Dig the mini-bike? 1976 Honda XR75 Resurrection maybe... OIC HEAVY

[Str8_69]

OK so I've been doing motorcycles for more years than I can remember, and have been trying to wean myself off over the last 10 years or so. At one time I was up to about 40 bikes in my collection, now down to about 12 or so. But I have this soft spot for mini-bikes, and constantly cruise the list just to torture myself and see what's out there, and today I found this 1976 Honda XR75 that's pretty complete but very rusty, engine is stuck, and well, it's rusty. BUT it's all there. So, I'm thinkin' I'm gonna see if I can make this botch run again. If anyone is interested in following, let me know, progress may be a bit slow cuz I just landed myself a part time job, and I aint got no caish, but I've done a few of these and have some spares at my disposal.. so without further whatever,

 

 

OICS..

 

 

As found today..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOTS of rust in the tank...

 

 

 

Pretty rusty forks too..

 

 

 

 

The pipe is in decent shape but the carb is as stuck as the engine, I got some PB down the holes but I haven't turned any screws yet. This is totally how I got it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm done restoring bikes, too much f'n monies. I like to make them run and ride as found with as little $$ invested. I'm thinking with this one I'll have to do a top end job (as long as the bottom wasn't full of water) and a carb rebuild/replace. My goal is $250 or less and a bit of elbow grease.

[hobbes_the_cat]

Cool. I love those little hondas. My first bike was a 1983 z50r, this one has the same look. It will make a nice pit or camping bike.

[Str8_69]

Cool. I love those little hondas. My first bike was a 1983 z50r, this one has the same look. It will make a nice pit or camping bike.

 

 

I love the Z50's, did you see my "flaming green weenie" in the motorcycle thread?

[peanutbuttercups]

Awesome my first bike was an xr80. So many memories, and miles. Oh well still have my old gocart. Glad I kept that one.

[Str8_69]

My first bike was a 71 Yamaha JT1, I still have it. I'll post a pic tomorrow, I just pulled it out of storage and got it running again a week ago.

[peanutbuttercups]

Yeah post up some oics. Aren't you glad you kept it. My son likes riding the go cart now more than his quad.

[Str8_69]

Well I went to the motorcycle races today so I didn't do anything with the XR75, but it still needs time to soak. So here's a couple oics of my JT1 as promised. This is not one of those "that's the bike I had when I was a kid" deals, this IS THE bike I had when I was a kid. My dad sold it to a friend of his for his kids after I outgrew it, then about 15 years ago bought it back and gave it to me for my birthday. I almost cried I was so blown away.

 

 

1971 Yamaha JT1 60cc Mini Enduro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have another one just like it that I built entirely of parts bought on eBay and swap meets before prices went through the f'n roof

 

 

 

And PBcups, nice go-cart, we used to ride one of those on our half pipe when we were young and dumb.....

[peanutbuttercups]

That's awesome you got your old bike back.!!!Its so cool. I have the same sticker on my quad, and it's there for a reason lol. Good job. It's a real treat to see my son ride something I used to put around on, Wait I still ride it. Lol never rode it on a half pipe though.

[Str8_69]

That's awesome you got your old bike back.!!!Its so cool. I have the same sticker on my quad, and it's there for a reason lol. Good job. It's a real treat to see my son ride something I used to put around on, Wait I still ride it. Lol never rode it on a half pipe though.

 

 

I know what you mean.. I don't have kids of my own but I got lots of nieces and nephews and good friends with kids, and I always try to have a bike ready to go at a moments notice when one is ready to learn how to ride. I think I've taught about 8 kids to ride on the JT1. Lots of pics on the wall.

[Z chopper]

I love minibikes, been working on a z50a softtail for a couple years. but really want an xl70

[DanielC]

This thread brings back memories. My first minibike was a Honda CT-70. Turquoise blue. But I did not get one with the three speed transmission, and automatic clutch, I got a four speed one and a hand clutch. I live near West Linn, semi rural area, and used to ride all over on a network of trails I knew. A good friend of mine has a Honda minitrail 50, and we rode all over the place. We were one of the first two vehicles on I205 between West Linn, and Stafford before the freeway was opened to cars.

Another friend of mine had a cabin just outside of Cougar, Washington, on the south side of Mt. St Helens. Spent some time up there, and riding on the forest service roads on the mountain. Probably rode some roads not there anymore, because this was before the eruption in 1980.

Traded the CT 70 in for a SL125. Had a lot of fun with that bike also. My 521 hauled that bike, and later a sand rail down to Sand Lake many times.

[Z chopper]

DanielC that's even better than the regular CT70, you had a CT70H I think only 69/70 had them maybe 71

[DanielC]

yoiu are right, it was the CT70H. "H" for hand clutch.

There was this field, near where I lived, on top of a hill. It had a microwave relay tower in it, on the top. Everybody called it "radar field" It was a popular after school riding spot.

At first, just local kids would ride there. I, with my CT70H, there were a few other CT70's. One friend had a Yamaha JT-1. Somebody else had a Suzuki minibike. Then other people started showing up. Somebody brought a CZ motocross bike, somebody else brought a Penton 125, a motor cycle made for the international six day trial, that was centered in McMinnville, and rode in the area around the Trask mountains. I had another friend who had a Hodaka Ace, 100, I think.

 

And here is the weird thing. People would also bring horses up there to ride, even I would ride my horse up there. As first there was some animosity between some horse people, and the motorcyclists, but soon, people with bikes learned to recognize the signs of a nervous horse, and in turn, the horse people learned that after a while, the horses got used to the motorcycles. My horse could care less, I would sometimes ride my motorcycle in the pasture where she was grazing. My horse got to the point that I could have her on the blind side of a jump, and an open expansion chamber bike could pop over the jump, into view, and she would just look that way, not even flinch. My horse was handy, I could ride through neighbourhoods, and scout more riding trails for the bike. Sometimes people just accepted the horse, other times the fact that a horse is pretty quiet, compared to a motorcycle, enabled me to find trails. Another day, my friend with the Suzuki got into a discussion on what was faster, his bike, or my horse. We had a drag race. I beat him, twice. He was not happy.

 

So one day, me and my friend, who had the Minitrail 50, were riding in this dirt field. We had traded bikes, he had my CT70H. All of a sudden, we both saw this car heading straight for us, as fast as it could go, in the dirt. Big soft suspension 1970 American cars do not make good off road vehicles, but it definitely could go faster than the minitrail 50, that I was riding at the time. My friend, and I both decided at that time the best solution was to ditch the car, on our motorbikes. Remember, he had my 70, and was gone pretty quickly. Thanks, Tom. I was left to deal with the car, in hot pursuit. On the Minitrail 50. I went to a large gully, that you could drive a car through, as long as you did not stop at the bottom, and lose momentum. This car was getting close. I rode to the bottom of the gully, did a quick 180, and rode back up the same side I rode down. The car, in trying a quick turn at the bottom of the gully, got stuck, or at least temporally detained, and I was gone. Met my buddy at a narrow single track trail through some narrow woods.

 

All this riding was done before we had drivers licences. The motor bikes were a handy way to hang out with friends, too far to walk to their house.

One of my friends got a Honda XR75, but by then, we had started getting drivers licences, and could drive on the streets. That is when I got my SL125. Still went to radar field. Went up there with my Datsun 521, too.

[Str8_69]

Yeah the CT70H KO & K1 were 70-73, very rare and desirable theses days, in decent condish anyways. A JT1 would smoke them though... :sneaky:

 

 

My XR75 has been soaking for almost a week and is still stuck, so the top end will have to come off for inspection. I think I might have some time tomorrow so I'll post up some pics of the progress.

 

 

If any of you guys have any oics of your old bikes please feel free to post them here. I may just use this thread as a catch-all for my bike projects, but for now, just the XR until it's done, or toast.

[Str8_69]

OK so I got to tinkering today. Pulled tank, seat, covers, carb, and rocker cover. Forgot to fog it with bug spray so I got to kill a lot of spiders.

 

As I got it, torn down for inspection;

 

 

 

Popped the rocker cover and was happy to see this.. nice and clean, no rust or apparent damage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The big bummer is that it was sitting with the intake valve open. This is very bad. So I drained the oil out of the crank case and pumped the penetrating oil out of the cylinder and re-filled the top end with PB blaster and Aerokroil, gonna let it sit a few more days and see if it'll bust loose. I'm not very hopeful.

 

 

So then I pulled the carb apart.. :sick:

 

 

 

 

Ugh. Time to pull out the ultrasonic tank and see if I can save it. Sucks when people park shit like this.

 

 

So to make myself feel better I grabbed some steel wool and got busy cleaning. After about an hour I blew it off with air then soaked it with S100 cycle cleaner, rinsed it off and it's now a decent 5 footer....

 

 

 

I put on a set of grips I had laying around and put one coat of satin black on the muffler.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, now I wait to see if it breaks loose in a few days. If not I'll just pull it apart after I restore or replace the carb, I'm certain I have an extra around here somewhere.

[datrod]

1971 Yamaha JT1 60cc Mini Enduro

Oh man that brings back some memories. My MOM rode one of them way back in the day. But when we were not out camping and riding I rode that thing to hell and back.

That is so cool that you got it back.

[Str8_69]

Got the engine to turn over today but no compression, so out it came.

 

 

 

 

Pulled cam and rocker assy, and it looks brand new, so hopefully.......

 

 

 

 

Then I pulled the cylinder head and :hmm:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The piston was on bottom stroke with the intake valve open, so at one time the cylinder was probably full of water. Pulled the valves and the intake is pitted so bad it needs replaced. Exhaust is fine. But I haven't cleaned up the head yet, so we'll see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like it might need a bore, which means piston kit.. $$. If I can hone it I can do rings only for about $30, gasket set about $25, new carb $28, intake valve $28, and labor time to clean up the head and cylinder.

 

We'll see, I have to get new stones for my hone, or hopefully borrow one and see if I can save this cylinder.

[Z chopper]

I had a Kawasaki KV75 growing up 2 stroke and very quick

[Str8_69]

Quick update. Looks like this XR may yet live. Found a decent cylinder that honed out OK, and a buddy gave me some 1st over rings he had for a CT70 that we cut down to fit, and I found an intake valve and head gasket (both obsolete) on ebay. Just waiting on the valve now.

 

 

Head, cylinder and carb got the ultrasonic..

 

 

 

 

 

 

The carb is pretty bad, don't know if I can save it. I found a Korean knock off for about $30 that I can only hope works, we'll see.

 

So when the valve arrives I'll lap them in, re-assemble the head and put this bad boy back together!

[Rustina 510]

Super cool. That was the first dirt bike I ever had ;) man that brings back some great memories.

 

I saw a old ass Honda 185 atc on Craigslist bend the other day, I had one of those too.

 

All steel tube frames with the big balloon tires! Kidney buster!!!!

[BenJammin]

Just reading this thread brought back memories of my first three Hondas... a Z50, then a CL70. and my XL125. I remember absolutely loving those bikes ! It seemed I got a rush of adrenaline everytime I jumped on the kickstart and they fired up. Plus the feeling of freedom for a kid on one of those was priceless.

 

I'm 48 now and I didn't really do much riding after having those (cars became my passion), but I had one last 'love affair' with a Honda Black Shadow 750 I borrowed from a friend (for 3 months!) in the interim between graduating high school and later joining the Navy, but I have been entertaining the thought of getting another Z50 just for fun and tooling back and forth around the neighborhood, but has anyone seen the prices on those, jeez !?