It’s hard to go wrong with a Honda 90, they’re so versatile. They’re useful for around town, on trails, and fairly easy to carry around on your RV to poke around in campgrounds while you’re on vacation. This 1979 Honda CT90 Trail 90 is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and the seller is asking $1,550 or best offer. Here is the original listing, and thanks to easy rider “Lothar… of the Hill People” for the tip!
I know a lot of you will instantly change “useful” to “useless” because you see any motorcycle smaller than a 1,200 V-Twin as being worthless. That’s ok, Barn Finds is open to all viewpoints, and nobody is wrong here. Well, unless you don’t like Pintos and Gremlins. Just kidding. No, we all like what we like for whatever reason, and it’s all good. I also like huge motorcycles, some much bigger than a 1,200-cc V-Twin, but I admit to liking smaller motorcycles better. For me, they’re just easier to handle, and they bring back memories of being a kid again. Plus, I don’t really ride on the street too often anymore, so I don’t need a monster bike.
Honda made the CT90 Trail 90 (redundant, no?) from 1966 through 1979 as part of the CT series, and there were bigger and smaller versions off and on through the decades. A 70 would work fine for me, or a 110 would be even better. I had a really nice 1967 Honda CT90 K0 a few years ago and really regret selling that one. That one was ancient in that you had to physically move the chain from the smaller rear sprocket to the larger one for more aggressive off-road duties. This bike has a switch for that.
You can see that this 90 has some cosmetic issues. Parts of the paint are worn, and there are the usual nicks and scratches. The chrome is pitted in areas and it’s generally just in used condition. That makes it easier to lug around on the back of your motorhome and not care if it picks up a few scratches as you make your way through a narrow trail in the woods. Someone rode it over 4,500 miles, and that’s admirable. At around 180-190 pounds, it weighs about the same as my Rokon 2×2 but is much more civilized and useful.
The engine is Honda’s 89-cc OHC four-stroke single with 7-hp. It’s backed up by a four-speed manual with automatic clutch and Honda’s two-speed “Posi-Torque” system, which means you end up with eight gears. The seller says this one was running fine, so I’m not sure if that means it isn’t currently running fine, but it needs a battery. In any case, $1,550 or offer is a great price for what looks like a nice, all-original Honda Trail 90. Have any of you owned one?
More good picks-back with a vengeance Scotty and we’re the better for it!
These were really popular around Northern Nevada rural areas with the outdoorsmen and ranchers-they were tough as nails even with the abuse some hired help dished out. You’d see them ridden by guys out to the ditches for changing the irrigation flow, fishermen in the Rubies or Sierras, and hunters all places between.
One of the best and least glorious bikes Honda made seemingly forever and then suddenly they’re gone, replaced by quads, later by workhorse UTV’s..
Not totally gone as the new Honda Trail 125 is a modernized version of it. And it is a very nice small motorcycle. Same seat and racks, super useful;comfortable, fuel injected 125 MPG and will do 60.
i have one owner 1974 trail 90 1700 miles,,, the only non original part is the battery no body damage,,,,i was 29 in 1974 and havent damaged it im ready to sell ill try to get photos and list here yellow thanks north alabama
This is neat Scotty. I always think of “Little Honda” by the Beach Boys when I see a small Honda like this. Although I think it was a Honda 50 that the song was written about. ( If I’m wrong I apologize in advance). I will admit, I dont ride a motorcycle. But I’ve had a chance to run a couple in my younger years and I agree with you Scotty, I liked the feel of a smaller more nimble Bike for sure. This one is a gem. It would be neat to see it preserved as is, but after seeing how nice Scottys is in the photos, a restoration would be a nice route to take. I missed you Scotty, and your unique write ups too. Glad you’re back!!!
Couple corrections… “Little Honda” was recorded by the Hondells, a Beach Boys soundalike band. I was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love of the Beach Boys, however.
And it was about a Honda Super Cub. The CT wasn’t introduced until a few years later.
Evan, yes the Hondells did record the song but it was written by and originally sung by the Beach Boys in 1964.
AI: Who originally sang “Little Honda”?
the Beach Boys
“Little Honda” is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1964 album All Summer Long. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it pays tribute to the small Honda motorcycle and its ease of operation, specifically the Honda 50.
The Hondells were primarily a studio group assembled by producer Gary Usher, featuring a rotating lineup of top Los Angeles session musicians. While the musicians varied, several core members and notable contributors were involved throughout the 1960s.
You guys are way too generous to ol’ SG, thanks much! I wish I could make a living writing about oddball vehicles, but duty calls when it calls and I have to hit the road for two or three weeks at a time.
Totally respect that Scotty. And just remember…. Whenever you go away, we’ll all be right here waiting for you to come back.
Well said and 100% on point, Dave.
Seen more than one picture w deer 🦌 stacked on these. Neat bikes 👍
To quote the greatest rock and roll band, The Who,,” I want it, I want it, you can’t have it”, I realize my small bike comments aren’t just. Small bikes are still a lot of fun, just not on I-70. Once again, the author is giving that knife in the gut a turn, almost numb by now, I’ve given a lot of thought to a Honda 90 trail like this. There are a lot of areas not accessible by Jeep, without costly repairs, that I’d like to see. The only way besides shoe leather express, is a bike like this, or an ATV. ATVs, good ones, are pricey, and the simplicity of these can’t be beat. HOWEVER,,,it, like an ATV, still would require a trailer, and all the BS that goes with that,( license, ins., storage, tires,etc) then the off road fiasco here, permit this, and sticker that, sigh, too late, and it’s not that much fun for an old man anyway.
I’m sure there is a receiver hitch rack that could handle this thing.
There’s a ton of these running around where I live. All of the little corner stores use them to make home deliveries.
My mail courier uses them to for my home deliveries.
I have a 74 ST90, runs great, minor imperfections but all original. The only missing part is the kill switch on the handlebar. Turn signals, street legal, collector license plate. In W Washington, I might sell it..
I had a 1967 CT90 that I loaned to a friend ‘in trouble’ in 1991…he repaid me by pawning it for drugs. 5 years later the police let me know it was no in impound and I could pick it up for 250 dollars if I wanted it. I should have wanted it ;)
15 years later I bought a low mileage CT110. I really did not like the shift pattern on it with the auto clutch, much prefer the CT90 up for neutral and 4 down pattern. The 110 was slower than my 90 as well. If I get another, it will be another CT90. Unbeatable and unbreakable.
When I was a kid my best friend from Boy Scouts got his MC license in the last year Colorado let you get a license at 14. He was two years older than me. He had a Honda Trail 90. Man he was cool!! I spent many hours setting on that metal rack as we rode up to the mountains to meet the Scout Troop for a camp out. Often we rode off road Forest Trails. Great memories. Felt like a sissy when you had to raise the seat to fill the gas tank, but, we got over it.
These are known as “postie bikes” here in Australia as for many years Australia Post used them for mail delivery – THOUSANDS of them !!!
They have a bit of a cult following , there is several annual “postie bike challenges” every year where hundreds of people ride them for miles in the bush from pub to pub and have parties every night :-)
Never seen one with 2 different sized sprockets for on and off road though ……
I have two of them, but have only rode one, the non runner is an old drag strip ‘pit bike’ that has some really cool drag strip decals on it, New England DragWay. AMBest, NHRA, etc. I always wondered what the bracket under the headlight was for? It tilts up, beer holder?
1993 was the 30th Anniversary of the Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun Maryland, two Cecil County decals.
Learned to ride on one of these “Cow Trail” 90s’ in 1970. Not on of the ‘cool’ bikes some of my friends had, but it would go anywhere I wanted and survived a lot of jumps. Lots of great memories.
Listing update: this one is gone.