CT70 Dimmer Switch, Taillight Mount, Airbox, and almost Exhaust

I got a whole mess of new parts and powdercoated parts to be put on. I think all I lack is finishing it, but I have said that before.


I got a dimmer switch, so this lever needs to come off.


And this cable needs to be loosened to get that lever off.


The switch goes here. Interesting that the hi/lo is backwards for 1973 standards.


Switches on, the wires go in and back out of the handle bar.


Two grommets are needed.


Put one grommet on before you start threading the wires in the bar. The wires go into this hole.


Then out this hole.


Like this.


Screw here for the switch and work the grommet in.





Add the other grommet.


Put the bar back on the bike. Install the cable and lever like before.


Three grommets go into the taillight/tag mount.


This grommet goes here. I may need to put few shrink wraps on these wires, because this shrink wrap is so stiff and brittle.


Taillight wires go through here with a grommet.


Normally the taillight would ground via this wire from the taillight mounting bolt to the taillight mount mounting bolt. I'm not positive this will work with the powdercoat on things, but I will make it work later if it doesn't.




Longer bolts, fender washer, and collars mount the taillight mount down. I thought I needed two extra nuts, but frame has two nutplates.


Looking good.


I finally got the clamp for the airbox to carb rubber so I have to figure out how to stab that airbox into this thing. The plan is to pivot the motor down in the front without fully removing it.

So I loosened the rear engine mount bolt just a bit.


The rear brake rod needs to come off so that the rear brake pedal isn't in the way of the engine coming down


Then I totally removed the front engine mount bolt.


Something like this.


Four hands, lots of grunts, etc, and I got the airbox on and the engine back up. All the bolt holes are lined up, I don't like the way the rubber seems too far onto the carb.


The clamp and rubber are all Honda, but it still took a lot to make it fit and I'm not in love with the look of the fit. We shall see if it leaks or not. I guess a leak before the carb is better than one after it.


Fresh washers, lock washers, and nuts for the axle adjusters. I will figure out the chain later.


On to the front fender. Clearly I mis-routed the front brake cable. I should go behind the bottom of the triple tree.


That's better, but I guess I have never had a front fender on this bike on this table set-up either. Those hold downs won't work with a front fenders, so I need to figure out something different there for sure.


The Chinese pipe has an offset in the rear mounting tab, so the stock spacer is not needed. I will need to rob a shock acorn nut from the other bike though.


Pipes in here.


And barely doesn't fit here. I should really know better than to buy Chinese parts for my Japanese bike.


I don't feel like finding a round file or dremel from my garage to make this work today. I think I actually made noticeable process. It's kind of getting down to the last million details so I have to it keep one step at a time so I'm not overwhelmed.

CT70 Kickstart Lever Teardown and Chinese Headlight Bucket Mod

So the kicker comes as an assembly, but it seems it could be torn down and powdercoated.


How is the question. I had to call in Lummy on this one. It's kind of like a valve spring and keeper, but not really. Push down the washer(9) and work out the circlip(12).


This was one try that didn't work out. The washer went down, but getting at the circlip doesn't work.


Simple way saves the day.


Here's the Chinese bucket sold as "does not fit the headlight but can be made to work." It definitely does not fit out of the box.


Dremel and patience.


A little work on the trim piece, too.


Finally fits, so now I have to make the bucket match the bike.

CT70 Rear Fender and Cable frustrations

It seems I still need two holes in the new cover to add the hinge.


Piece of cake. I still won't bolt it on until the wiring and fuel tank are in place.


Then suddenly my camera just quit. I just run the most basic Sony point-and-shoot cameras and all of the them have met dramatic ends in thunderstorms or falls to concrete, but this one just kind of died in its sleep.

Undeterred by equipment failure, I sent big boy to the house to get his camera. I have used it before to blog  when one of my cameras went MIA and it does okay.

Four threaded bosses under here for the rear fender. The mounts are arched to meet the fender and the holes actually run perpendicular to the arch, so don't try to start the bolts running straight up and down.


This should be the picture of my son installing four bolts and fender with ease. The back holes are even slotted right? Get them all started and then tightened, right?


Geez, not hardly. I don't know if they are all this difficult to install or the sheetmetal got all warped out a bit being straightened out and powdercoated or what. Every combination of bolts and the last one will not start. I even had my wife helping hold the bike as I pushed and tried to shape the fender into place.

I finally filed out the back holes just a bit and got it to work.


Way too much effort to get his thing on.


On to the front fender, well I thought I had good horn, but I don't. The horn nutplates are the nuts for the front fender on a KO.


Okay on to the left handlebar, and yeah I thought I had a good dimmer switch, but I don't.


Onward and upward I guess. Slide the grip on.


Lever time, I know I'll have to take it back off to add the dimmer switch later, I need to get parts off the deck at this point.


Left bar on.


Add the brake cable.


The front brake cable does something like that.


DOH! The front brake cable should go on the right lever.


Okay that's better.


Now to the rear brake cable.


Something like this and connect the other end to the left bar lever.


That was more aggravation than normal, but getting there. Now I'm wondering if that rear cable goes on the left or right of the neck. I'll have to check my old pictures.