Growing up in the 50s and 60s the Honda Trail 90s were legendary motorcycles. Most of the kids I learned to ride with had them while I went a different route with a Hodaka Ace90 dirt bike. The Hodaka could easily beat the pants off any Honda except in the durability category. The four stroke engine just took a licking and kept on ticking while I was replacing rings and pistons a lot in my two stroke. We had an RV park up the mountain from my village and it seemed like every tow behind travel trailer had one or two Trail 90s behind them. They are really not a dirt bike and in fact are rather lame for any serious trail riding but they sure did stand the test of time and with the dual range trannys they could get to some places you would never expect them to make it to. Today as a very calm and very senior rider I would do just fine with a trail 90 to take me back to the remote fishing spots I go to with the TW. My friends who had them always switched over to much more aggressive knobby tires so they could switch into low range and crawl up the mountain while I had to blow past them going much faster and keeping the revs up. Those Hodakas were legendary in their own rites and a real blast to ride back in those times. I keep expecting to run across a trail 90 or two stuffed in the back of a garage or barn needing rescue but so far all the ones I have run across were too hard hammered and highly neglected. An older gent right up the road from me still has a really nice pair sitting in his garage for at least 40 years that only he and his wife rode around in the camp grounds. One is yellow and one is red and neither of them has more than 200 miles on them. It is a bit odd that he refuses to sell them to me because he has no children or grand children and no intention of ever riding them again being they are in their mid 80s.
We have a few members here who also have trail 90s and seek and search for nice ones all the time. Smittyblackstone is as close to an expert on them as I know of and has a couple real nice survivors the last I spoke with him. One thing I can say for sure is they are just as costly to restore as any abused TW but like the TWs there are millions of parts available for them and they will live on for many more years.
When I was growing up, my brother and I had Trail 90s, and my dad had a Trail 110. We went everywhere on those bikes... hunting, fishing, camping, day trips to the hills... you name it!
When I was in college, I used it a lot more for getting around town. I could get 60mph out of it, if I tucked my head down between the handlebars.
When I was in the Marines, it sat for six years under a tarp (which disintegrated after the first year), so I had quite a renovation project when I got back.
I got it all prettied up, and running better than ever, then like an ass, I sold it....
Those little Hondas were in a class of their own, for sure!
I’ve got an 84 110 that I fully restored. My grandson has now layed claim to it. Used to commute to work on it and once did a 138 mile trip in the mountains. That seat is worse than the TW’s and the suspension, what little there is, will beat you to death!
I used to have my CT-90s always on the back of my converted to camper 1949 Grumman Chevy delivery truck. Loved the way you could turn the bars so it could sit closer to the truck. Had those tire hoops mounted on the back, put the front tire in and then lift the back and drop in. Bike mounted in about a minute! The truck broke down once and I actually towed it with the 90 in low for a few miles. It was quite a spectacle but it got us to the garage! I keep looking for another, would be a nice companion to the TW.
I had a feeling the folks here would have an appreciation for that unique bike.
My first motorcycle was a 1966 Honda 90 (not a Trail 90) that I purchased in 1979. It was a great about-town bike. I once tried it on trails, which worked okay until the first steep up-hill section. We lost momentum/traction, fell over, and the handle bars broke. Replacing the handle bars is the only repair I can recall doing on that bike.
I've restored a few CT90's since retired. I found this one behind a barn and could barely tell it was yellow, there was so much rust, dirt and crud on it. I'll see if I can figure out how to upload photos...
I recently picked up a Trail 110 in excellent shape but have not had a chance to really look at it much yet. My wife wants me to get on it so she can ride it.
I restored this $100 dollar a crate 90 some time ago. Really enjoyed wrenching on it, brought back lots of memories.
I love the trail 90 but it is more nostalgia than performing,the skinny tires don’t work well where I play.
Its fun to switch from the 90 to the TW and compare the differences, two different ideas of a trail bike.
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