1974 Honda ST90 Motorcycle

Description

Established in 1948, the Honda Motor Company quickly established itself as one of the dominant motorcycle manufacturers from Japan, building everything from commuter scooters right up to Grand Prix machines capable of challenging the world's best on the racetrack.  Honda developed a myriad of new models to suit every need and by the late 1960s the range was incredibly diverse, including trail bikes, scramblers and a new fad - the mini bike.  Honda unveiled a new line-up of mini trail bikes in August 1969, comprising the ST50 and ST70 (marketed as the CT70 in the USA) and these bikes remained on the market for more than two decades, enjoying remarkable success and longevity.  Built around a sturdy pressed-steel frame with air-cooled engines, small chunky tyres and folding handlebars, these diminutive bikes used either a three-speed semi-automatic transmission or a conventional four-speed manual.  Honda released a more powerful ST90 version in 1973, using larger diameter 14-inch wheels.  The enlarged engine had a bore and stroke of 50 x 45.6mm, 8.2:1 compression and with a dry weight of just 86 kgs, the ST90 enjoyed lively performance.  For the 1975 model year the ST90 came in only one colour – Candy Topaz Orange – with an orange headlight nacelle, black shock absorbers springs instead of chrome and a cylindrical tool box under the seat.  The Honda was genuinely easy – and a lot of fun – to ride and had enough gear to make it road legal, adding to the ST90’s versatility.  With interest levels in early Japanese motorcycles and trail bikes at an all-time high, machines like the ST90 have become increasingly collectible.