The Honda NC50 topic

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Harry Monk
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The Honda NC50 topic

Post by Harry Monk » Mon Feb 15, 2021 7:56 pm

I know this is a forum for the C90 and not the NC50 so I'll keep the NC50 stuff on this thread only. Here's some history, and the page from which it is taken is interesting as it does reference the Super Cub and the role it played in developing the Express, or to be more accurate, the Roadpal which was the original version of the Express marketed in Asia.

"The method used to start the bike was going to be a problem. They knew women would dislike having to use a kick-starter, but the use of a cell motor, the preferred choice, was obviously impossible due to its high cost. They tested a variety of methods, such as an applied system based on compressed air, a mechanism utilizing the weight shift that occurs as the rider is seated, and the gunpowder cartridge system. Initially, they adopted the "woodpecker method," in which a spring is wound by the reverse rotation of the rear wheel and its unwinding force is used to start the engine. The name came from the starting action of moving the bike backward, which resembles the movement of a woodpecker.

However, this method was never adopted, because the spring failed to wind at the evaluation meeting (held in January 1974), where the snow-covered road caused the wheel to slip. In the end, it was decided to use the pedal to wind the spring.

A test ride was held in April 1974, at which fifteen women, all wives of R&D center employees, were invited to try out the prototype bike. Although some unexpected mishaps occurred, with one bike crashing into a fence after the throttle was opened too wide, the overall scores were satisfactory".

Note the frequent references to women in the development of this highly sexist machine. ;)

https://global.honda/heritage/episodes/1976roadpal.html
Last edited by Capitano on Wed Feb 17, 2021 7:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Renamed topic

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wightegi
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NC 50 thread

Post by wightegi » Mon Feb 15, 2021 8:17 pm

A new area for NC50 posts.

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Harry Monk
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Re: NC 50 thread

Post by Harry Monk » Wed Feb 17, 2021 2:55 am

Just to get this thread moving a bit, here are my two spares bikes. I'm unsure what to do with these yet, I think I could probably build one good one out of the two of them and I might do that. I could probably get 3-4 times what I paid for them if I parted them out but I really don't want to do that if I can avoid it.

Behind them is the shelter I built for my roadworthy NC50, this was built almost entirely out of reclaimed pallet wood and plywood which I can get a virtually unlimited amount of from work, they're only too glad for me to take scrap pallets away.

Image


Image

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Capitano
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Re: Hello Everybody!

Post by Capitano » Wed Feb 17, 2021 7:52 am

Harry Monk wrote:
Mon Feb 15, 2021 7:56 pm
I know this is a forum for the C90 and not the NC50 so I'll keep the NC50 stuff on this thread only.
That's a good idea anyway.

I'm all for merging threads where relevant, so all the information on a marque/model is in one place for future reference. We've done this with the CT125 and the 2021 CB125F.

8-)

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Harry Monk
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Re: The Honda NC50 topic

Post by Harry Monk » Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:21 pm

My son sent me the first pic and asked me to post it, this is our entire fleet at the moment. The two on the left are his 1980 Honda Express Deluxe, which had been off the road since 1990 when we bought it, and came disassembled in four cardboard boxes. It now has an MOT and is fully road-legal.

The one behind that is my own 1978 Mk 1 Express which was road legal when I bought it but has had major restoration work done since then.

The two on the right are spares bikes which we may or may not restore.

Image

Here's mine on the bow deck of my boat. When I go off cruising I take it away with me, and use it for shopping, and rides out.

Although I am here because my eventual aim is to buy a C90, what I like about the Express is that it has everything required to be a road-legal two wheeler and barely a thing more. Even the basket was an optional extra. The C90 will live on the mooring and be used as a commuter bike, as was its original purpose.

Image

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thirdproclaimer
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Re: The Honda NC50 topic

Post by thirdproclaimer » Thu Mar 10, 2022 6:08 pm

Hi Harry

I tried one of these several years ago and kick myself I didn't buy it. I live in Derbyshire so if I did get one then not sure how much it would be used due to the hills but I'm tempted.
Is there anything I should look out for when looking one over?
Cheers, John

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wightegi
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Re: The Honda NC50 topic

Post by wightegi » Thu Mar 10, 2022 8:25 pm

Harry has not been on here since march last year, there is a facebook group for the NC50 express ;)

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thirdproclaimer
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Re: The Honda NC50 topic

Post by thirdproclaimer » Thu Mar 10, 2022 8:39 pm

Cheers wightegi

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Alan CF
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Re: The Honda NC50 topic

Post by Alan CF » Fri Mar 11, 2022 9:02 pm

Carl Jones is into these, and I've been messing with there older sisters, the pa50,
Great little engines, you can get a lot of tuning parts for them, look at treatlands,

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thirdproclaimer
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Re: The Honda NC50 topic

Post by thirdproclaimer » Fri Mar 11, 2022 11:30 pm

Thanks Alan

Asked for entry to the NC50 Facebook group but not been granted yet.
Had to look for a Pa50, one came up in Chesterfield ;).
Do they share an engine, anything I should look out for?

Cheers, John

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