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Restoring a 1965 Honda Cub - 65 cc - I got keys and now need parts

  • 02 Mar 2020 1:25 PM
    Quote
    Reply # 8787934 on 8783951
    Derek
    John wrote:

    Derek,

    Welcome to the wonderful world of Honda Cubs. I have restored a number of Cubs from the C100 to the CM91. Regarding the spoke/rim sets from Thailand, they are a decent quality with the only negative being that the manufacturer stamps their info into the side of the rim before chroming. The chrome is good and the sets lace up fine to the stock hubs (I always polish up or paint hubs while everything is apart). I get most of my Thailand supplies from Vintage Avenue (store on ebay). Be aware that some of the C65 parts listed don't always fit the earlier model which we got in Canada. Shipping is pricey, so best to make up a full order to save on shipping cost.

    Good luck with your restoration. Photo attached of the C65 I restored a few years ago.

    John Bakker


    Hi John!

    Thank you very much for this message!  I was exactly looking at the Vintage Avenue rims!  And I was really worried/pondering on ordering them.  $60/US seemed reasonable but the $120/US for shipping gave me pause.  I was worried about spending that much for something that might not fit.  

    Your C65 looks GREAT!!   Are those the Thailand wheels/rims on it?  Any way to know if my Cub would have any wheel fit issues?  

    I'm curious to know how you got the motor housing looking so perfect.  Like I can polish up aluminum to a mirror finish without issue.  But getting that matte finish.  How did you do that?!?  I guess it could be done with sandblasting.  

    Side note.  I noticed that Vintage Avenue was selling various rear racks for the bike.  But I'm not sure which one works.  
  • 17 Mar 2020 10:58 AM
    Quote
    Reply # 8837108 on 8752395
    John

    Hi Derek,

    Sorry for the slow reply as I had been away for a couple weeks. To answer some of your questions:

    1) rims and spokes on the C65 I restored are the ones from Vintage Avenue...no issues I can recall in lacing them up. If you haven't laced wheels before, best to leave this to someone who has. I always polish up or paint hubs and service bearings while wheels are apart. Very important to measure the rim offset before taking old wheel apart.

    2)Matte finish on engine covers is engine enamel. I wet sand with 400 grit paper to smooth and then paint with Dupli-Color Aluminum engine enamel (#CDE1615 is what I use...there are 2 types available). This paint is very durable and available at Can Tire.

    3)Rear rack...no experience ordering one of these. I do find that some of the parts from Thailand require a little bit of tweaking to fit perfectly but usually work well.

    Feel free to email or PM me if you have further questions.

    John
  • 18 Mar 2020 12:18 PM
    Quote
    Reply # 8840052 on 8752395
    Derek

    Thanks John,

    I will keep that in mind.  Sadly it looks like a lot of my plans for this bike are threatened with the current issues we're seeing.  

    But I absolutely will message you.

    I have zero experience lacing wheels, I really should leave that for a professional.  I'll have to find someone that is experienced with it and discuss with them as I'll want to clean up the hubs.  But as you say the rim offset needs to be measured first.  So I'll have to discuss with them the best way to go forward with that. 

    Might be a while until that happens. 
  • 18 Mar 2020 2:13 PM
    Quote
    Reply # 8840263 on 8752395
    Richard

    Derek  Good to see that you got a start with the keys. Siriusonoc is the place that I mentioned when we spoke in Barrie. As mentioned they also have seat covers etc. for a lot of cubs. John Bakker is a great connection. He has done some work on bikes for me and is meticulous when it comes to complete restorations. Check out the picture on your feed from Paul. That is one of John's bikes as well. Can't speak for John but he might be willing to lace your new rims, for a price of course. It's a bit of a black art. Good Luck with the project.  Richard  
  • 23 Mar 2020 10:46 AM
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    Reply # 8849656 on 8752395
    John

    Richard, thanks for the kind words. Just to clarify, the company you are referring to is https://www.siriusconinc.com/. They are in Ontario and do have a limited supply of Cub parts. Note that many parts for the C65 are different than for the C100 so be careful when ordering parts to assure they will fit your bike. 

    Derek, I have done my share of lacing Cub wheels so can certainly do this job for you. Feel free to get in touch with me when ready to do this. I know that shipping cost is the biggest deterrent for ordering parts from Thailand. That is why I order a bunch of stuff at once since Vintage Avenue will combine shipping costs for multiple parts. They will give you a quote for shipping if you ask. I'm surprised by the shipping price you mentioned for the rims. I know they have recently changed their shipping policies and are now using a courier service for smaller orders (DHL for my last order) so prices may have gone up. Put an order together for one company and ask for a total shipping cost. Another place to check with is David Silver Spares in USA.https://www.davidsilverspares.com/. They don't list the C65 model under parts but I know they carry Cub stuff and probably have the rims. Email an inquiry to them...may be cheaper for shipping.

    We are all facing uncertainty in the foreseeable future and it helps me to spend some time each day working on a project bike or on an engine build. This hobby is a great distraction and a great pastime while isolated at home. Wishing everyone all the best.

    John
  • 23 Mar 2020 2:35 PM
    Quote
    Reply # 8850256 on 8752395
    Derek

    Thank you Richard and John.

    As of now the project is on hold.  But hopefully things improve soon enough that I'll be able to focus on it.  I kinda want to get most things ready and tackle it.  As opposed to ripping apart the engine and needing a part and then it's only half re-assembled and the such.  

    But I'm definitely going to order the carb rebuild kit from Sirius and hopefully tackle the motor this summer and try to get her firing.

    One thing I was thinking of, Richard mentioned how the light covers are almost impossible to get.  I've been pondering making silicone molds to cast new ones "just in case".  Any thoughts on that? 

    And John, I'm definitely going to take you up on that offer once I get to that point! Thank you very much.  As someone that knows very little about lacing rims, it means a lot. 
  • 23 Mar 2020 2:38 PM
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    Reply # 8850259 on 8752395
    Derek

    Oh, I forgot.  I did find out about David silver spares!  I saw someone mention them on the Honda OHC Horiztonal Single facebook group!  I'll be sending them an email in the coming weeks.  
  • 24 Mar 2020 9:53 AM
    Quote
    Reply # 8853600 on 8752395
    John

    Derek,

    You mentioned trying to make a light cover. Are you talking about the metal horn cover badge or the plastic shroud that holds the headlight and covers the top part of the forks?

    The problem with the C65 is that they weren't imported into the US, so N. America parts are hard to find. However, they were sold in good numbers in Asian countries, so reproduction parts may not be too hard to get. Parts for the C100 won't fit, but sometimes the early CM90 or CM91 Cub might. The C65 did have a bit of a design change after the first couple years so you definitely want parts from an early model which is what Canada got.

    Best of luck with the project and feel free to email me when the time is right for you to get back to the project.

    John
  • 09 Apr 2020 12:38 PM
    Quote
    Reply # 8889870 on 8752395
    Derek

    Sorry for late reply John.

    I mean the rear turn signals  The actual coloured plastic.  I think I could reproduce those given enough effort. 
  • 10 Apr 2020 12:13 PM
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    Reply # 8891885 on 8752395
    John

    Derek,

    Turn signal lenses are readily available from many suppliers on ebay.

    John


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