I’m completely and utterly enamored with the revival of this 1972 Honda CT-70 Trail 70 motorcycle, mostly because I cut my teeth (and a few other body parts) riding one of these around on trails in Washington State as a young kid. To me and my younger brother, it was a knock-around bike, a step up from the Honda 50cc “monkey bike” that we had first learned to ride. It gave us our first taste of speed, something better than simply riding a bicycle downhill on some of the hillier sections of road, something that would hustle us around on gravel roads and give us a reason to run up and down through the gears. I can’t speak for my brother much on the subject, but I loved the little Honda and even though I soon stepped up the rowdy world of Yamaha two-cycle bikes and Honda three-wheelers in short order, the little 70 always had a place in my heart. Who knows, I might even have a photo of it somewhere in the office. I should probably go see if I do.
In the second part of this rebuild, it’s time to address the fuel system of a bike that has been down for a few decades. That means it’s time for a complete, 100% go-through, from the fuel tank to the carburetor. Age and gasoline do not go well, and if this Honda is going to run at all the carburetor needs to be checked out and the fuel tank needs to be cleared of any varnish or residue left over from what used to be gasoline. It’s basic work but it’s absolutely necessary if this little Trail 70 is going to truly come back to life!
