Honda MD90 Mail Bike

Anything else ya ride!
Harps18TV
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 7:16 pm
Rides:: 1960 Lambretta TV175, 2006 MD90 & 1978 CG125.
Location: Harwich

Honda MD90 Mail Bike

Post by Harps18TV » Sat Nov 03, 2018 9:59 am

Has anyone ridden one of these & is the suspension better than the cubs & presumably the performance should be much the same, assuming the sprockets are different to the cubs to allow for the smaller wheels? Does anyone have one to sell maybe? ;) I know there is one on "that site" but it`s quite expensive.

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AE86
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Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2015 5:19 pm
Rides:: Honda Dio 4T
Location: SE Asia

Re: Honda MD90 Mail Bike

Post by AE86 » Sat Nov 03, 2018 12:08 pm

Very heavy (relatively speaking), handlebars sit a bit higher, performance is a little slower (from the weight), and the suspension is very hard (meant for carrying heavy loads). I'm 9 1/2 stone so I didn't make much of a dent though.

I don't know what the ratio was on it though, but the sprockets were interchangeable with a C90 that much I do remember.

I personally love them because everything is metal and built to last through massive abuse. Only thing I would wish for is more power, and given the motors are the "6 volt" style C90 motor, it's harder at least for me to modify it since everything available locally is for 12 volt bikes.

Harps18TV
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 7:16 pm
Rides:: 1960 Lambretta TV175, 2006 MD90 & 1978 CG125.
Location: Harwich

Re: Honda MD90 Mail Bike

Post by Harps18TV » Sat Nov 03, 2018 3:34 pm

Thanks for your thoughts AE, very interesting & I still quite fancy one! :)

MarkGLeeds
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2018 9:59 pm
Rides:: Honda MD90 Japanese Postal Bike

Re: Honda MD90 Mail Bike

Post by MarkGLeeds » Sat Dec 22, 2018 10:04 pm

Harps18TV wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 9:59 am
Has anyone ridden one of these & is the suspension better than the cubs & presumably the performance should be much the same, assuming the sprockets are different to the cubs to allow for the smaller wheels? Does anyone have one to sell maybe? ;) I know there is one on "that site" but it`s quite expensive.
I’ve just bought one and rode it home today. Never ridden a c90, so nothing to compare with, but I love it.

Seven Seas Motors in Dewsbury is where I got mine from, and they have several more left.

Harps18TV
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 7:16 pm
Rides:: 1960 Lambretta TV175, 2006 MD90 & 1978 CG125.
Location: Harwich

Re: Honda MD90 Mail Bike

Post by Harps18TV » Sun Dec 23, 2018 1:19 pm

Hi Mark,
I weakened & bought one as well, but had it delivered a week or so back as I`m a fair distance from 7 seas & getting on a bit! I`ve only had a quick ride up & down the road as I haven`t got it insured yet & I thought that it was great as well. I have a C90 & I`m looking forward to having a longer ride so that I can compare the two. I didn`t find the suspension hard on my short ride & the brakes seem better than the C90. :D
Where did you get your insurance from Mark & can I ask what sort of price please? I have asked my usual brokers (Allstyles) for a quote earlier today, but I guess I may have to wait a while as it`s not a good time of year.

Harps18TV
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 7:16 pm
Rides:: 1960 Lambretta TV175, 2006 MD90 & 1978 CG125.
Location: Harwich

Re: Honda MD90 Mail Bike

Post by Harps18TV » Mon Dec 31, 2018 1:35 pm

As it was a bit wet over Christmas I thought that I would take the rear wheel out of my MD90 & have a poke around & clean & paint underneath the rear mudguard as you do. It was very clean under there & I guess that the Post Office must jet wash the bikes every so often. There was a bit of cr*p in the end of the chassis tube but no rust. (I found & ordered a plastic cap on eb*y that should fit tightly into the tube to cure the problem) From memory, having done the same job on my 1990 C90 the metal work is better on this MD90 in that it fits into the mudguard without so many gaps in the joins for the road dirt to get into. There were only a few very small gaps that I had to fill with mastic before painting.
The next problem is going to be 14" tyres, by the look of it, as there is a cut in the rear one down to the cords & I can only find off road tyres for pit bikes on line.
Now, a question for "AE86" maybe? Where do all the red post office top boxes go when the bikes are taken out of service??? :? I have seen lines of bikes on the net that are waiting buyers who can fill a container with them but none of them are fitted with that useful looking polythene (?) mail box. I have seen a couple of photos of bikes in the UK with the boxes, but how do they get them? - they look so useful!!

ruffstuff
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:52 pm
Rides:: Aprilia Pegaso 650, Vespa PX125
Location: Sunny Shitport

Re: Honda MD90 Mail Bike

Post by ruffstuff » Mon Dec 31, 2018 5:03 pm

Pcx uses 14 inch tyres, will they fit ?

Harps18TV
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 7:16 pm
Rides:: 1960 Lambretta TV175, 2006 MD90 & 1978 CG125.
Location: Harwich

Re: Honda MD90 Mail Bike

Post by Harps18TV » Mon Dec 31, 2018 8:04 pm

The MD90 tyres are 275 x 14 & the spec for the pcx shows 100/80 for the front & 120/70 for the rear & I haven`t a clue how that translates into "old money"! :oops:
Thanks for the reply ruffstuff & I guess I could always give the Honda main agents a call to see what they say. At the moment I have left my local tyre supplier the details & they said they will have a ring round to see if there is anything available - they didn`t have anything on their screen to offer me straight away.
If all else fails I will be riding on knobbly tyres!

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wightegi
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Rides:: 12v 1988 e start C90,Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
Location: Isle of Wight

Re: Honda MD90 Mail Bike

Post by wightegi » Mon Dec 31, 2018 10:12 pm

Vee rubber do a 2.75 14 J rated tyre ,try Mytyres on interweb ;)

Harps18TV
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 7:16 pm
Rides:: 1960 Lambretta TV175, 2006 MD90 & 1978 CG125.
Location: Harwich

Re: Honda MD90 Mail Bike

Post by Harps18TV » Tue Jan 01, 2019 9:22 am

Hi Wightegi, Thanks for your suggestion. I`ve had a look but I think I should go to specsavers `cos I couldn`t see any! My old tyre has just got 275x14 on the wall & a lot of these modern tyres have a ratio as well to make life difficult & I`ve no idea what the ratio is on the old one. My tyre supplier hedged the question & said it wasn`t necessary when I asked him how to measure the tyre.
I also had a :idea: moment & looked on the Vee rubber site, but found it so frustrating to find anything I gave up. Their tyres seem to be numbered & then they say there aren`t any available when you click on the number & there is no search box.
I sometimes wonder if these companies want to sell anything, as their sites are sooo bad & I`m sure that they can never try to navigate them. :evil:

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