1977 Honda CT70

  After having a summer of fun aboard my street legal Honda Z50R, I had an inkling to build a street legal Honda CT70.  This bike started out much the same as the Z50R, a bare frame and a head chocked full of ideas.  As mock up started and parts began to arrive the whole package was starting to take shape.  Wheels from China, brakes from Belgium, shocks from Thailand and a seat from the United States, this bike was already quite well traveled. 

            The front end came courtesy of a 90cc Thumpstar pit bike, which will offer oil damped forks and the ability to use a hydraulic disc brake.  Although, the steering stem had to be lengthened slightly to compensate for the longer head tube of a CT frame, everything bolted up fine and looks great.  The front caliper and master cylinder were all from the same 90cc Thumpstar pit bike.  However, the front brake rotor had to be special ordered from Belgium because of the aftermarket Honda Z50 style front hub I was using along with the need to run a 200mm diameter rotor with the Thumpstar brake.

            After much consideration of the plethora of powder coat colours available, I decided to go with a favorite among my customers, Granny Smith Sparkle.  It’s a green metallic that has a deep rich colour with a hint of gold pearl in the right light.  I decided to coat the hubs as well as the frame in the Granny Smith Sparkle for a more custom look.  To keep with a simple, clean look, I opted to only coat a few other key parts in semi-gloss black then leave the rest of the components either bare or polished aluminum.

            The power plant in this custom CT70 is not really that custom at all.  It is a basic run of the mill bone stock 4 speed 125cc Lifan engine.  It has plenty of power to turn the large 12” wheels and move the bike along well into the 80km/h zone but plans to upgrade to a 140cc or larger engine are certainly on the horizon. 

            Before the bike can be legally ridden on the street with proper insurance I will need to get a Manitoba safety inspection, which will need a front fender, speedometer and get all the wiring buttoned up.  As the miles pile up on this bike I’m sure there will be bugs to be worked out as with any custom build, I will try to keep this project updated with any problems and solutions I come across.    

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