Honda C105T
Encyclopedia
The Honda C105T is a Honda
motorcycle that was manufactured between 1963 and 1965.
It had the following features: 55 cc pushrod operated, with 1 horizontal cylinder (cast iron
head,) 4-cycle engine which used about 1 qt of oil and no oil filter
. The air filter
was just behind the handle bars, somewhat high, in case of fording streams. Top speed about 45 mph and a left foot, "heel and toe" shift action was used to operate a 3 speed transmission with a centrifugal clutch
. Typical street mileage was an easy 100+ mpg with a tank of about 1.7 gallons. Ignition was key operated, (under the side of the tank) magneto-battery to coil-points set. Manual kick-only-start was on the right. Key lockable steering. Previously, largely similar 50cc versions were the forerunner of this.
It had one seat which folded forward to access the gas tank
fill cap. The rear area sported a small rack to which one could attach a seat, larger luggage rack, or side car
. The frame was termed a "step-through" design, suitable for dresses as per advertisement of the time, but also handy for rough off road
travel at slower speeds. Standard tires were intermediate sized knobbies, adequate for street use but general off road use as well, hinted at strongly. Lower speeds for hill use was by addition of a larger rear sprocket overlaying the usual one, a process which could be performed without removing the rear wheel. Ignition keys caught on enough off-road brush such that many owners cut key ends off shorter. Rear suspension
was coil spring
over shock while front was leading link knee-action. Seating caused a fairly upright position
.
The only stand was a center stand. Usual lights were had as well as mirrors, a horn, 65 mph speedometer-odometer (no tachometer,) making the unit street legal. Rear brake was drum, operated by the right foot, and front brake a drum also, operated by right hand, a layout that became standard and required in the US. A side cover was on each side under and to the rear of the gas tank. One side housed a tool kit and the other the 6 volt battery.
Later versions were termed the "Honda 90cc Offroader." Later 90's had significant improvements to the new 4 speed transmission to assist in switching to the off road "low-range" selector via simple lever operation, (after a better, but still cumbersome, omni-present larger rear sprocket, but which did alleviate the rear wheel removal.)
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
motorcycle that was manufactured between 1963 and 1965.
It had the following features: 55 cc pushrod operated, with 1 horizontal cylinder (cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
head,) 4-cycle engine which used about 1 qt of oil and no oil filter
Filter (oil)
An oil filter is a filter designed to remove contaminants from engine oil, transmission oil, lubricating oil, or hydraulic oil. Oil filters are used in many different types of hydraulic machinery. A chief use of the oil filter is in internal-combustion engines in on- and off-road motor vehicles,...
. The air filter
Air filter
A particulate air filter is a device composed of fibrous materials which removes solid particulates such as dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria from the air. A chemical air filter consists of an absorbent or catalyst for the removal of airborne molecular contaminants such as volatile organic compounds...
was just behind the handle bars, somewhat high, in case of fording streams. Top speed about 45 mph and a left foot, "heel and toe" shift action was used to operate a 3 speed transmission with a centrifugal clutch
Centrifugal clutch
A centrifugal clutch is a clutch that uses centrifugal force to connect two concentric shafts, with the driving shaft nested inside the driven shaft....
. Typical street mileage was an easy 100+ mpg with a tank of about 1.7 gallons. Ignition was key operated, (under the side of the tank) magneto-battery to coil-points set. Manual kick-only-start was on the right. Key lockable steering. Previously, largely similar 50cc versions were the forerunner of this.
It had one seat which folded forward to access the gas tank
Fuel tank
A fuel tank is safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propelled or released into an engine...
fill cap. The rear area sported a small rack to which one could attach a seat, larger luggage rack, or side car
Sidecar
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, producing a three-wheeled vehicle.-History:A sidecar appeared in a cartoon by George Moore in the January 7, 1903, issue of the British newspaper Motor Cycling. Three weeks later, a provisional patent was...
. The frame was termed a "step-through" design, suitable for dresses as per advertisement of the time, but also handy for rough off road
Off-roading
Off-roading is a term for driving a vehicle on unsurfaced roads or tracks, made of materials such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain.-Off-road vehicle:...
travel at slower speeds. Standard tires were intermediate sized knobbies, adequate for street use but general off road use as well, hinted at strongly. Lower speeds for hill use was by addition of a larger rear sprocket overlaying the usual one, a process which could be performed without removing the rear wheel. Ignition keys caught on enough off-road brush such that many owners cut key ends off shorter. Rear suspension
Rear suspension
For front-wheel drive cars, rear suspension has few constraints and a variety of beam axles and independent suspensions are used.For rear-wheel drive cars, rear suspension has many constraints and the march to the superior but more expensive independent suspension layout has been a long slog...
was coil spring
Coil spring
A Coil spring, also known as a helical spring, is a mechanical device, which is typically used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces...
over shock while front was leading link knee-action. Seating caused a fairly upright position
Upright position
Upright position or erect position, in a frequency-division multiple access multiplexer, means that a signal is upconverted to the multiplexer band without inverting the frequencies. See inverted position.-External links:* Standard 1037C :...
.
The only stand was a center stand. Usual lights were had as well as mirrors, a horn, 65 mph speedometer-odometer (no tachometer,) making the unit street legal. Rear brake was drum, operated by the right foot, and front brake a drum also, operated by right hand, a layout that became standard and required in the US. A side cover was on each side under and to the rear of the gas tank. One side housed a tool kit and the other the 6 volt battery.
Later versions were termed the "Honda 90cc Offroader." Later 90's had significant improvements to the new 4 speed transmission to assist in switching to the off road "low-range" selector via simple lever operation, (after a better, but still cumbersome, omni-present larger rear sprocket, but which did alleviate the rear wheel removal.)