Thread: 69 ct70 what's so different?

69 Honda ct70's are a little different, this is what we have noticed,
1a) The silver tag on the neck is made from the same materel as the black tags are, but no date of manufacture.
1) Early silver tags have wheels with no bosses. also the spokes are flat in the center.
2) Early 69's have Front fender with a lip in front.
3) Headlight ring doesn't have as much detail around adjusting screw as latter models do. and is welded together at bottom latter models are one piece.
4) High beam light in Speedo is made of fabric not a lens. and inside there's only 1 rubber tube holding up the faceplate.
5) Early silver tag Brake levers are made of plastic.
6) Engine cradles have square pads where spark plug guard goes. continued beyond 69 production
7) Seats have bolt on tool carriers.
8) Taillight wire goes up thru frame close to where taillight mounts.
9) Early taillight has brazed on bosses.
10) Rear brake stabilizer is straight, doesn't have the bends in it.
11) Chain guard is held on with Philips screws.
12) Horn is black and has screws holding it together.
13) Exhaust pipe has taper end no stub.
14) One piece Stator Cover.
15) Wire guide on eng./Frame is silver not black.
16) Gas Tank Bracket is a little shorter. continued beyond 69 production
17) Large #8 on head bolts holding wheels to hub's
18) The center bracket that holds the exhaust is different on a Silver Tag 69, might be early black tag too. It is a little larger and has a "Dog Leg" in it so it reaches closer to the frame, and there isn't a extra long nut on the motor mount where it bolts on, Instead it has a short nut on the motor mount, then the bracket, then a lock washer and another nut.
19)Every bolt is large "8" on head should be added.
20)Spark plug boot should have black ngk logo like early z50's
21)Head can have a diamond and three or four lines
22)Air cannister does not have rear rubber boot on early models (has metal boot instead)
23)Carb has aluminum looking hose connections instead of brass.
24)Crude welds on chain guard.
25)No battery overflow hole above rear fender.
26)Thinner handle bar knobs.

This is all we found, anyone think of anything else?

Grant

Excellent List Grant!

I have just a few things to add:

One Piece Stator Cover

Wire Guide on Frame is Not Black

The Gas Tank Bracket is a Little Shorter

Great list . It's amazing how many small changes they made to these bikes .

VW Beetles were like that through the years. 40's-70's, just a few small changes every year or so...why mess too much with an already good platform?

Thanks Karen I added them in. If anyone else thinks of any will put them in. Then when someone ask's we can direct them to this page.

Grant

#6 & #16 continued well beyond 1969 production. According to the `72 parts manual, the tank & bracket changeover began with CT702045000/CT70H2017000. Unfortunately, that only denotes the transition to metal tanks. The overwhelming majority of plastic tanks came with the shorter upper mount; the only long-style examples I've noted have been on early-production K1s. As for the engine guard tabs, no telling when the changeover occurred. My `72 has the earlier square-tab version and it's a verified, one-owner, original bike. JDM models also had the square tab well into the early `70s. Doubtful that Honda paid much attention.

All of that having been said, Grant's list is still valid for early `69s. It just means that we don't have a solid end date for these. In other words, rounded tabs on the engine guard and/or the long style tank bracket have no place on an ostensibly OEM-correct/all-original early `69 K0.

Large "8" bolts vs. small 8's on rim to hub.

Thanks everyone added them in.

Originally Posted by racerx

...The overwhelming majority of plastic tanks came with the shorter upper mount; the only long-style examples I've noted have been on early-production K1s...

Interesting, both my HK1's and the previous three K1's had the plastic tank - long bracket.

Originally Posted by Flash

Interesting, both my HK1's and the previous three K1's had the plastic tank - long bracket.

Just the luck of the draw - good luck if you like tanks that never rust. By 03/72, they had metal tanks, early-on in the production run. The majority of K1/HK1 models came with the metal tank.