It got promised to the guy that cuts the grass..... oh well!
A colleague is in the long process of sifting through her father's estate with her siblings, sad to say (it's been stressful for her for various reasons), and a month or so ago mentioned "there's even some old motorcycle in his barn."
Ever glib, I said "I'll give you $50 for it," as that's my standard low-ball offer for humorous effect. Don't be insulted if you have something for sale and I offer you 50 bucks, it's a joke, I probably don't want your stuff anyway (the MG in my brother-in-law's shop exempted as I do want that, I just can't afford it.)
Fast forward to this week, when she said, it's
"a 65 Honda S65, the tires are flat."
"Tell your brother my offer still stands!" I replied, ever kidding, but suddenly not so kidding. He's the decider when it comes to the "stuff" on the property.
"He may take it!"Yikes. But, on the other hand, cool! I did tell her, that's too little money and they should sell it for more. She said "whatever." Hmmmm.
Here's a very nice Honda S65:
some old scans from this guy's Honda wiki
Some pull quotes from the article:
Like most small Hondas of the time, the S65 (also sometimes known as the Honda CS65) owes much of its upbringing to the granddaddy of tiddlers, the C100 and its sporty C110 derivative. Despite the obvious difference of the pass-through versus the conventional tank-over-frame design, the basic layout and many significant mechanical components are shared between the bikes. This becomes even more obvious when you place the two bikes side-by-side. Let’s see now, hmmm, those front forks sure look familiar. So does that rear swing arm. Oh, wait, that taillight is the same, too.
And yet, the S65 retains a completely unique look and feel, and an appearance that should endear itself to a small-bike enthusiast looking for that perfect middle ground. It is something more grown-up than your typical pass-through scooter, yet not overtly sporty to the point of being single-minded in its purpose. The S65 really is the smart kid in the class, with the correct answer for nearly every situation.
....
Like my mother’s 20-year-old Honda lawn mower, the Honda S65 needs but a touch of choke and one good kick to bring it to life. And unlike the more temperamental two-strokes I usually ride, this little thumper doesn’t anger the neighbors with puffs of smoke or high-revving two-stroke tunes. Instead, it just cranks over and settles into a nice little thump-thump idle barely heard through the well-muffled exhaust.
....
The rest of my ride takes me back into town along small surface streets, soaking up potholes, barely noticing manhole covers, and generally admiring the fact that this little machine is a great all-rounder. It has proven totally dependable, great fun and surprisingly practical for riding on today’s faster-paced streets. At the end of the day, it comes as no surprise that Honda got it right with the S65.
These bikes are going for $500 in poor condition to $2000 (although I found someone asking $4000!) on the web. I just want something to ride!
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