Hello from Oregon, new Super Cub 90 owner...

[Will Von Wizzlepig]

Hi!

I am Will, I live in Portland, Oregon.

Well, I am sort of a new owner. I bought a 1970 Honda Super Cub 90 last summer, and never got around to getting it running, so this summer I have taken it to a shop that restores old bikes and they are working on it for me.

But they have hit all kinds of snags...

It looks like my bike is gray market, and so it's been murder for the shop to get the correct parts for it. The frame number is C90918420m .

I have been told this is a CM90, CM91A, and a few other model numbers, but who knows?

When I search for parts here in the USA, they show a 90cc Super cub through 1969, so, mine must have been meant for some other market.

The mechanic at the shop has pointed out several non-standard items, for example, the turn signals on the front are not the typical ones you would see on an American market Cub, the replacement engine that should have fit a 90cc cub required an adapter kit, and the chain and front and rear sprockets on the bike were much larger than the stock Super Cub sprockets. He said they were more like the size that would go on a CB 400.

I wish I had some photos to post... just a crummy iphone pic. It's the dark green and white model, but apparently even the fenders and brake lights are different, too.

[ll81]

Hi there, hope she's a good bike for you. You'll grin from ear to ear when your on her as we all do.

[CeeGee]

Welcome to the forum mate.

Even a bad picture could help. Boo is pretty good at identifying various models, a regular Sherlock Holmes!

[Boo]

Sounds like a C90 to me, if it's 1970 and that's the frame number.. ! (or C90M - electric start version)

CM90 was the old pushrod engine model with unenclosed front forks and lower headlight, and the CM91 was this same shape, but with the 89cc OHC engine like the C90.
USA got the CM91 officially (sold til '69), but not CM90 or C90. They were only ever sold as just 'Honda 90' or 'Cub 90', the actual model only appearing at the start of the frame number.

Just to confuse.. I've seen many Yahoo Honda groups getting the numbers wrong.. getting CM90 and C90M confused, or CM90 and CM91, and as it's the internet, this misinfo spreads like wildfire!!

Your best bet for engine parts in the States is the CT90 trail bike.. All over the USA and shares exactly the same engine top end (just different gearbox parts) - though, if you've fitted a new one with adaptor, that's probably irrelevant now!

A 1970 C90 should look a lot like this..
Variations for different countries are badging (Honda 90 or Cub 90) single seat with rack, or dual seat, assorted shapes of tail light and colour schemes.

[Will Von Wizzlepig]

Thanks everyone!

Yes, I'll post photos when I get it back from the shop. Oh, wait, I have an iphone pic here...



and here's the goofy carb that came on it... I looked and looked and never found a rebuild kit for one like this. Not even close. Doesn't matter now, as I bought a Lifan engine and swapped out everything in there- the old engine was seized and had 16,000 Km on it.

[Will Von Wizzlepig]

Six! Months! Later!

I had no idea I would be $2500 usd into this bike in order to get where I am, but paying someone else to do the work- and the fact it was not a USA model- seems to have a lot to do with it.

I still have to rebuild the front shocks, get a mirror, a side cover, a passenger seat, replace the splash guard, and clean it up a little, but, voila, it's done. And with the 110cc Lifan engine, it's rather perky for a wee bike. Here's a video of it running. http://www.flickr.com/photos/willpdx/6467867941/

I am guessing from the Japanese sticker that this was a Japanese market bike? The guy at the shop said the chain and sprockets were more like those off of a CB100 than a super cub, and that there were various other oddities about the rebuild project.

[Pjam]

Hi Will, That's great your getting the bike road worthy

Boo's the expert here, and it's hard for me cus I/D for a UK bike will not work elsewhere, Much of that looks like a C90, but quite a few things don't look like a UK C90!
Tell me Will, did that lifan go in without any mods to the frame, or backets for the engine?

[Will Von Wizzlepig]

They had to order a special mounting bracket to get the motor on, but I do believe they did all of that without any extra mods to the frame or the engine- that is, the bracket made it all work right.

Now I need to pin down the front fork rebuild kit. Yay for 40 year old project bikes!

[Pjam]

Ah yes, That bracket you mention would be consistant with a C90 or similar.

The fixed rear pegs are also C90 (or similar) but things that are strange to UK viewers are things like the pilot light, in the UK that's from a later bike (C90ZZ) and the larger side panels also from a later C90ZZ. I'm not saying they are wrong on your bike I'm saying they would be wrong on a UK spec bike.

Just noticed how free of rust she looks, nice

I've got to stop worrying about the UK. We're a pin pot place who few actually know the location of

Watch out with those fork kits! they vary in quality I've heard.

[Boo]

it's just like our early 6v C90 Pjam except seat, badges, sidepanels and pilot light. Look where the ignition switch is and the brake torque-arm.
Certainly no problem IDing it! It says C90 on the frame number and various obviously original badges!! I'm surprised the dealer sourcing bits didn't work that out!!

Original carb, engine, chain etc could have all been found in the USA as CT90 or CM91 parts if the dealer had done a bit of lateral thinking!! (I think he must have been only looking at C100 or C70 parts, unaware that an 90cc Cubs were sold in the USA)
But! I'd say it's a better bike for the 12v conversion. Far better engines IMHO. (even if Chinese)

For a right hand side cover to fit over that big electric start 12v battery you will need one from a 12 volt C70 Passport (looks like that's where he got the battery & holder from).
Nothing else will fit over.. not even one matching the other side (which would be hard to find in the US anyway)

Dual seat and bracket from US-spec CM91 (below) would fit that frame OK.
Same frame exactly as the 6v C90 (apart from the chopped rear fender unique to USA spec) These will provide a seat that fits straight on where the carrier is currently mounted.. Also If you ever need wheel bearings, brake parts etc, etc this is the bike to quote in the US so not to confuse dealers!

(Note engine just like the one you took out!)