The Honda Dream was among the freshmen class of Japanese motorcycles that began arriving in the U.S. as part of the company’s first large-scale exportation efforts. While not hugely valuable today, they are recognized as a great entry point into classic motorcycle ownership. This project-grade bike here on craigslist on the Boone, North Carolina craigslist is just $450 and the motor still turns over.
The 1967 model year would mean this was a final-year bike of the C72/C77 lineup, with desirable features including electric starting and a completely redesigned engine. I believe this may actually be considered a CA77 bike due to the high tubular bars, a feature also seen on another Dream motorcycle that our own Scotty G. wrote up a few months ago. As much as I enjoy period accessories such as the Buco saddlebags on that example, I find the Dream’s tight proportions work better without them.
There’s obviously a healthy coating of surface rust on this bike, and it’s hard to tell if the tank color was originally black. Of course, this bike could have been repainted several times by this point, and I’m amazed the seller has confirmed the engine is still free. The overhead-cam twin-cylinder engines were not exactly powerful, but they did deliver better performance than their size might otherwise indicate. Of course, like everything engineered by Honda, the Dream outperformed expectations as simply being a reliable commuter bike.
Today, these Dreams remain quite collectible. Not necessarily valuable, but collectible. In scanning craigslist for other bikes in similar condition to establish whether the asking price is fair, I’m amazed at how many posts have been deleted by authors, usually indicating that the item has sold. This Dream has wonderful patina and I’d absolutely restore this one mechanically and not touch the cosmetics. I’m sure there’s some wiggle room in the price, and for not much money, you could have an appreciating vintage Japanese bike on your hands.
The shed looks like in better shape. Think it might have had a chance being INSIDE the shed? Since this is all the rage with cars, why not bikes? Get it running and drive as is. You’d have the rattiest Dream in the bunch,,1ST PRIZE!!
Are all member always this grumpy? We all dislike how things go when humans are involved. They make things that the average person enjoys no longer enjoyable. If you think about it the average person made all of this happen. Your hobby , which made you money, now makes others with more money than you even more money. Pricing you right out of your hobby..
I don’t know what you’re talking about. Yes, I’m grumpy when some doofus leaves a nice vehicle outside to rot, when it would have been just as easy to put it inside. And to be clear, I NEVER made money on an old car, it’s not why I like old cars.
I’m with Howard, the profit motive has ruined our hobby. Of course a little profit is good, too much is bad. Just like cheesecake. The old car hobby is just like the man who can’t stop with one small piece of cheese cake, it is sooo good, can’t help himself, pretty soon it wants it all just for himself, and to heck with everyone else at the table. Not only has he made everyone one else who didn’t get a taste sad and angry from his greediness, he soon will throw up, making everyone at the table want to puke too.
Sorry, Billy, technical difficulties, I don’t mean for you to get lost. I enjoy your comments. Aimed at this jaygryph, whose comment was removed.
You can ride on tires like that if you want……not me
Grumpy? profit on a barn find? What’s that? The thing that’s hurt our hobby more than anything is this right here!!! The internet, it used to be these finds started out as a rumor and the thrill was the hunt, even if it sounded to good to be true you had to believe it until you found out for yourself. Now some kid finds a old car in one of Uncle Festtus’s outbuildings and what’s he do? Go’s straight to the web and by hitting a few keys knows what it’s worth then puts it on Craigslist or eBay and the hunt ends before it starts.
Well, That’s what people call progress. Out with the old, In with the new technology, But that’s the way life is. LOL Remember cavemen using fire for heating/ Cooking. Also someone inventing the wheel and so on. Pretty soon our cars will be driving themselves via GPS while we sit in the car chatting on the phone or watching video,s
It’s been a good last couple of weeks here in Michigan for buyers, I’ve seen two running examples of the Dream going for less than a grand. This one looks like it wouldn’t be worth the effort IMO, too much in time and parts.
The 72 and the 77 were identical except for displacement: 250cc for the 72 and 305cc for the 77. The C models had stamped steel frames and high bars (although changing handlebars is only a little harder than changing a license plate) while the CBs (CB72 250 Hawk, CB77 305 Super Hawk) and CL Scramblers had tubular steel frames with low bars for the CBs and braced bars for the CLs. Hondas at that time had the displacement cast into the back of the cylinder jug.
Where are all the complainers about cars you feature not being “barn finds”? I mean granted is not a car but its LEANING ON A BARN! I mean does it get more barn find than that? Didnt even bother to cut away the alfalfa!
Thaz not alfalfa, Spanky.
That’s OK Dick. It’s not much of a ‘find’ either.
Dreams are always available at the Vegas auction in nice condition for not very much money. Nobody with all his marbles is going to start with this for restoration. But if you wanted to get it roadworthy and run it, investing just your own time and effort, well, why not.
At first, I didn’t see the bike leaning against the shed. I thought perhaps this was the first Barn Find that was actually a barn. Oh yeah, maybe one too many beers tonight.🤣
lol!
I used to see a lot of these on the road back in the day. My preference was the Hawk and Super Hawk, or the Scramblers. There must have been some special on White as there were sure a lot of Dreams that came out in white livery. I’m sure that this one was originally white. If there was any consolation to owning a Dream it was the simplicity. Single carb and points compared to dualing everything up on the others. However, I don’t recall many guys spending a lot of time tuning up the others and they held up quite well. I wouldn’t mind having a Hawk or Scrambler today; they were fun bikes…
Remember “Snuff-or-nots” on the early Scramblers?
Stop it Howard!! I saw a packet of Snuffs at a swap meet this year. For $45 I could have relived 1967. This guy wanted $200 for a rusty pair of Bates megaphones. That makes me grumpy. My rusty Dunstalls must be worth $2500.
LMAO! I remember those Snuff-or-Nots. They really didn’t have much effect on silencing those pipes. Actually I liked the sound of those crossovers with the muffler out of the way. The local law enforcement didn’t like them though. But that was fine; they had to catch you…
yep had the on my 305 scrambler,first bike i had
Actually had a nice muffler off a 305/250 scrambler – they were un-bolt to make the straight pipes….thought it was gold….didn’t clear $100 on Ebay…but was a nice one…had a 250 and now a 305 scrambler at the moment with my paper route 1964 305 Super Hawk and a dream 305 rounds it out.
Gosh I think I will quit driving this bike.
The shed seems to far away to put up up Today or tomorrow.. maybe I will roll it around in five or ten years ..
Man getting off this couch is tough..I will put it in the garage next decade …
😮😗
Hey! They found a barn! Barn find!
Golf clap.
If your going to give someone the clap leave me other of it!
What inside the barn requires a meter and full size breaker box?
Mine. That way my wife can yell at me for using shop machinery and tools outside my allowance.
Where’z Wrong Way on this??
Maybe a Grow-Op. You never know what is stashed within those walls….
HA! Wonder how many caught that. They just finished a BIG grow operation building on the outskirts of our town. Cameras, razor wire, the whole magilla. Let’s just say, you can tell when the wind is out of the NW,,,I see Canada just legalized it.
Fer shuuuuuure, duuuuude. “I’M not addicted to mary jane, maaaaan… I jess likes the smell of it…oh wow.”
How’d we go from “Nuff or Snots” to Miracle Grow??
These things were a blast to ride!! My
BIL had one and we rode it to Summer
School in ’72. I was between cars then
and working on my fire roasted Jaguar
after class let out. The thing I recall
most about this bike was the amazing
fuel economy! You could fill the tank
and run for nearly 2 weeks before you
filled it again! That was a godsend
when you compare it with the ’70
Plymouth Fury GT he owned at the time.
Earl’s car had a 440 interceptor under
the hood which was original to the car
and very thirsty indeed. We only used
it on rainy days to keep from going broke!
Seeing this bike reminds of the song
Little Honda by the Hondells. Don’t
know how to post it here, but it’s on.
YouTube for your listening pleasure.
bring back the neg vote box
The bike in the picture is NOT a CA72, or CA77 , BUT IS, IN FACT, a CA95 model 150cc machine . Some called it a ” baby dream ” .
You know something, Richard, I think you’re right. It looks like a 150 Benley. The 125 had the point cover on the other end of the cam but the 150 was configured like this one. The head was aluminum but the block was cast iron. Thanks for pointing that out. A person can forget a lot of things in 50 years…
Hard to tell from the pictures, but , the bike may, actually , be a CA160 , if it is, in fact, a 1967 model . Only minor engine differences in it and the one year earlier 1966 CA95 150cc .
The C-77 was rated @ 24HP, and the CB-77 was rated @ 28HP. I owned a 1965 Super Hawk which I built for drag racing in Woodward Ave. The best 1/4 mile time at Detroit Dragway was 12.34 @ 108 MPH! I did a lot of work to the engine, and a few other trick items. It was VERY impressive for the day! Those engines were built like a tank!
One of my buddies in high school had a CL72 , which promptly got the Snuff-or-not treatment – he could easily outrun my 62 Triumph Tiger Cub ( 17hp single ) on the street – but up in the hills he would scramble like hell trying to stay with me….. to no avail.
Is that why they called them Scramblers?
Hey Doug, a friend’s brother had a 305 Scrambler, yes, with snuff or nots. In case some don’t know what they were, it was basically a washer in the end of the pipes, before the silencer, and had a knob that you turned, and it restricted the exhaust ( and noise) It was yellow, and no, they did not make the best scramblers. But dirt riding was in it’s infancy, and many got their 1st taste of dirt bike riding with the 305 or the 450 Scrambler, like I had, that was a tank and didn’t “scramble” well at all. They were just too heavy.
True that Howard. I still have 2, an original CL77 and a 1968 CL450 with 1700 miles on it. They were heavy compared to true dirt bikes. Folks thought the real difference between CBs and CLs was the pipe configuration but the true operating difference was the cam profile which gave the scrambler a cool mid range torque that is fun and noticeable when riding. Perfect for the 2 lane 40-60mph on Wisconsin country 2 lane.
It never ceases to amaze me how people leave an old classic car or motorcycle rot out side in the sun and rain for many years then expect to get big bucks for a rusted up hulk. This guy takes top prize just leaning the motorcycle against the shed instead of storing it inside out of the weather.
I think Ted Kaczynski would’ve been proud to call this home.
I have a 1967 Honda C201 (90cc) that a friend gave me.
Around the same vintage, looks very similar.
Had the OHV engine.
It was his when he was a lad, hadn’t run in 30 years.
Engine was stuck from sitting, soaked it for 3 months with Marvel Mystery Oil and a mix of ATF and Acetone.
Rocked it back and forth and nothing, finally got brave and put a wrench on it.
It popped loose, spent last winter reviving it.
Another trick, is to warm up the cylinder barrel with a propane torch. It expands the cylinder sometimes enough to break it loose. I did that recently with a Suzuki 80 that was our childhood bike and sat in my brothers barn for years.
I rode many types of motorcycles for around 45 years so I feel Qualified to say to restore this ( Honda ) DREAM, Would be more of a NITEMARE.