SAMPLE PAPER #3

Note the correct in-text citations of quotes, summaries, and paraphrases, and the correctly organized and annotated Works Cited at the end of this paper.

Honda CT70 Mini Trail Resources

The Honda CT70 Trail Bike was introduced in 1969. Honda discontinued production of the bike in 1994, but it is still a very popular motorcycle among collectors. Today, there are a number of resources available online and at your library to help you with your CT70. There are sources on the Internet that still sell Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM) parts for the CT70 trail bike. Online, there are also a number of resources that will take you step by step on restoring these highly collectable mini-bikes. At the library you can also find valuable resources that will show you everything you need to know to service and maintain these machines mechanically. The library will also give you good information on the history of mini-bikes in general and the technology that made them possible. With all of the information available online and through the library it is possible to affordably restore and maintain a CT70 mini-bike.

Finding parts for CT70’s has always been the hardest part of fixing them up. That is no longer the case with websites such as Beatrice ATV and Cycles. This site contains detailed descriptions and pictures of replacement parts for the CT70 that are conveniently categorized. The majority of the parts are OEM and not after-market. OEM parts are typically of higher quality and fit correctly. There is even an online ordering system allowing your parts to be on their way with a click of the mouse.

Jack Beatrice, owner of Beatrice ATV and Cycle, explains how to find out what year and model bike you have which is important to make sure you get the correct parts. The serial number determines the year and model of your CT70. This is found on the on the frame right above the front drive sprocket. A serial number reading ct70XXXXXXX is a 3-speed automatic and a serial number reading CT70HXXXXXXX is a 4-speed manual. The last 7 digits will tell you what year the bike is according to the chart on his site (Beatrice).

There is a lot of very specific information about the CT70 on the Internet. The number of sources available make it possible to learn everything you would want to know about these bikes and more. The Honda Trail 70 and Mini Trail 50 website is one example of a very complete source giving you information on restoration, technical tips and personal experiences. Kenny, the webmaster for this site, is constantly updating the site with personal experiences and tips about restoring these bikes.

One tip that has been very helpful from Kenny to help you get the rims apart on a CT70 reads, “With a simple plumbers torch you can heat up each half of the wheel rim. Do not get the wheel halves red hot (it does not have to be this hot). If you do this properly the paint will not even come off. Heat them until you can smell rubber burning and them take a pair of pliers and grab the wheel half. With your foot on the tire pull the wheel half upwards and the wheel half should come off easily” (Honda Trail 70 and Mini Trail 50). This tip proved to be invaluable to me in attempting this task.

The websites I have found on the CT70 have some helpful hints on working on the bike, but lack the complete information that traditional books and manuals cover. One book that does a great job of helping you repair and maintain your CT70 is the Honda 50-110cc OHC Singles manual compiled by the Clymer Company. This book details how to adjust the idle speed on your CT70. First, start the engine and allow it to reach normal operating temperature. Turn the pilot screw in until it just seats lightly and turn it out two turns. You then need to turn the screw in or out slowly and listen to the engine speed. When the motor is at it’s highest rpm, the pilot screw is adjusted properly. Re-adjust the idle screw so the engine idles smoothly and the carburetor is now adjusted correctly (195-197). It is vital to have this setting correct before attempting to troubleshoot other problems with the carburetor.

The CT70 is a unique bike that was made to be very portable to get to the trail as it is not street legal. A review of the CT70 in the November, 1970 issue of Cycle Magazine entitled “Honda CT 70 Minitrail” by Dave Holman, explains how to prepare the bike for transport. Some things you have to do to the CT70 before transporting: fold the handle bars down, drain the carburetor float chamber, disconnect the battery, and turn off the fuel tank vent. The bike is now ready for transport, but it is a little heavy (150 lbs.) and can be difficult to fit into the trunk of some vehicles (45). [AVP1] The CT70 was a unique bike as the gas tank is actually located in the frame and not visible from the outside.

The mini-bike came about after World War II when small gasoline powered engines became a familiar sight helping people with their household chores such as mowing the lawn. As James C. Sparks notes in his book entitled Mini and Trail Bikes and How to Build Them Yourself, “Fathers and sons tinkered with them [small engines] on weekends, became familiar with their workings, and often made working with them a hobby. Then the little engines were pressed into recreational use in a flurry of small, rideable vehicles with odd new names: GoKarts and mini bikes. Thousands of these machines were produced commercially as this motorized sport sprang up all around the country”(14). These early mini-bikes were produced using mainly adapted bicycle parts and lawn mower engines. Eventually it was the commercial mini-bike produced by the Japanese that made it affordable and reliable.

The Complete Mini-Bike Handbook by Paul Dempsey details how this happened. Dempsey explains that Japanese research is responsible for the great power increase in small, mass-produced engines. The Japanese were willing to pay the price to get the additional power from 4-cycle engines. Honda engines utilized an overhead cam design that enabled their engines to rev to 9000 rpm, instead of the 7000 rpm’s of other designs. Honda’s superb craftsmanship made this possible (37). With the increased power and reliability the Japanese brought to the mini-bike, popularity soared. The mini-bike that was initially invented, now became a trail bike that was considered a small motorcycle.

Collecting and restoring a CT70 in the 21st century is made possible by the range of resources available online and through your local library. The resources available online allow you to purchase replacement parts and communicate with other CT70 hobbyists about the bikes. The Internet is also full of helpful hints on restoring, and locating CT70’s to purchase. Online is the best way to find information that specifically pertains to the Honda CT70 Trail Bike. The library will also help you understand the history and technology that made the production of these bikes possible. The library is also essential for maintaining and servicing these bikes as that is where you will find manuals devoted to this task. Combining these resources makes the CT70 a highly sought after and collectible motorcycle that seems to gain in popularity everyday from young and old alike.

Annotated Works Cited

Beatrice, Jack. Beatrice ATV and Cycle. 26 Nov. 2001.

<http://www.dratv.com/honctminnewp.html>

This site is the best source for parts for the CT70 I have found. Great pictures of the parts to help you figure out what you need and it also has an online ordering system. This site is mostly just a good parts source for the CT70.

Butterworth, William E. Mighty Minicycles. New York: Harvey House, 1976.
A very worthwhile book, because it contains a great deal of technical and historical data from one of the leading mechanics in the field. Excellent bibliography leads to other sources; however, because this is an older book, some of the information is dated.

Classic Honda Mini Trails. 20 Nov. 2001. 26 Nov. 2001.

<http://www.hondaminitrail.com>

This website is an excellent source of parts for the CT70 with pictures and prices of parts you can order. Also has restoration tips and they service CT70 engines.

Dempsey, Paul. The Complete Mini-Bike Handbook. Pennsylvania: Tab Books, 1973.
Good, basic text for people just getting into the hobby. It is limited in that it doesn’t really explore more complex repair issues. However, the illustrations are extremely helpful and large so that one can work with the book in the shop.

Holman, Dave. “Honda CT 70 Minitrail.” Cycle Magazine. January 1970: 45.

Holman’s article is credited with starting the modern interest in this type of bike. It presents historical and technical detail in a concise and easy to read format. This is a good starting place for those interested in the topic, rather than a comprehensive source of information.

Honda 50-110cc OHC Singles 1965-1996. Kansas: Intertec Publishing, 1996.

The Honda CT-70 Website. Geocities. 20 Oct. 2001. 26 Nov. 2001.

<http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/1990>

This website has good pictures and information about restoring your CT70. It also has a great bulletin board to buy and sell parts that is visited frequently. On this site you can also view a yearbook to help tell you what changes occurred on the CT70 each year. This site also sells manuals and has an excellent link page to other CT70 websites.

Honda Trail 70 and Mini Trail 50. Atocha Treasure Company. 6 Oct. 2001. 26 Nov. 2001.

<http://www.hondatrail70.com>

This site provides just about everything you would want to know about the CT70. It contains restorations step by step with excellent pictures, great stories, old magazine ads, reprinted manuals, excellent pictures, bulletin boards, movie clips, screen saver and more.

Lennox, Steve. Home Page. 26 Nov. 2001. 26 Nov. 2001.

<http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/ct70minitrailclub>

This site contains a message board, photos, and a good section that shows exploded views of CT70 parts and how they attach.

Old Honda.com. “First Kick.” 1 Nov. 2001. 26 Nov. 2001.

< http://www.oldhonda.com>

This website provides good photos and detailed spec. for the different year CT70s. They also sell cool accessories for the CT70 and even sell a new CT70 “take-off”.

Sparks, James C. Mini and Trail Bikes and How to Build Them Yourself. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1976.
There is so much detail in this book that it is at times difficult to find one’s way through it. It helps to already have some knowledge of these bikes and to utilize this source as a reference volume. Knowing what one is looking for before opening the covers is definitely a help.