It’s fun to see these old motorcycles or at least for me it is. I live in the past anyway so seeing a small street bike like this 1965 Honda CB160 reminds me of growing up in the 60s and 70s. The seller has this absolute jewel posted here on eBay in Hagerstown, Maryland, the current bid price is $3,050, and the reserve is not met yet. I will not bid on this one, I will not bid on this one, I will not bid on this one.
Ok, maybe I’ll bid on this one. No, I can’t, I have too many now and my wife will probably just give them away at my estate sale if I don’t start selling them. I do love these smaller street bikes though, I don’t know if any manufacturer makes a street bike this small today. There are a few that are close in engine displacement and I’m sure they’re much nicer motorcycles in every way, but there’s something about an old bike that gets to me.
I talking about what I consider a “normal-looking” motorcycle made for riding on the street, not a fairing-heavy bike or a scooter or step-through bike or anything like that. Can you think of one that has a similar old-school look to this Honda but is under 200 cc in size? I’m rambling as usual, sorry. Honda made the CB160 for three short years, 1965, 1966, and 1967 and it was replaced by the CB175 after that. My first motorcycle was a late-60s Yamaha YL-1 Twin Jet 100 street bike so I have a thing for small-displacement street bikes.
This CB160 reminds me of my 1965 Honda Sport 65 (or, 65S). Mine is a 63cc single-cylinder but it’s the same year and there are several details that remind me of this 160. The CB160 came in black, red, and white, and most had silver air cleaner covers and fenders. Sometimes, the white bikes were all white. There was also a blue one which sometimes had a blue seat. The photo above reminds me that I need to get a couple of mirrors for my Sport 65!
This beautifully-restored engine is Honda’s 162.7 cc twin with 16.5 horsepower. I don’t see a single flaw in this bike anywhere and the seller doesn’t give much information at all other than to say that it’s museum-quality and to call with any questions. Hagerty is at $5,100 for a #2 excellent condition bike so if this one runs and works as great as it looks, this auction has a long way to go. Have any of you owned a small street bike like this one?
I can hear the staff, oh, oh, Howard( and possibly others) are losing interest,,,quick, whip out some of Scotty’s submissions,,, that should do it. Of course, I’m being vain, but Scottys “oddballs” always slap me back to BF’s,,,just so you know.
The CB160,,,I can’t think of another motorcycle that changed the world, than the CB160. Having a Honda 50 as a kid, naturally, any 60’s Honda drew interest. Previously, motorcycles were hard starting, rough riding, clumsy looking machines, like the Dreams. Here was a bike, electric start, didn’t leak, plenty of steam, do an honest 80 mph, enough to get in trouble and dependable as a washing machine,, all at a price the paperboy could afford,,$530 bucks new! ( about $4200 bucks today) I’m simply amazed at the condition here, most were ridden hard and neglected, most simply a beginner bike and they ended up at the bottom of the “junk pile”. Better, faster bikes soon followed, but a tip of the hat to the CB160 that started it all, and to Scotty for yet another trip down Memory Lane,,,
I, like you, Howard, started with the Honda 50 but I lusted for the 65s when it came out-until I saw the Matchless G80 chained to the apartment stairwell support like a straining pi$$ed off panther, staring at us, about to rip apart and devour my little Honda into sushi bitsa..but that’s a later tale to be told.
This is a beautiful and remarkably clean 160-and amazing as that so many went to AHRMA one would’ve thought none of any pedigree were left!
Very nice find, Scotty-you have a way to find the bikes that pound our “I WANT one” button way too often.
That being said, please don’t let up-we all have a dream bike out there somewhere.
Looks like all us Old Guys started with Honda 50s and graduated to the bigger stuff later….
My father traded his Trail 50 in on a new CB160 in 1966. The minute I got my driver’s license, I alternated this with my ’59 Hillman Minx. I rode that bike everywhere. In time, I got to be a fairly decent rider, at least never laying it down anywhere. Great-handling little bike, and fast enough for the freeway (at least then). It seemed just about perfect to me, although when the CB305 showed up at the dealer, I really wanted Dad to upgrade.
I was sad when he sold it. Many,many years later, I bought a 305 in nice condition. I didn’t like it nearly as well as the more nimble 160, and let it go.
The CB160 never got my attention the way the Hawk/Super Hawk did. While it was a decent bike what was next in line had more appeal. Of course, by the time I was able to ride a Super Hawk, I was into British bikes plus my Harley 45. Interesting that the 250/305 still has my attention after more than 50 years.
Back around ‘66 there was a movie (I think you’d have to exaggerate to give it a B rating) called “Mini Skirt Mob.” The gang was led by some bimbo on a 160 who was all bent out of shape because her ‘ol man left her and the club and got married. It was a crock…
I think for most 160 riders, it was a transition bike. Many like me, apparently, were still nursing injuries from small bikes or mini-bikes, relegated to the back yards, to the 1st street bike dad would allow after getting their license. “Super” in the 50’s and early 60’s meant to dad,, well, SUPER, and may be a bit much for the “kids” 1st street bike. At $500 bucks, the old man could kick in a couple hundred, and combined with Bar-Mitzvah money, it was worth a gamble. If you didn’t grind off a knee with the 160, everybody knew what bike was next in line,,Honda wasn’t stupid.
Oh, and another thing, Hollywood make a cheesy movie? Huh, that’s a new one on me,,
Oh, come now, Bro, Hollywood has turned out some fantastic movies over the years: Plague of the Zombies; The Horror of Party Beach; Curse of the Swamp Creature; Beach Blanket Bingo; Mini Skirt Mob, just to name a few. Think of all those Saturday matinee movies where the most entertaining part of the movie was rolling a soda bottle down the aisle…
My first was a much more powerful(?) model, a used CL-90 that looked more worn than the one pictured here. And it only ran for a few days.
My first experience with dishonest vehicle dealers.
Mine was an S90 I bought from my cousin Ted for $25. Went to a 350 from there, but always loved these 160s.This looks like a nice one, they are getting a bit pricey these days though.
The first bike I rode (learned to ride on) was a black Honda Dream 160..the version with the squared off headlight. I rode it just about everywhere including trails for about a year then I sold it to help pay for my first car!.
Bet you are not the only one to take a “Dream” out on the trails back in the day.
My brother and some of his friends did a lot of stump-jumping with a Dream and a couple of Honda Benleys. Ever see a touring bike with a Knobby tire on the back?
Being a bit younger – maybe – my Honda gateway drug was the CD 175. You could buy a complete bike for a fiver or a tenner; twenty if it had a long MOT. I built cafe racers out of them; rearsets and clip-ons/ace bars. All that I still have is a brand new, boxed red tank with side panels. I bought it from a Honda dealer that was having a clearout for five pounds; I had a bike that didn’t have a tank, but when it came to it, I couldn’t bring myself to paint it. Bought another bike for a tenner and broke it for spares; painted that tank instead.
I forgot – I have a Honda parts book too.
The CB160 is nice but I have always been one who does it different. I do it with Suzuki. A 67 T120 aka Hustler. X6 and the Giant killer.
It put Suzuki on the map with the first six speed transmission. Built from 65-67.
These are still being raced and thrashed on today.
Ah, the magic of cutting High School and riding a CB160 to Big Sur
for the day and back in the late afternoon. So much fun! What’d I miss?
Later,
“How was school today?”
It was great.
Mmm-hmm, where did the sunburn come from?
“…but there’s something about an old bike that just gets to me.”
You’re not alone there, Scotty. For me it’s the simplicity.
Keep the bikes coming…
My last bike was a 150 Honda dream. Honda knew how to capture young hearts in the 1960’s. Remember”you meet the nicest people on a Honda bike”
Jim
Love it! Honda 50 was my first ride. Similar to the author I had a Yamaha HS1-B 90cc twin that I rode the wheels off of. Current restoring a Suzuki Titan as I’m too big for the small bore bikes now …
A friend of mine has a CB160 sitting in the mud room at his farm in Great Valley, NY It is possible that I am the last one who ever rode it pre 1998. I have tried to get him to let ime get it running. He always tells me what it will take but there is never and action.
My first bike was a Honda 125 Benly Super Sport, also a twin, had a ton of my friends riding CB160s. Great times in the sixtys on two wheels. Still ride today in my 70s, but most of my old friends gave it up.
Geez! My first bike was a drag style sportster chopped and lowered and stretched. Drag bars H/A chromed disc brakes!(didn’t stop ya) but looked kool!
Shouda got a Honda?
I had a 65 CB160 in 1977. ❤
My first bike. Great in-town cruiser. Put about 8000 miles on it before trading up to a CB-750 for a trip to FL.
Ahh thanks to all the commenters that gave me a trip down memory lane. A step thru Honda 50 was the gate way for me. When the juniors in high school were all riding S90s I graduated to a black Benely 160. A X6 Hustler scared the Bejesus out of me for 3 months with its off and off switch. A 305 scrambler was my senior year in 66. A Triumph and BMW came along later. Now it’s 1963 again in this old guys mind when I’m back to a Vespa 150. Now if I could only find Sophia to hop on the back.
1966 I ended up in the Army at 17,the Judge said to go to V.N.but the Army said not at 17,so they sent me to Thailand,there we could not buy a motorcycle,but rent one,1st cub 50cc made it one bock came block and got I think 90cc.About 2 months later thay came out with 305 Dream,you know I was in my heaven,now my T-loc(girlfriend)could go with,we were 90 miles north of Bangkok,I had been,many times,but this time on a bike,`next trip Karate,to Veinteen,Laos,if you have not road a bike thru the jungle on dirt roads,If you can do it,I learned a lot that I though knew it all,still learning thank you LORD
I did go to Vietnam,got a bike there,1st Sqd.took it from VC,almost got court-martial over the thing so we traded for a pallet of Black Label beer,from the Air
Force,we thought it was 90cc or so it had no ID at all,we did not care.
You can cut the honda down but you cann’t wear them out,not really your bad
axx bike but tough as nails.The only Honda Ive ever had to pull in was when girlfriend put sugar in gas tank(jealous),but with micro filter it was fine,$10. filter save my butt LOL