Second Bike

My second bike I think is rather important along with the others manufactured in Japan in this era. This also came as a box of bits and was duly rebuilt using the ubiquitous Haynes manual. The bike? A a 1962 Honda C92E Benly.

The reason I believe this bike to be important is what it was as a whole. Not the best looking bike ever for sure, but the technology in it was what did for the British motorcycle industry for about the next three decades.

The Benly may have had a pressed steel frame, leading link suspension and really bad tyres but it had an electric starter and indicators.

The 125cc 4 stroke engine didn’t leak oil like our home grown bikes as the crank case was split horizontally. It was a twin cylinder with chain driven overhead cams and needle roller bearings for both ends of the conrod. All this and it was pretty quick for a 125cc. It handled and stopped in reasonable fashion too with a comfy riding position. No wonder the Japanese bikes were so dominant for so long.

I sold the bike to my brother after quite a few years of ownership as newly married and a mortgage I couldn’t afford to keep it. I later bought it back only to sell it to an enthusiast who wanted to put it back to original condition.

This was my last bike right up until the early nineties. Kids and mortgages.