Reuniting with an Old Friend. What was your first motorized experience?

[DeanMk]

That was a factory thing on the Trail 55 and Trail 90. The larger ring sprocket was held to a plate behind the smaller sprocket by four bolts. There was a tool kit below the seat in the panel where the key was. When the time came to change it to "Low" range you'd remove the link in the chain and drop it. Remove the four bolts holding the large ring sprocket to the plate and position it over the teeth in the small sprocket and put the bolts/nuts/washers through the teeth of the smaller sprocket matched up with the half holes in the larger ring sprocket and tighten well. The swing arm had plastic plugs in the tube cross cross brace. Inside that tube was and extra piece the you would add to the drive chain so it would be long enough to go around that now larger sprocket. As I recall it was quit a pain to on the trail. The tool kit wasn't the best. I think we just did them at home, before we took them out to ride the trails. I think it was '67 when they came up with the internal high/low change that used a wrench, and a year or so later it was made it so you could change it with your fingers. mine was the '67, I always carried a 12mm wrench.

The frames would be identical on the models shown and the trail bikes I would imagine No reason someone couldn't get the trail bike rear wheel, pull off the chain guard and switch wheels.

So Mike...like this?...



I have to admit, never seen that setup before.


Dean

 

[DeanMk]

I'm tellin' you guys, with all this talk of these old Honda Trail bikes, it kinda brings me back to a bike I wanted when I was in high school...



...The Honda Passport 70.

 

[Mikej]

So Mike...like this?...

View attachment 368714

I have to admit, never seen that setup before.


Dean

Yeah, that'd be the one I remember. That motor was a push rod engine. I think it was a '64 we had. Now I think about it...The motor got over revved and bent a push rod(s). I probably did it by accident. By '67 when dad bought a Trail 90 Honda had gone to over head valves.

Something to consider for those of you that may have one of the overhead valve 90s that doesn't run right/won't rev. When they came out with overhead valves/chain driven cam they didn't use steel for the cam bearings. The bearing surface was just the aluminum head that the steel cam ran in. After a lot of punishment the aluminum bearing surface would wear and let the cam flop around. The points being mounted to the end of the cam would make it so the proper point gap would change and the bike wouldn't run right. The fix was to make the point gap smaller than what the book called for.

 

[DeanMk]

I know that's the case with cars, too.
I've never seen a removable cam bearing for any OHC engine I've worked on.
Interesting that it would wear so quickly in the Honda.
Sounds like an oiling system in need of a little improving.


Dean

 

[Mikej]

I know that's the case with cars, too.
I've never seen a removable cam bearing for any OHC engine I've worked on.
Interesting that it would wear so quickly in the Honda.
Sounds like an oiling system in need of a little improving.


Dean

It was probably more to neglect and general hard use, dirty oil etc. The cooling fines were possibly inadequate so maybe they ran hot? Aluminum production in the '60s in Japan? I don't know, my 1967 90 that I ran all over hell and high water never had the issue with the cam bearings. I, working in the service station industry for my first job, was pouring large quantities of justice Brothers carb cleaner in the tank! Made it go faster right? When I went to small engine school a couple years out of high school that 90 motor was my shop project! The top of the piston looked like a rodent had been chewing around the edge! New .20 over piston/rings, bore job and the thing ran like new!

 

[DeanMk]

Yeah, there were obviously s few improvements over the years.
That 70cc Passport engine from '79 was probably more reliable than your 50 from '64.


Dean

 

[DeanMk]

1970 Honda Trail 70...red...just like this one....what a blast I had with that thing.....then on to a 1974 Yamaha DT 125, a 1975 Yamaha MX250b, a 1980 Honda CR250, a1998 KTM 300MXC and now a 2011KTM 530 EXC....

View attachment 366197

When we were kids, a friend used to have one of those Trail 70's, just like the one in the picture.
Man that thing was fast!

To all the guys lamenting about the Honda Trail series bikes they used to own (or maybe still do!) I just found this...

2015 Honda Cross Cub specifications and pictures

Not sure if it was ever offered in the US, but a modern incarnation, nonetheless.



Dean

 

[jbett98]

I'm installing a 25 amp rectifier on my 68 Trail 90, so it will charge up the battery faster and make the lights brighter.
Only $6.00 in parts from the Portland URS Electronics store.
Here's a video on You Tube showing what I'm talking about.

 

[DeanMk]

Be careful about charging up the battery.
Too fast can be detrimental to the state of the battery.


Dean

 

[jbett98]

It only adds 1 volt to the system. The original Selenium one is pretty weak.

 

[Squidly]

There was this ex-girlfriend I hooked up with about 15 years ago. Our first motorized experience probably should not be discussed in this forum.

 

[DeanMk]

It only adds 1 volt to the system. The original Selenium one is pretty weak.

Thank you for putting my mind at ease.

 

[jbett98]

Tested it tonight and I'm getting a steady 13 volts to the battery. It fired up quicker and the headlight was defiantly brighter.
I run it around the neighborhood once a month to keep it from sitting all year.

 

[Skier]

So Mike...like this?...

View attachment 368714

I have to admit, never seen that setup before.


Dean

Exactly like that!

 

[Skier]

Yeah, that'd be the one I remember. That motor was a push rod engine. I think it was a '64 we had. Now I think about it...The motor got over revved and bent a push rod(s). I probably did it by accident. By '67 when dad bought a Trail 90 Honda had gone to over head valves.

Something to consider for those of you that may have one of the overhead valve 90s that doesn't run right/won't rev. When they came out with overhead valves/chain driven cam they didn't use steel for the cam bearings. The bearing surface was just the aluminum head that the steel cam ran in. After a lot of punishment the aluminum bearing surface would wear and let the cam flop around. The points being mounted to the end of the cam would make it so the proper point gap would change and the bike wouldn't run right. The fix was to make the point gap smaller than what the book called for.

Good to know. I may have to take a look at that, as the 90 never consistently idled well. I had to either set the idle low and sometimes rev it to keep it from dying, or set the idle high, but have it kick pretty good when you put it in gear (centrifugal clutch).

 

[Skier]

The top of the piston looked like a rodent had been chewing around the edge!

LOL

 

[Mikej]

Good to know. I may have to take a look at that, as the 90 never consistently idled well. I had to either set the idle low and sometimes rev it to keep it from dying, or set the idle high, but have it kick pretty good when you put it in gear (centrifugal clutch).

They don't have a centrifugal clutch. The clutch is under the right side of the case. It sticks out because there is a lever of sorts under that hump that is actuated as you push on the shift lever that disengages the clutch before it changes gears. Can't remember exactly how it works, but that slotted bolt with the locking nut and slot for a screw driver is the adjustment for the automatic clutch.

 

[Skier]

They don't have a centrifugal clutch. The clutch is under the right side of the case. It sticks out because there is a lever of sorts under that hump that is actuated as you push on the shift lever that disengages the clutch before it changes gears. Can't remember exactly how it works, but that slotted bolt with the locking nut and slot for a screw driver is the adjustment for the automatic clutch.

That's true, as I've rebuilt the clutch in both my 50 and 90, but it is also centrifugal, otherwise, you wouldn't be able to sit and let it idle while in gear.

 

[Mikej]

That's true, as I've rebuilt the clutch in both my 50 and 90, but it is also centrifugal, otherwise, you wouldn't be able to sit and let it idle while in gear.

You must be right. I just don't remember the inside workings. We got those in the shop on a regular basis but most times it was for having things broke of by dumping them/crashing. I must have, but i don't recall having to do much work on clutches, transmissions, blown engines. Those things were pretty low performance. Hard to blow up, I know I did my best on my 90, and IT never blew up!

 

[orygun]

In the late 60's our neighbor had two of these. I remember being fascinated with the "dual range" ability of the rear sprocket set up.
Man, I wanted one of them!