The Honda ST-series minibikes are known as the Dax in Japan and Europe and as the Trail 70 in Canada and the United States. The ST50, ST70 and CT70 were introduced in August 1969 and produced through 1981.
Honda Dax at a glance
| Maker | Honda |
|---|---|
| Also called | Trail 70 in Canada and the US |
| Models | ST50, ST70, CT70, ST90 |
| Introduced | August 1969 |
| Produced to | 1981 |
| ST90 | 1973–1975, sold as the Trailsport |
| ST50 reissue | 1995–2000 |
| Frame | pressed-steel T-bone |
| Gearbox | three-speed semi-automatic or four-speed manual |
| Tyres | small and fat; ST90 on 3.00-14 |
| US CT70, 1981–1994 | JH2D serial numbers |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the ST series minibikes. The Commons search returned photographs of the French town of Dax, not of the motorcycle.
History of the Honda Dax
A different minibike
The key feature of the ST series is the pressed-steel T-bone frame, which distinguishes it from Honda’s other minibikes: the Z50 Monkey and Gorilla, the Ape, the CF50 and CF70, and the CY50 and CY80 Nautydax. In general the ST bikes have a bench-style saddle, small fat tyres and folding handlebars, with an air-cooled four-stroke engine and either a three-speed semi-automatic transmission with centrifugal clutch or a four-speed manual gearbox.
Names and numbers
The ST70 was exported to Canada and the US as the CT70, an exception to Honda’s usual practice of prefix letters indicating the family followed by engine size. The CT70 is mechanically unrelated to other CT bikes such as the CT50 Motra and the CT50, CT90 and CT110 Trail Cubs. The ST90 was sold in the US as the Trailsport and never carried a CT designation; it used larger 3.00-14 tyres compared with the 3.50-10 and 4.00-10 of the smaller bikes.
Production life
The ST50, ST70 and CT70 were built from 1969 to 1981, and the ST90 from 1973 to 1975. The ST50 was reissued in 1995 and produced through 2000. The CT70 was also sold in the US from 1981 to 1994 with a new JH2D serial number format instead of the CT70 prefix used since 1969; these bikes are not listed in Honda Japan’s production figures and may be licensed production. Because of their small wheels and limited speed, the ST bikes were not always road-legal and in some markets were sold for off-road use only.
Design and features
- T-bone frame: pressed steel, unique to the ST series.
- Folding handlebars: for easy transport and storage.
- Fat small tyres: 3.50-10 and 4.00-10, or 3.00-14 on the ST90.
- Semi-automatic gearbox: three speeds with a centrifugal clutch.
Honda Dax versions
- ST50 (1969–1981, 1995–2000): the smallest Dax.
- ST70 / CT70 (1969–1981): the Trail 70.
- ST90 Trailsport (1973–1975): the larger-engined version.
- US CT70 (1981–1994): JH2D-serial production.
The Dax is a minibike relative of the Honda Z50 and the CT90. More Hondas are in the Honda collection.
Sources
- Honda ST series (minibike), English Wikipedia: models, frame, gearboxes, production
