My custom Super Cub

[Thaiwi]

Do you think a modedd super cub such as yours (thaiwi) would attract police attention like a dek warn (teenage boy racer) on his midnight street racer?

It's terrible to say it, but I think it more depends on who is riding it and where. If a local was on it where I am, near ABAC University, he'd get more attention than me. The police don't bother me here, they are great, even toying with me me at 7/11 for buying beer instead of Laokhao. But if I was riding it in central BKK I think I'd get more attention than a local. Every time I go central I get stopped or have to avoid them, even on a standard bike. I have been pulled in Bang Na, on a PCX which was modified and they complimented me on the bike, took my tea money, asked about my work and sent me on my way, they now wave me through each time that they know who I am.

It's a funny place really. But as above it depends where you are and unfortunately, who you are.

[Dutchbike]

Hope this thread keeps on for a bit. I'm hoping to join the super cub club soon. Just gotta get my ducks in a row first.

I agree. It shall stay as long as I have anything to do with it!

One thing I have noticed is that this topic hasn't attracted the know it all, downers that ruin most others. Touch wood. Small bikes are awesome and there is a massive interest in them in this part of the world that seems to never be represented on this forum. So to anyone else out there, who likes smaller bikes, feel free to post up what you've got/what you're working on. But I'll always be partial to the cubs.

This is a great thread indeed and let's hope it stays that way ( unlike on some other threads On TV lately)

I think this is what the bike forum should be , bike fans ( riders or not) sharing there passion with each other. Not bitching at each other. ;-)

Norman W thumbs up!! owning a Z1000 and still hang out with us, the smaller bike fans :-)

Here is a pic of my collection ( so far) TZR 150 Cafe Racer, TZM 150, NSR 150 SP, Tena dragbike ( lookalike) my General purpose bike: KLX 250 also a pic of a true unique bike in Asia; a 1960's Sparta ( Dutch brand) 49cc Moped Missing on the pics is my wife's Click-i

Edited August 31, 2014 by Dutchbike

[Thaiwi]

Very very cool collection you have there. Always admired the locals and their 2 stroke drag bikes, what is it like to ride?

[NormanW]

Wow!

What a lovely collection of collectable bikes.

Love the Sparta!

Yeah, the Z1000 is for to and from work everyday (weather permitting) and the Super Cub is proving to be an ideal companion around the streets of Pattaya.

Biking is in the blood and as bikers we realise that not every bike is the same.

MotoGP soon from Silverstone.

Come on Rossi

[OmegaRacer]

I agree. Like my grandmother used to say: If you can't appreciate the small, you're not worthy of the big. (it sounds better in German).

I think that riders who appreciate small displacement bikes are generally more open minded and can get enjoyment from a wider range of bikes.

In my collection I like diversity. I have a Yamaha SR tracker on which I like to work on and modify it to my heart's content, love the relaxing thumping of the single and the simplicity of it. I have a classic and nicely restored 1973 Suzuki TS185, which is pretty rare in Thailand, a Honda Tena in need of a make-over, a 2009 ER6n I just bought with only 69km on the clock for longer tours with my wife.

I remember asking a question on the ER6n thread about saddlebags. One guy (highwayrideridiot) ((idiot is my addition)), felt it necessary to constantly comment just how gay saddlebags are and what a girly bike the ER6n is. Pathetic.

Anyway, hope we can enjoy our small and cool runners in peace.

(As a 16 year old, I had a 125cc Gilera SP02. Those bikes were nothing like the lethargic 125 of today...)

EDIT: forgot to add my SR500 cafe in Italy...

Edited August 31, 2014 by OmegaRacer

[Dutchbike]

Nice bikes Omega . Your grandmothers saying is in Dutch pretty much the same as in German I think ( Wie het kleine niet eert is het grote niet weerd)

I like diversity as well, saving to add a big bike ( for longer trips) but will always keep loyal to my small bikes.

I hope I will get my Cafe TZR ready in time for that DG ride ( waiting for a servo-motor to arrive) and meet some other open minded riders.

[KarenBravo]

Sorry, I think my Honda Super-Cubs are prettier.

[Thaiwi]

I'd have to agree with you there. They are stunning. I can't see so well on my phone, what models do you have?

[KarenBravo]

The metallic green is a 1981 Honda C90 Passport.

The purple is a 1980 Honda C90 Passport.

The red is a 1982 Honda C70 Passport.

The snot-green is a Honda C70 of unknown year (no book).

Edited August 31, 2014 by KarenBravo

[Thaiwi]

Great collection. Awesome bikes

[KarenBravo]

I love them and would never sell them, though, I get very frequent offers.

The red one now has white-wall tyres and looks even better, but, don't have a photo.

Edited August 31, 2014 by KarenBravo

[Thaiwi]

I love them and would never sell them, though, I get very frequent offers.

That's not surprising! There are plenty available these days if you know where to find them. Quite a few thai nationals make a living out of restoring them back to original factory standard. They are beautiful and actually not too hard on the wallet too.

[KarenBravo]

I got them done myself. Hunted down an ordinary bike, found a good mechanic, found a good spray-painter.

Located a good chroming factory in Bangkok and found the shops that sold spares.

Yes, you can buy them, but, they are not done to as high a standard than if you do it yourself.

The Thais who do them up want to make a good profit, so, they do things as cheaply as possible.

[Thaiwi]

Awesome work mate. Some are better than others. I went through 5 different builders before settling on the guy to make mine. Ive travelled all over and you're right there is some sub par work around, but not all are like that. We gotta remember that this is a country of 60 + million. Not everyone is the same. How long did each bike take you mate?

Edited August 31, 2014 by Thaiwi

[KarenBravo]

They differed as had different mechanics.

It shouldn't take more than a month.

Two days to strip down bike.

Two weeks for spray-paint.

Sixteen days to three weeks for chroming in Bangkok, including shipping there and back.

Five days to assemble.

[Thaiwi]

They differed as had different mechanics.

It shouldn't take more than a month.

Two days to strip down bike.

Two weeks for spray-paint.

Sixteen days to three weeks for chroming in Bangkok, including shipping there and back.

Five days to assemble.

If you ever do another you should do a build video. They are super popular in this part of the world and I'm sure it would gather a lot of interest.

[NormanW]

Simply lovely bikes!

Thanks for sharing.

Thought I'd treat myself to a 130 baht bracket.

[eeeya]

Awesome work mate. Some are better than others. I went through 5 different builders before settling on the guy to make mine. Ive travelled all over and you're right there is some sub par work around, but not all are like that. We gotta remember that this is a country of 60 + million. Not everyone is the same. How long did each bike take you mate?

When you get yours I hope you can report back to us about the quality of the rebuild. If I go down the same path as you and buy one from that guy, my motorbike nuts father in law is gonna give me a hell about why I didn't do it myself (and include him). Ha

[Thaiwi]

Of course mate. Will do a full report, photos and video so all can see. it would be a fun thing to do myself but unfortunately I just don't have the time. So I'm looking forward to having my new toy finished!

[Thaiwi]

Karenbravo, did the white wall tyres prove difficult to track down? Where did you manage to find them?

[KarenBravo]

They became a bit of a fad with the young Thai guys at around the first retro bike came out, the Yamaha Fino, or, maybe it was the Mio.

When I started buying the basic bikes around five, or six years ago, one with a book was between 16,000 Bt and 20,000 Bt. Without a book, no more than 10,000 Bt.

I live in Phuket and the ordinary bikes have virtually all been bought and done up.

Last year was the last time I asked about a couple and they are asking 30,000 Bt for one with a book (bike not done up) and 15,000 Bt with no book.

Consequences of supply and demand, I guess.

Edited August 31, 2014 by KarenBravo

[KarenBravo]

Karenbravo, did the white wall tyres prove difficult to track down? Where did you manage to find them?

White-walls were unavailable in Phuket, so, I found a small shop in Surat Thani that had them.

Then they stopped stocking them.

On a trip to Bangkok for other reasons, I asked a motorbike taxi driver a good place to buy motor-bike tyres.

He told me Round-about 22.

Got a taxi there and found an excellent car and motorbike tyre shop about fifty metres down one of the roads from the round-about.

He gave me his card, so, now I just order them by email and pay by bank transfer. They arrive in about five days.

Would give you the info, but, I'm not in Phuket at the moment.

Edited August 31, 2014 by KarenBravo

[Thaiwi]

There are a few good Thai Facebook pages where locals pass them on (with and without books). I've also got another couple of links for other guys if you're interested in seeing the restored ones these days. C70's and C90's aren't so bad bad the C100's fetch a pretty penny!

Edited August 31, 2014 by Thaiwi

[CTO]

There is a shop (or was) at Chatuchuk that sold something very similar to the Sparta, 25 000 baht, very oddly cool.

Have you looked into joining a caravan yet? great fun with the Honda C's

[Thaiwi]

There's a decent amount of collectors of the C's back home. But I haven't found an established group of people doing them up tastefully in Thailand. There seems to be quite a few 'middle class' people in Malaysia and Indonesia who do an awesome job with the bikes and don't spend their whole budget on a bunch of mis-matched parts. If anyone knows of the same here, point me in the right direction!

[eeeya]

Gotta start your own I think! Bunch of falangolies puttering around on undersized bikes from days gone by. Ha that would be a hoot

[Thaiwi]

Gotta start your own I think! Bunch of falangolies puttering around on undersized bikes from days gone by. Ha that would be a hoot

It would give as much entertainment to the locals as it would too us. Couldn't imagine how awesome/hilarious it'd be.

[Thaiwi]

Here's a couple of custom ones as done by some local boys. 10 points for effort. Each to their own of course, but a little to intense for me! :/

[Thaiwi]

The owner of the green one is trying to fetch 40k baht for his efforts too..

[NormanW]

The owner of the green one is trying to fetch 40k baht for his efforts too..

Oh dear completely tasteless.

Less is more in my book.

Thanks for sharing though.