1992 Honda C90 Cub as First Bike, 10,000 Miles

[mattdarla]

Hi Everyone

Really appreciate all the advice so far, actually something Japanese has come up, a friend has offered to sell me his 1992 Honda C90 Cub with 10,000 on the clock that is currently in storage, it has a few scratches and dinks, and also only has a pannier rack without the rear luggage rack and top box, not sure about any rust as I haven't seen it yet.

I was just wondering if this would be a good bike to learn to ride on. One of my major worries would be getting too used to an automatic clutch and then struggling to pass my DAS course on a geared 650cc though. It would also be nice to have something that would do 50mph too and would be capable of long distances / day trips without filling up every couple of hours, he was asking around £1750 - £1850 for it but I've seen similar ones for £1400 - £1500 (he paid £1500 a few years ago) and I'd be the third owner, any thoughts and advice would be brilliant, I passed my CBT in March, hope you're all having a great weekend.

Matt

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

if i was in your position i wouldn't want it - i'd be after something with the same controls as the school's A2 bike.

I might - MIGHT - have it if it was free.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Ayrton]

Doesn't sound as if it's the right kind of bike for you. That kind of money will get you something like a yamaha ybr that will do close to 70mph and be far more useful for learning riding skills you can use for the DAS.

[stinkwheel]

It's outrageously expensive. I just bought a 2016 Honda Wave 110 which is a more modern version of the C90 with fuel injection, telescopic forks and disc brakes. Excellent cosmetic condition, nothing missing for £1400.

Don't get me wrong, C90s are great bikes but people are buying them to "re-live their youth". 10 years ago, that bike would have been 10 years newer and you'd have paid £800 for it. On a poorly looked after C90 it WILL have rust on the frame up under the rear mudguard which will need patching/welding if it hasn't already been done. MOT testers know to look for it.

If you're after that style of bike, look for Innovas and Waves but as above, if the intention is to train for your test, you probably want something with a clutch.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[mattdarla]

I know what you all mean, really appreciate your opinions, I've just seen a 1985 Honda Benly Twin 125cc on Faacebook with 12,000 miles on it for £1,500, it looks like a better bet, what do you guys think?

[Zen Dog]

[struan80]

I would go for the Benly twin (I had to google it). Far more man points. YBR's are like hens teeth and cost a fortune because everyone recommends one as a go to 125. I had a Honda VT125 Shadow, absolutely that was a great bike but my goodness they are expensive now

[GSTEEL32]

If you cant find a YBR for £1500, you could save a few hundred and get a Honda CBF.

Buy one that looks knackered, ideally written off in a previous life, pay peanuts and move on with a more decent bike when you've passed your test.

Unless it smokes badly, it's unlikely that there's anything wrong with it .....

yours for £1200 measly quid .... interestingly, its got all its original indicators , on the correct stalks, so I'd definitely want a test ride to identify where the CAT N came from .... the guy will MOT it for a year if you pay the full 1200..... its a no-brainer for me .....



https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/YnQAAOSwOA1g-EMi/s-l1600.jpg

[ThunderGuts]

But for you, a geared 125 will be a better bet and unless you want to spend time learning mechanics, not just learning riding, a modern 125 will be a better bet.
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TG.

[Zen Dog]

[stinkwheel]

[Zen Dog]

[ThunderGuts]

[Ayrton]

I wouldn't go for an 80s bike. You want to be riding as much as possible and not faffing about fixing things that inevitably break on a 40 year old bike.

I'm going to disagree that YBR's are like hens teeth, there's plenty on ebay. The price is a bit steep considering I sold a really nice 2013 one for £900 in 2020 but I cant see the prices dropping much by the time OP passes a DAS and sells it.

[P.]