Best in Show: Pint-size Springer!
The Honda Super Cub is the most successful motorcycle in history, with production now surpassing 100 million. The C90 model, introduced in 1966, featured an 89.5cc, 7.5-hp four-stroke engine and 3-speed semiautomatic transmission in an underbone frame. The bike stayed in production until 2002 and continues to serve as a beast of burden in various locales across the globe.
Enter Oscar Javier, the builder behind Clav Custom Retro Garage of Tenjo, Colombia — well-known for his Honda Cub builds. Says Oscar:
“Each motorcycle is different just like each client, the essence is to build motorcycles with character and that reflect the personality of each owner.”
Oscar’s 1994 Honda C90 Cub, nicknamed “Hornet,” took first place at the 2019 Custom Built Show. Below, we the full story on this pint-size springer!
Honda C90 Brat-Bobber: Build Story
Translated from Custom Built Show…
This work starts from the base of a Honda C90 motorcycle. The idea was to combine two motorcycle styles that the builder likes a lot: the Bobber and Brat Style.
So the entire rear part of the motorcycle frame (chassis) was cut, leaving only the engine mounts along with the steering rod support. The supports that hold the rear wheel were manufactured, bent, and all the pipe of the frame was shaped.
For the gas tank, one from a Honda XL185 model 80 was obtained, which was trimmed and given the shape that best suited the motorcycle. After the tank, the seat was manufactured by molding the foam to achieve the most favorable height.
We wanted to integrate the plate holder and the stop as a set, so the supports of both the stop and the plate holder were manufactured in such a way that they looked like a single unit. A simple construction and full of lovely details.
Seeking to give more body to the motorcycle, the wheels were mounted on Rin 17 300 rims with a multipurpose tire. For the front suspension, a classic springer was made, inspired by Indian Sport Scout motorcycles.
For the exhaust, the original was cut and the baffles of the silencers were removed to leave a shorter and more stylized exhaust with a freer flow, like racing motorcycles.
Inside there is a stainless steel Maya tobacco covered with a fiberglass cushion.
The engine features some improvements: 26mm carburetor, cylinder head porting and CDI. All the brackets, including the exhaust, light, handlebar and rear mudguard were manufactured from scratch, respecting and evoking the retro style of the Bobber and Brat Style. The bike itself is full of those little details that are what make the difference in a craft job.
The “Hornet” motorcycle logo was designed and inspired by the Classic Mickey Mouse series in black and white.
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