i was debating on whether to start a thread on my resto/build up project for my ct90/ct200s. but, figured it might help a few people and more importantly, help me if someone sees something or recommends something before I am about to do it!!
i have been wanting to do a resto/build up for a few years now. pretty much ever since i watched matt/buckroseaus fj45lv build for months with my jaw hanging open. i bought a very stock 66 fj40 FST early last year to restore but slowly realized that i had no idea how to anything body or paint wise, and was not ready to experiment on it.
so enter plan B. last summer, with a little encouragement from certain board members who belong to an interweb cult, i started off buying old honda trail bikes with the intention of restoring them and learning some paint and bodt and maybe welding skills before i turned myself loose on the 45. the added bonus is that these bikes are perfect for the local trails, many of which are atv/horse friendly.
anyway it started out slow. here is bike number 1. a stock 1965 honda ct200 trail 90 that runs and doesn't need much
now i found i needed a bunch of small parts and after buying some on ebay and some from specialisist and the local honda dealer i decided i really needed a parts bike or two.
so after a lot of sorting and moving into the basement, and some homework i got busy with disassembly. i have started by tearing down the five frames i have that are k1 or later, meaning full front telescoping shocks.
so i these are ready to take these to the sandblaster. i really only have enough decent parts to do three of these more or less properly but, so far. i think i have enough to get the other two as running.
seems honda wasn't very consistent in the position it placed the logos on the back. they also made the bolts that held the chrome trim piece on out of something that was not remotely corrosion proof. i was very glad after i broke them all off that they were t bolts that fit into the channel in the trim piece so no harm done.
the rust on the seats has been way worse than expected and than anything else on the bike. from the bottom surface you see they look fine but as soon as you pull away the fabric around the edge it gets ugly and when you flip them over to where the foam was contacting it is really ugly
dr atv sells complete ct110 oem seats for $90 but the seat covers and foam are wrong for the early bikes. it seems you can't get the seat plate alone. i am thinking that since all the visible metal when the seat is together is good, i will blast them and then maybe coat the bad areas with fibreglass or epoxy to strengthen them a bit.
btw, i haven't been in the basement since i started this thread due to a nasty flu bug.
Awesome stuff.