be forewarned, I'm a long-term/high-mileage rider and thus, my opinions are biased along those lines.

As for the Lifan vs. OEM Honda question, unless you're doing all of the work yourself, any Chinese motor (Lifan, Zongshen, Jialing/YX, et al) will give you more displacement & hp per dollar. On the other hand, no Chinese knockoff comes close to OEM Honda quality. There are fans of both. Decisions...decisions...

 

[Dezdan]

I have a basic goal in mind and a vision in my head of my final product(s). I’m a Jeeper and the main purpose of the Gold and Ruby bikes is to take me places my jeep cannot take me – trails, washouts, overgrown and forgotten roads etc.. I do not plan to ‘restore’ these 2 bikes, but rather modify them to fit my use (I know, I just made some folks cry a little). They’ll both likely end up a non-factory color, likely some form of flat camo, and will be used (but not abused) to their fullest extent. While I’m on a tight budget, I am not one to pick cost over quality, so my builds will be slow one piece at a time as the budget allows.

As for the Sapphire one, the future wife has fallen in love with it and wants it, so it will likely be restored to near original sometime in the future. That means I’m on the hunt for another parts bike (or 2):39:!

My slow to move plans in no particular order and varying stages of vagueness:

• Rebuild engine OR purchase new (research underway)
• Strip bike(s)
• Replace damaged body components
• Sand/Blast/Prime/Paint/Eliminate chrome
• Convert to 12V (if rebuilt OEM - researching)
• Replace/upgrade electrical system/components
• Comply with state law for roadworthiness/License
• Ride

 

[Dezdan]

Haven't had a chance to get started on any of the CT's, as I've been focusing on restoring a 1974 Yamaha GT1 I've had since childhood, but.... I couldn't help myself and picked up 2 more CT70's. A friend of mine is moving and couldn't take all his bikes with him, so I was able to pick up two CT70s and an engine from him.

1977 CT70 (7/1976)
Frame Serial: CT70-26021XX
Engine Serial: CT70E-2602182
Shiny Orange
4457 Original Miles
Ceased up and destined as a parts bike.

1975 CT70 K4 (10/1974)
Frame Serial: CT70-24043XX
Engine Serial: CT70HE-110412 (1970 HKO)
Was Mighty Green, now grey.
? Original Miles
Not very original...

Spare engine is from a ATC70, serial ATC70E-2114329

 

[motoman287]

If you're looking/willing to sell a few things off the '77, PM me, please. I have a few things I'm looking for...thanks!

 

[Dezdan]

Another one followed me home...

1978 CT70 (8/1977)
Frame Serial: CT70-27045XX
Engine Serial: CT70E-???????
Black
5691 Original Miles
Registered and titled.

 

[Dezdan]

I was rereading my own thread, and had to laugh at some of my earlier post! I really hate you guys and what you've done to me! :10:

My initial idea was a quick did job with a Lifan dropped in. Over the past few months I've changed, as have my wants/needs. Lifan out the window now, what was I thinking?? Honda power! My wife had a talk with me and wanted me to give her my plans with all my bikes, and this is what I laid out to her: 2 full resto's to cruise, 2 trail ready bikes, and 1 or 2 modded bikes to tinker with (similar to my original plans sans the Lifan junk).

Sadly, my plans are currently on hold, winter is here, my shop which has no heat was 7 degrees this morning and my propane heater was not cutting the mustard. Additionally, my wife got a new job and we are moving 1000 miles south sometime in the next month and a half - so no point in starting anything right now. I'm looking forward to returning to a warmer climate and getting to work on these bikes!

 

[Enginedoctor]

send me your motor!!

 

[69ST]

7F...that's brutal inside the shop, especially this early in the season. I mean, there's still another 5 weeks of fall...FFS!! Looks like it's gonna be another lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ong winter :smow:...but not where you're going.

So, think positive. You're headed for warmer climes right after the holidays, with multiple projects, married to your own mini-biker babe...and that `78 as the proverbial cherry on this sundae. Sounds like 2015 will be a banner year, for you.:yahoo:

 

[Dezdan]

Like a stray dog, I had another one follow me home. Don't judge me, I know it is a 'Franken Bike' as Bill calls them...

1972 CT70 (10/1971)
Frame Serial: CT70H-20085XX
Engine Serial: CT70E-22921X (3 speed)
Candy Ruby Red
769 "Original" Miles (On the K1 front end)

Good news is that I know the location of the donor bikes that built this bike, I'm hoping the H engine is still there!

 

[rjman36]

Pretty funny, I was offered that bike and I blinked and you bought it. Did you get it less than his asking? Did you get the parts from the "friend" too?

 

[Dezdan]

Yea, I was able to get him down. His friend has 3 'parts' bikes buried in a barn, still working on that....

 

[Dezdan]

Did you get the parts from the "friend" too?

I finally made it over to his 'friends' place, and all the bike parts were stored in a enclosed trailer. It was like a hellish Christmas! Besides CT70s, there were various ATC's, Yamaha's and other bikes dismembered and stored in open tubs - all mixed together!!! :42:

So I spent an hour digging through the trailer grabbing parts I recognized. I'm sure I probably missed some stuff, and while driving home I realized I forgot to look in two tubs that were buried under ~10 pairs of big bike forks - DOH!!! A lot of the smaller internal stuff I couldn't figure out if it was CT70 or other. At the bottom of almost all the tubs was 2 or 3 inches of oil, so everything was a mess! The engines were all torn apart, but I think I have most of the pieces. I have an open invite to go back and dig some more, but my time is limited up here, and anything left is going to be minor.

I honesty don't know what exactly I have yet. I did come home with the vin matching engine to my HK1! That was my main mission. I also came home with an CRR K0 frame (that matches the vin on the engine in my HK1), and an CEG HK0 frame as well as a SL70 engine.

I also met up with a lilhonda member just before hand, and traded for a rusted out CG K0 (ST) frame and a CRR K0 parts bike.

A good day, with 4 new frames/bikes!

 

[cjpayne]

.... I did come home with the vin matching engine to my HK1! That was my main mission.

THAT was a score!!! Congrats.
I have found parts in oil too and didn't like the mess, but I later realized that was a blessing in disguise. It helps preserve the parts from rust or corrosion. I once had a CEG K0 fork set that was done that way. A member here(Emerald H) was looking for a set for his CEG H he was restoring. I cleaned it up and all the threads were mint because of the oily grime. I donated it to the cause and he ended up using it.

 

[kirrbby]

I finally made it over to his 'friends' place, and all the bike parts were stored in a enclosed trailer. It was like a hellish Christmas! Besides CT70s, there were various ATC's, Yamaha's and other bikes dismembered and stored in open tubs - all mixed together!!! :42:

So I spent an hour digging through the trailer grabbing parts I recognized. I'm sure I probably missed some stuff, and while driving home I realized I forgot to look in two tubs that were buried under ~10 pairs of big bike forks - DOH!!! A lot of the smaller internal stuff I couldn't figure out if it was CT70 or other. At the bottom of almost all the tubs was 2 or 3 inches of oil, so everything was a mess! The engines were all torn apart, but I think I have most of the pieces. I have an open invite to go back and dig some more, but my time is limited up here, and anything left is going to be minor.

I honesty don't know what exactly I have yet. I did come home with the vin matching engine to my HK1! That was my main mission. I also came home with an CRR K0 frame (that matches the vin on the engine in my HK1), and an CEG HK0 frame as well as a SL70 engine.

I also met up with a lilhonda member just before hand, and traded for a rusted out CG K0 (ST) frame and a CRR K0 parts bike.

A good day, with 4 new frames/bikes!

Good, good, and more good. That was very well worth the effort. You've kept the numbers together for yourself and for the next. The non matching bike gave you bargaining power and then you end up with the goods anyway. Not a bad deal.