early Honda motor-bike-cycle

D

DougC

Guest
While I was searching for something else entirely I came across this image result:
http://world.honda.com/history/limitlessdreams/atype/img/index_top.jpg
Which is linked to this page:
http://www.businessmotor.blogspot.com/

I looked on OldRoads and they have no "Honda" motor bicycles in their database.
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What caught my eye about this was that with the Chinese kits, the engines fit near the bottom of the front triangles and if you want or need to keep the ability to pedal the bicycle, you need to figure out a way to fit wide cranks. With this (early-Honda) design however the engine is moved up to the front-corner of the front triangle, and normal-width cranks can be used.

Tho you have a bit more risk of a broken chain doing something ugly I suppose, so you'd want a pretty solid chainguard....

And there could be other problems as well I suppose. But anyway.
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that's some really cool "i did not know that" info, dougc 8)

kinda looks like a whizzer at first glance.

belt-drive...the solution to a lot of mechanical problems, eh?
 
We all can learn from studying the life of Soichiro Honda. As a broom pusher he invented the modern piston ring. The rest is history...

...And the company that bears his name has a lot to do with the reason why Ford is about to go belly-up.

It all started with a gas motor on a bicycle.
 
Here is a picture of the other side of a Honda moda A. Sorry it is only a thumbnail.
168_hondatypeathumb_1.jpg
 
HOLY CARP! pics and captions from http://vjmc.org

darke08686-aux_eng.jpg
VJMC.org said:
In 1946, before he officially founded Honda, Soichido Honda sold engines such as this one, rebuilt and adapted from WWII surplus military transmitting equipment.

darke08689_model_a.jpg
VJMC.org said:
Produced from 1947 to 1951, the Model A was the first bicycle engine to carry the Honda name.

darke08718.jpg
VJMC.org said:
The 1952 Cub F stands in front of other early models including a row of Dreams and Benlys.


darke08716_cubf.jpg
VJMC.org said:
A detail of the 1952 Cub F shows how this hugely successful "red engine with white tank" mounted to a standard bicycle frame of the period.


darke08705_model_c.jpg
VJMC.org said:
The full production model C of 1949 was the first model to have both frame and engine designed by Honda. It was a class winner in a U.S./Japan race held in Tokyo. Do you suppose the victory required any pedal assist from the rider?

btw, take note of the nifty screw-on-collar exhaust pipe fittings...maybe something to ponder for ours?
 
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