Honda Cub Stories
Discussion
When I was 15 my friend had one (I had a Tiger Cub).
I had a broken leg, in full plaster to the thigh, but still rode along the local canal/river towpath.
Anyway, one time I was sitting on the '90, diagonally across the path, revving away in neutral whilst chatting to another friend. Said "friend", totally unprompted, casually tramps the gear lever into first.
The bike lurches forward in a half wheelie, I fall off the back, and the bike ends up in the reeds.
Only the front wheel makes it into the water. The other two were able to, just, wrestle it back onto the path as I berated the tramper about the potential damage to my plastered leg.
God I miss not being young!
I had a broken leg, in full plaster to the thigh, but still rode along the local canal/river towpath.
Anyway, one time I was sitting on the '90, diagonally across the path, revving away in neutral whilst chatting to another friend. Said "friend", totally unprompted, casually tramps the gear lever into first.
The bike lurches forward in a half wheelie, I fall off the back, and the bike ends up in the reeds.
Only the front wheel makes it into the water. The other two were able to, just, wrestle it back onto the path as I berated the tramper about the potential damage to my plastered leg.
God I miss not being young!
When I was at school I told my parents I wanted a motorcycle they both agreed I could have one, but I had to do it properly so they bought me a C70 to learn on. What an experience. I went all over the country on it. I loved that bike. After 6 months of showing I was a responsible motorbiker they then bought me a C90 to take my test. Who can remember that old test ride around a large figure of 8 with the examiner hiding in random doorways. Oh how I feel for you CBT types.on passing my test they then bought me a CB 200. I have owned all sorts of bikes but will never love one like i did that first C70
A C50 was my first bike. Red and White 71 K reg. It was dragged out of a friend of my Mums shed, and was her late dads. The lady asked if I wanted the other 2 bikes in the shed a Triumph Speed Twin and a Thunderbird, no cost, I turned them down as I was only interested in a 50cc, what a young t
t.
Having said that the Honda was great, many fond memories, the back of the rear mudguard was held on by two big alloy plates made by the bloke next door and it was flogged everywhere at 10/10ths. My mates who had far more money than me all had DT 50’s and ER’s but that little Honda could hold it’s own.
Clip on some 35 years and I’ve just purchased a new Honda Monkey 125. It makes me smile every time I get on it, more so than my big bikes.
t.Having said that the Honda was great, many fond memories, the back of the rear mudguard was held on by two big alloy plates made by the bloke next door and it was flogged everywhere at 10/10ths. My mates who had far more money than me all had DT 50’s and ER’s but that little Honda could hold it’s own.
Clip on some 35 years and I’ve just purchased a new Honda Monkey 125. It makes me smile every time I get on it, more so than my big bikes.
I guess they sold a lot of these in the 70's - in the mid to late 80's i was finding loads of unused ones on the estate i lived on.
Never paid more than a fiver i think (and one time, that got me 3). Had about 15 in my parents garden at one point.
Had many hours of fun on these, long before i was legally able to ride them!
Never paid more than a fiver i think (and one time, that got me 3). Had about 15 in my parents garden at one point.
Had many hours of fun on these, long before i was legally able to ride them!
Loved my cubs. When I was 16 I owned all 3 variants at the same time. A 50, a 70 and 90. Despite no license I used them for school every day and bombing around our village all night. Happy days.
From memory the 70 was the pick of the bunch, it used to rev its tits off. The 50 just didn’t have enough grunt and the 90 was heavier and not as revvy. They were bullet proof and a pint of petrol would last all week. I used to spend all the time swopping bits around to keep one going. Life affirming
From memory the 70 was the pick of the bunch, it used to rev its tits off. The 50 just didn’t have enough grunt and the 90 was heavier and not as revvy. They were bullet proof and a pint of petrol would last all week. I used to spend all the time swopping bits around to keep one going. Life affirming
stu67 said:
A C50 was my first bike. Red and White 71 K reg. It was dragged out of a friend of my Mums shed, and was her late dads. The lady asked if I wanted the other 2 bikes in the shed a Triumph Speed Twin and a Thunderbird, no cost, I turned them down as I was only interested in a 50cc, what a young tt.
Having said that the Honda was great, many fond memories, the back of the rear mudguard was held on by two big alloy plates made by the bloke next door and it was flogged everywhere at 10/10ths. My mates who had far more money than me all had DT 50’s and ER’s but that little Honda could hold it’s own.
Clip on some 35 years and I’ve just purchased a new Honda Monkey 125. It makes me smile every time I get on it, more so than my big bikes.
You probably realise in hindsight that the c50 was not actually a moped ? Loads of people ran them at 16 illegally.t.Having said that the Honda was great, many fond memories, the back of the rear mudguard was held on by two big alloy plates made by the bloke next door and it was flogged everywhere at 10/10ths. My mates who had far more money than me all had DT 50’s and ER’s but that little Honda could hold it’s own.
Clip on some 35 years and I’ve just purchased a new Honda Monkey 125. It makes me smile every time I get on it, more so than my big bikes.
Saw a card in the newsagents window as was the ebay of the day and bought one complete with fairing, screen and panniers from an old duffer for £30.
Did the wheelie stomp thing a few times. Ran it for a couple of winters and sold it for £30.
Those were the days, jumpers for goalposts etc!
Did the wheelie stomp thing a few times. Ran it for a couple of winters and sold it for £30.
Those were the days, jumpers for goalposts etc!
bigmowley said:
Loved my cubs. When I was 16 I owned all 3 variants at the same time. A 50, a 70 and 90. Despite no license I used them for school every day and bombing around our village all night. Happy days.
From memory the 70 was the pick of the bunch, it used to rev its tits off. The 50 just didn’t have enough grunt and the 90 was heavier and not as revvy. They were bullet proof and a pint of petrol would last all week. I used to spend all the time swopping bits around to keep one going. Life affirming
Your memory serves you well, i found the same as well.From memory the 70 was the pick of the bunch, it used to rev its tits off. The 50 just didn’t have enough grunt and the 90 was heavier and not as revvy. They were bullet proof and a pint of petrol would last all week. I used to spend all the time swopping bits around to keep one going. Life affirming
Yellow C70 i had was a barrel of laughs, i seem to recall the C50 and C70 shared the same frame (and a C70 engine sat nicely in a C50 body)
littlebasher said:
bigmowley said:
Loved my cubs. When I was 16 I owned all 3 variants at the same time. A 50, a 70 and 90. Despite no license I used them for school every day and bombing around our village all night. Happy days.
From memory the 70 was the pick of the bunch, it used to rev its tits off. The 50 just didn’t have enough grunt and the 90 was heavier and not as revvy. They were bullet proof and a pint of petrol would last all week. I used to spend all the time swopping bits around to keep one going. Life affirming
Your memory serves you well, i found the same as well.From memory the 70 was the pick of the bunch, it used to rev its tits off. The 50 just didn’t have enough grunt and the 90 was heavier and not as revvy. They were bullet proof and a pint of petrol would last all week. I used to spend all the time swopping bits around to keep one going. Life affirming
Yellow C70 i had was a barrel of laughs, i seem to recall the C50 and C70 shared the same frame (and a C70 engine sat nicely in a C50 body)
My favourite memory of them is of the one I rented on holiday in Thailand (with the Mrs. so no sniggering lol). This version had grown to 100cc but still with the leading link fork and silly arse 4" drum front brake.
It was a hoot. We did miles and miles on it, sharing the roads with a gazillion others of the same ilk.
I got nicked for riding without a helmet. Just me - the passenger isn't obliged to have one apparently. 300 baht fine, about £7.50 at the time. I reckon the cops were just running low on party money so they had a blitz one day.
Last night there we went out for dinner about 15 miles or so and on the way back the little Honda battled its way up a long, long hill and was going like stink (relatively) down the other side when we swooped round a fast bend to find six elephants ambling across the road in the dark.
God knows how, but I got the plot stopped in time. I still remember sitting on the bike trembling while getting the hairy eyeball from the last elephant in line while the Mrs. was happily feeding sugar cane to its mates.
Happy days...
It was a hoot. We did miles and miles on it, sharing the roads with a gazillion others of the same ilk.
I got nicked for riding without a helmet. Just me - the passenger isn't obliged to have one apparently. 300 baht fine, about £7.50 at the time. I reckon the cops were just running low on party money so they had a blitz one day.
Last night there we went out for dinner about 15 miles or so and on the way back the little Honda battled its way up a long, long hill and was going like stink (relatively) down the other side when we swooped round a fast bend to find six elephants ambling across the road in the dark.
God knows how, but I got the plot stopped in time. I still remember sitting on the bike trembling while getting the hairy eyeball from the last elephant in line while the Mrs. was happily feeding sugar cane to its mates.
Happy days...
A500leroy said:
So i guess most of you are of an age where a c90 Honda was in your garage at some point? Did you start on one? Was it an addition to an exotic garage or just a winter snotter?
Does your C125 have that arched window, chrome surround rear light? It looks like something that should be on a custom bike appearing in Back Street Heroes.It looks a bit showy and unsuited to the bike to me. I think I've seen some photos, possibly US Spec. C125s that have a horizontal oblong shaped rear lamp on a black plastic bracket. That seems more in keeping with the utilitarian original to me.
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/honda/...
I didn't know the leading link front forks of the originals had some anti-dive properties.
carinaman said:
Does your C125 have that arched window, chrome surround rear light? It looks like something that should be on a custom bike appearing in Back Street Heroes.
It looks a bit showy and unsuited to the bike to me. I think I've seen some photos, possibly US Spec. C125s that have a horizontal oblong shaped rear lamp on a black plastic bracket. That seems more in keeping with the utilitarian original to me.
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/honda/...
I didn't know the leading link front forks of the originals had some anti-dive properties.
sure hasIt looks a bit showy and unsuited to the bike to me. I think I've seen some photos, possibly US Spec. C125s that have a horizontal oblong shaped rear lamp on a black plastic bracket. That seems more in keeping with the utilitarian original to me.
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/honda/...
I didn't know the leading link front forks of the originals had some anti-dive properties.
Somebody gave my Dad a non-running late 60s C50 for me to play with when I was a young teenager, around 1990. I learned a lot about dismantling engines and about Haynes manuals.
We got it going and my dad managed to do do a clunk into gear wheelie (he had form for this, doing a massive accidental wheelie on my cousin's 250 2 stroke MX bike). It was quite torquey for what it was. It claimed to be able to do 50mph.
There were various things wrong with it. I tinkered about with it a bit with my mates. At one point I crashed it into some shrubs in the back garden and it was quickly removed from my custody. They were worthless at the time so it ended up as scrap.
We got it going and my dad managed to do do a clunk into gear wheelie (he had form for this, doing a massive accidental wheelie on my cousin's 250 2 stroke MX bike). It was quite torquey for what it was. It claimed to be able to do 50mph.
There were various things wrong with it. I tinkered about with it a bit with my mates. At one point I crashed it into some shrubs in the back garden and it was quickly removed from my custody. They were worthless at the time so it ended up as scrap.
bimsb6 said:
stu67 said:
A C50 was my first bike. Red and White 71 K reg. It was dragged out of a friend of my Mums shed, and was her late dads. The lady asked if I wanted the other 2 bikes in the shed a Triumph Speed Twin and a Thunderbird, no cost, I turned them down as I was only interested in a 50cc, what a young tt.
Having said that the Honda was great, many fond memories, the back of the rear mudguard was held on by two big alloy plates made by the bloke next door and it was flogged everywhere at 10/10ths. My mates who had far more money than me all had DT 50’s and ER’s but that little Honda could hold it’s own.
Clip on some 35 years and I’ve just purchased a new Honda Monkey 125. It makes me smile every time I get on it, more so than my big bikes.
You probably realise in hindsight that the c50 was not actually a moped ? Loads of people ran them at 16 illegally.t.Having said that the Honda was great, many fond memories, the back of the rear mudguard was held on by two big alloy plates made by the bloke next door and it was flogged everywhere at 10/10ths. My mates who had far more money than me all had DT 50’s and ER’s but that little Honda could hold it’s own.
Clip on some 35 years and I’ve just purchased a new Honda Monkey 125. It makes me smile every time I get on it, more so than my big bikes.
I always liked the rocker gear change on the honda and as someone with a slightly dodgy left foot (due to an old back problem) always thought it was a better way of changing up and down.
Used to love going up the garden into my Grandads shed when I was young to climb onto the crunchy he had for running about and pretend to ride it ! I can still smell the inside of the shed, that unique mix of wood, oil, petrol, creosote etc. that only a real proper old shed has. My dad had a few including a pretty early one with the little oblong indicators. Then I've had a few myself. They were a right of passage along the way into biking. There always seemed to be old Honda's about. CG's, CD's etc.
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