The Honda Super Cub was known as the Passport in North America due to some trademark issues with aircraft manufacturer Piper. These small bikes are a good way for anyone to jump into the vintage motorcycle hobby and are great for those who want to learn how to ride a motorcycle. The best part is that they’re loaded with memories for a lot of us. This example can be found here on eBay in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The current bid price is just over $1,100 but the reserve isn’t met yet.
This bike has surpassed NADA’s very good condition value of $1,045, will it hit their excellent condition value of $1,635? It certainly looks like it’s in outstanding condition and those general valuations, of course, aren’t the be-all-end-all for vehicle values. As someone who has lost thousands and thousands of dollars selling my small collection over the last few years, I know that all too well.
The Cub or Super Cub has been an ironman seller for Honda for over six decades now and there’s no end in sight for their popularity. It ranks up there with VW’s Beetle and Ford’s Model T and is a truly defining model for the Honda brand. I owned a very nice 1967 Honda CT90-K0 that I never should have sold, but that’s the story of my life: regretting almost every sale. The C70 Passport is known as an underbone model, as in having a structure hidden by body cladding often in this step-through style but not always.
The seller says that this bike is in good overall condition and it sure looks nicer than that to me. They also say that it was last registered in Maine and it’s listed as having a clear title but is sold with a bill of sale only so I’m not sure if there is a title or not. Our own Russ Dixon showed us an unbelievably nice Honda 50 a few days ago here. These are really fun little bikes.
The engine should be Honda’s 71.8 CC four-stroke single with 6-horsepower. They say that it starts first kick and runs well. These bikes are definitely up to to the task of riding them on the street and I’d want to make sure that it has a title and license. I wouldn’t be embarrassed to ride this bike anywhere, I’m confident enough in myself to not care what anyone else thinks about my vehicles. Do any of you have memories of a Honda C70 Passport or a similar motorcycle?
Aw, a tough act for Scotty to follow, after the Honda 50 post, and thanks to all who responded to it. By the time the step-thru 70 made the scene, bikes had progressed considerable, and these were horribly outdated. This, as you can see, has the electric start, and the 20cc’s and 1.2 hp increase, didn’t do much( 6hp over the 50’s 4.8) and mopeds had become all the rage, for like half the price and did the same thing. I think there should be, and maybe there is, a monument to these machines. If you ride an Asian bike today, and I still do, we owe a lot to this bike.
I guess Piper Aircraft must have gotten over their fear that people would confuse a small motorcycle with a light airplane, because Honda has just introduced the Super Cub C125 to the US.
I know the engineering and build quality on these was incredible, but being seen on one when I was a teenage gearhead would have been a fate worse than death. I do like the CT-70 though and had one in the 70’s.
Still have my 1978 Hobbit and 1987 Spree. I take the Hobbit to car shows in the back of my turbo rampage and when I crank the pedals to start it, every kid in the place shows up like magic.
Got in an accident with my buddy on one of these in 1984. We were both 14 and had to be 16 in Ohio to be legal, since it didn’t have pedals. We were behind a car that suddenly stopped to turn left and it was raining. Todd(my buddy) layed that bike down and it tore up my shoulder pretty badly. Even though my mom was not happy, I did end up getting a Vespa Piaggio for my 15th bday. Loved that MOPED! Good times getting your shoulder all torn up😳.
“As someone who has lost thousands and thousands of dollars selling my small collection over the last few years, I know that all too well.”
Just curious, why would you sell then and lose money? Was it boredom or time to try something else? I’d rather keep a collection than give them away. Of course personal financial reasons may dictate any sale
Speir, I was paying $230 a month for each storage unit and after a year or two of that, it was adding up to be way too much money just to have a few (7-8) cars. I still have my motorcycles/scooters since they’re smaller and easier to store.
Gotcha! I thought you had a small collection of motorcycles. Yea storage adds up quickly the way you describe. I’ve often thought about getting in to that business (for motorcycles at least) but property in NYC is ridiculously expensive so cant even get past the first hurdle. Stay safe 👍
Scotty’s situation resonates throughout this great land. Storage has become such a concern today, it’s almost better to liquidate the collection, even at a loss, rather than get soaked every month at the storage yard. It’s one reason these collections come through here. I read, home ownership in Colorado, is the lowest in history, with an astonishing 62% ( almost 2/3rds) of all people here rent. That leaves little room for a group of cars.
I still want another one of these. My 83 Passport was my first street legal transportation back in 85. So much fun!
First one I rode was a Honda 50. It was white. Great little bikes and we had alot of fun on it. I bought a 79 Honda Trail 90 in 89 and still have it. Its in good shape and has about 4,000 miles on it. I remeber the day my uncle rode buy with a new 66 trail 90. I tried to get him to stop,but he kept going.I waled to the other side of the road and put out my thumb. Guy stopped and gave me a ride up to my uncles house. I got their before he unloaded it. Had alot of fun on that little bike. Their still alot of fun to ride.
My children and grandchildren had their first riding experience on my ’81 C-70 which is identical the the one here. Originally purchased in 1982 as a leftover model from the previous year, its been a runner continuously. The ’82 models went to 12V and electronic ignition, the ’81 and earlier were 6V with breaker points ignition. Often these bikes sit for years in the back of the garage or outside in the yard and have to be resurrected. The sellers statement that it starts on the first kick might mean the electric starter doesn’t work. Common problem and typically and easy fix. It amazes me the prices old Honda scooters go for, enough $ you could buy a real motorcycle!
All I can say is they’re still out there. You would be very surprised to see what’s lurking behind the leftover sheets of drywall in the garage…
The Honda step through is the main stay of the Australian mail system the CT 110 and highly sort after second hand as we would say in the mower shop I worked in for 7 years is Honda is good!
Had an 82 which spent most of its life at Guantanamo Bay ridden around the base by the PO. Even with me (way north of both 6ft and 220 lbs) it would maintain 45mph all over the place. And I gotta tell yah, 45 doesn’t seem like much but it is WAY fast enough to get you there and keep your attention while doing it. Sold it when I moved and regret that a lot…
I’ve never understood paying hundreds of dollars a month to store something long term, when the same payments would pay the mortgage on a decent-sized barn/warehouse out of town. Then sell your treasurers when you want to, not when you have to.