September 2007

August 2007

June 2007

• Many thanks to our many clients for making this our busiest spring ever! The full schedule has had a major impact on our operations. The changes, overall, are for the better, as outlined in the balance of this month's news items. Unfortunately, with the same 24 hours/day in which to work, something had to give way...namely site updates and our personal projects. The site will be updated on an ongoing, piecemeal, basis as opposed to the sweeping changes seen in the past.
• We're raising the bar and further advancing the state-of-the-art for our favorite small bikes. The custom special is about to be surpassed by the upcoming all-new Silver Bullet project. If you're interested in seeing just how far a CT70 can be hotrodded, then you'll want to check this one out, it's a mindblower!
• Our current skunkworks project, the ultimate front end, is near completion and, along with the shop bike, should be on the road bythe end of June. This is another watershed development for any serious rider. Details will be updated, mid-month, in the shop bike section.
• There are more new parts than can be added (over 2200 items & counting) to the parts pages for the time being. If there's an OEM or aftermarket item you want, please inquire. Selected developments include new aftermarket  CT70 aluminum swingarms, complete disc brake rear end kit, new exhausts (including upcoming options for the Stealth exhaust), lower prices on new Nice engines and complete Nice conversion packages.
• For the restoration enthusiasts, we've added Candy Topaz Orange to the list of available paint colors...by popular demand.
• For those who've patiently waited-out another longer-than-average late winter/early spring... painting season is here and the schedule is filling quickly.
• For our video fans, we'll be shooting more and better footage this summer and fall. Look for a DVD or two around year's end.

June 2006

• Spring has sprung, the temperatures (for those of us in the northern states) have finally warmed...busy season is upon us! New items have arrived, however, it will be some time before the parts page is updated to reflect these. Please inquire directly.
• We now have, in stock, CT70 sprockets in hard-to-find sizes. Rear wheel in  29, 30, 31, 32 & 33 teeth (28t available on special order), countershaft in 15,16, 17 & 18 teeth, H.D. drive chain, too. If you've gone to a large displacement engine, these are the items that will make your gears useable again and allow you to realize the full speed potential of your engine setup or bias the bike for long-range cruising or climbing as you wish and not have to replace these items every few hundred miles. These are top-quality chains and hardened sprockets. Countershaft sprockets are $9 (except 18t - $18), rear wheel sprockets are $24.95 and HD gold chain is $38 (connecting links $3)
• Want a stock appearing exhaust with a deep, throaty, sound and flow to match? Try our "Stealth Exhaust" . These can be custom-tailored to your application, including modification to fit your OEM Honda heat shield (K0 or K1 type), with black heat shields, revised rear hanger to your specs, and/or modified to fit the Honda Nice and copy engines. Price is $199 for basic exhaust including chrome heat shields, modded pipes are $229
• This month we begin tuning using a mobile exhaust gas analyzer (EGA), no more guessing when it comes to carburetor jetting for a specific engine setup. Initially, this will be used with Nice engines and various big-displacement tunes.
• The best tuned engines on the planet are, without doubt, the TJR-tuned Nice tunes. These offer the biggest bang-for-the-buck going. A ~20hp engine for under 4 grand is a lot of value, especially when that engine offers OEM reliability, tons of useable power and rip-your-arms-off torque. For the more budget-concious, we now offer a 127cc kit for the Nice starting at $400.
• The Honda Nice engine program is now in full swing. We can supply any part in this engine. Used engines start at $800, completely rebuilt (and we do mean completely) with new cylinder jug, piston rings, clutch, oil pump, bearings & tranny, crankshaft assembly, etc for approximately $1400. This is more than the disposable PRC copy engines, but very cost-effective when you consider that this price buys a functionally new engine with all new, standard size OEM parts. You're getting a new engine with used cases & electrics.Plus, you'll never be stuck with a paperweight because of an unavailable $9 part. (You'll probably never need parts anyway, these are the most durable engines ever made for these bikes) New engines sold for $1900 and were eagerly snapped-up by serious riders in the know. We can supply new engines as well but the price may be somewhat higher as the dollar continues to weaken against other currencies. Remember, the stock lower end of these engines is used as-is for the 137-173cc tunes and has proven stone-reliable with no more than a set of heavier clutch springs. No other setup, OEM or aftermarket can reliably handle more than 124cc. With that kind of strength, a stock engine will give thousands of miles and many years of unstressed 60+mph performance with nothing more than regular oil changes, filter cleanings and the occasional valve adjustment.
• We've added a dedicated blast station for aluminum parts, using special soft blast media. Engine, carburetor and other aluminum parts can now be cleaned with an efficiency not previously possible. Best of all, since the media is softer than aluminum, there's no possibility of damage from errant, leftover abrasive. Thanks to this, we can now remove powdercoat from engine cases and do so cost-effectively. This makes it possible to offer expanded polishing services, particularly for engine parts such as cases and sidecovers.

Summer passes by faster than any other time of the year. If your plans include projects for the pre 4th of July season, don't  delay!

April 2006

• Last call for those wanting to get a bike painted in time for summer. We are now scheduling May's paint and engine work. The schedule has remained very full, many thanks to our customers.^)
• We now have more parts available than we will be able to list for quite some time. Additional high-quality aftermarket shocks, oil coolers, swingarms, oil catch tanks and many other items are readily available, including KSR front forks all at very reasonable prices.
• The stainless bolt kits are taking longer to finalize than expected, due to variations between models. We will be listing a K0/K1 kit soon, consisting of stainless hex cap (standard bolt heads, similar to OE). Other custom fasteners can be ordered including, Allen head, button Allen head, polished chrome acorn nuts and polished hex cap stainless.
• Our Honda Nice engine program is coming along, well...nicely. We have complete backup replacement parts available and can even supply rebuilt engines that are literally like new (nearly all new rotating assembly, upper & lower end) for hundreds of dollars less than these engines sold for new. We also supply tuning parts such as bore-up kits and the fabulous 137, 142 & 158 kits from TJR Tuningparts of Germany.
• Be sure to visit the tech tip page. Nearly every CT70 rider will have to deal with seat repair at some point. We show you the details of getting it right the first time.
• This month's "moment of Zen" is a rare double feature shot three seasons ago. Prior to the installation of the Honda Nice engine in the red shop bike, we did some serious evaluation of our Zongshen 110 (Z108) including tests of acceleration & top speed, shifting and running quality at different speeds and shooting some video for later review. With close to 800 miles on this engine and the carburetion and gearing worked out to perfection, it was an ideal opportunity to to see what it could do. The Z108 is still considered the best of the Chinese engines and is about the only one that's been around long enough to have some speed gear and repair parts available. Ours had the big valve head and a "fast road" cam, so we were expecting 60mph+ on the 75-degree day during which this video was shot. Frankly, we were a bit disappointed. A week later, on an 85-degree day, we shot video of the same bike with the same gearing and exhaust, but this time around with our then-new Honda Nice motor with 93 miles under it's belt and the carb jetted too rich to rev-out cleanly. The results: 56mph for the Z108, 63mph for the Nice and still climbing before we had to shut down for traffic.  What we hadn't realized at the time was the fact that the bikes were run between precisely the same start and end points. It was while reviewing the videos months later, trying to edit them down for webhosting that we noticed the Nice engine had covered the same exact distance five seconds faster than the Zonger without being run full-out, or being dialed-in. Unable to reduce the size of the mpeg files to fit our available webspace, they languished for almost three years.                                                                                                                            For the Z108 top speed run, the engine was run at wide open throttle for the entire length of the impromptu "test track" and shifted as the power levelled-off. The Nice, still being tight with so few miles on it,  an overly large main jet to prevent possible overheating was actually run at part throttle through most of third gear; you can hear this in the audio, along with the onset of high-speed misfiring at the top of the rev range. Considering that the new motor was nowhere near optimized in terms of carb jetting or gearing and the way it was run, it didn't dawn upon us that we had a pretty convincing "shootout" in the proverbial can. This section of road is curvy and gently undulating, though in video it appears to have quite a gradient. In case you're wondering why we've chosen this particular location for speed runs, the answer is threefold;  we have found over the years that these bikes tend to come within 2-3mph of their true flat-road top speed, reaching terminal velocity about 700 feet into the uphill section. The results here are remarkably consistent because the road is well-shielded from the wind. There are no cross streets that would allow other vehicles to suddenly pull out without warning. So while it would appear that we hardly have what could be considered "shootout" material, in point of fact it may be the most accurate comparison of it's type. Everything  is the same, right down to the parts on the bike, including the exhaust system! How often does this happen?                                                                                                                   Now, with the bandwidth issues finally resolved, we bring you a rare head-to-head comparison of two very different engines. Be aware that these are large mpeg files and take a while to download. We may leave these in place for longer than normal if demand warrants it.
• Coming next month: We begin a "stealth" conversion of a customer's CT70HK0 to Nice power. Plus a new tech article and more new items to build one your way. See you then.

March 2006

• The schedule is nearly full. We can still accomodate smaller projects. However, engine builds cannot be accepted until April 1st and the painting schedule is completely filled until mid-April. If you're planning on getting that new bike on the road this spring, don't delay!

• New parts are on the way, too many to add to the list in time for this month's main update. Be sure to check back often and feel free to inquire about any specific items you may want but don't see listed.

• Stainless hardware kits will be available in about 10 days. We will offer flat Allen head oil filter and stator screws. We will also have Allen head case screws, as a kit. If you've ever struggled with the OEM philips heads, then you'll really appreciate these; say goodbye to the impact driver & drill.  Wheel fastener kits and body fastener kits will be available as well. These will be added to the parts page as soon as we have the pricing. Feel free to inquire.

• Check out this month's "moment of Zen" mpeg link on the home page...it'll help take the chill out of the air.

February 2006

• If you're planning a new bike for this year, now's the time to start putting those plans into action. It always seems  to take longer than anticipated getting a bike project finished & on the road. Our February painting schedule is nearly full, so contact us soon if you'd like to have your bike refinished & back in your hands before spring.

• Parts will be added to the parts section on an ongoing basis. Many details have now been worked out, unfortunately, this has taken more time than anticipated. Check back frequently as many items, restoration parts especially, will have limited availability. If there are any items you'd like to see us carry, please let us know. Genuine Honda engines from 100cc up to 160cc are now available. We also import TJR parts for the 137 & larger tunes...an MCM exclusive. These are the Rolls Royce of small bike engines. The base 110, properly setup, is good for mid 60-mph top speeds. Properly maintained, these are 30,000 mile engines. The clutch, gearbox, overall smoothness  and durability are absolutely unmatched by any Chinese "clone" engine. The larger displacement tuned engines typically require 60-day lead time. All have excellent parts support. The Tiger 120 is also available, with a 158  version soon to be released and 196 race version in development. Initial reports indicate that the 120 is nearly up to Honda standard and these are the only other big-displacement, non-Chinese  engines, on the market. Full parts backup is readily available. Please inquire for details.

• We are adding more information to the site. There will be more detail shots and explanations permanently added to the restoration section. We've added a tech tip section. These will be featured on a rotating basis.

• More customer have been added to the galleries. It's always intersting to see what new, individual, ideas other's have when it comes to building their ultimate bike.

• Check out this month's "moment of Zen" video featuring Godfried's tuned Dax. Now this is what we call a runner!

As Always, thanks for stopping by. This is where the ride starts getting interesting...

November 2005

Be sure to check out our winter storage guide located in the tuning tips section. It's a quick read and can help insure that your bike fires-up, ready-to-ride, next spring.

There's a new addition to the customer bike section in our photo galleries. This is one amazing machine!

The custom bike is now running. Follow the last major installment of the project, until spring when the bike is completely broken-in and fully tuned.

This month's "moment of Zen" is a restrained run-up to 65mph with the new bike. A full-on banzai blast will be shot early in the 2006 season. For now, we felt that a small taste of things to come was better than nothing at all. Plus, you'll see how effortlessy this machine pulls itself along at freeway speed.

That's all for this month, thanks for checking back;^)

October 2005

Follow along as the details and individual pieces come together and the bike starts taking shape in the next installment of the custom build series.

We now accept paypal and are considering replacing that service with direct credit card processing in the near future.

Work continues behind the scenes to bring you new items and begin filling the parts for sale section. As always, parts requests/special orders are welcomed.

We will be adding wiring diagrams and carb tuning details next month.

Your bike photos are welcome for feature in our customer's gallery. We will be selecting some of the best for future front pages .

September 2005

Welcome to the all-new ct70Honda.com website. In light of the fact that this has been our busiest year yet, we have decided to launch our new site ahead of it's full completion. As a result:

• The photo galleries have many new additions pending.
• The parts section has nothing listed as yet. This will change in the near future. We can import just about any aftermarket parts available as special orders.
• Full restoration and custom services are available.
• Our ordering system will remain primitive for a while. Plans are already underway to allow direct credit card payments thereby saving you, our customer, the excess fees charged by Paypal.
• For now, orders must be initiated through e-mail. Postal money orders are preferred. We do ship internationally.

Tech features will be added on a rotating basis and we will be adding to the existing galleries on a continuing basis, as well as fleshing-out the parts section in a unique way.

We will be featuring an assortment of high-res photos and short videos over the coming months. Video files are, relatively speaking, huge and may take considerable time to download. You will need to be patient, especially if you have a slow connection as these files may be as large as 25mb and can take several minutes to load. The photo to the right of the Dax ad is the link. The initial installment is a 50mph cruise along the west coast of Michigan's Keewenaw peninsula...one of the top five scenic drives in the lower 48 states. For those of you who have never experienced a Honda mini with 65mph capability this should be a bit of a revelation; for everyone else, it's a couple minutes worth of nice scenery...a moment of Zen and the art of mini trailing...^)

There's lots more in the works, so please check back often.