Bart Moto Co. Guide
Honda CT70 Model Identification & VIN Decoder
Decode your CT70 frame number, figure out the model year, and confirm it with the details that actually matter: color, exhaust, fenders, speedometer style, production window, and VIN range.
Quick VIN / Frame Lookup
Enter a CT70-######, CT70H-######, or a 17-digit VIN starting with JH2.
Ranges are best-known starts and windows. Production can overlap, so confirm with visual cues. Old bikes get swapped, repainted, and rebuilt.
VIN / Frame Reference Guide
Use the table below as the main reference. The frame number gets you close, but the best ID comes from combining the frame stamp with the color, exhaust, fenders, headlight/speedometer setup, and other model-year details.
| Model | Built / Produced | Frame / VIN Range | Original U.S. Color | Quick ID Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
K0 Silver Tag Early 1969 |
Subset of K0 production Approx. 18,000 |
CT70-100001 to roughly CT70-118000 CT70E-100001 to roughly CT70E-118000 |
Candy Ruby Red Candy Sapphire Blue Candy Gold |
Aluminum silver VIN tag, all-chrome grid-shield exhaust, steel front and rear fenders, one-piece headlight/speedometer, early small-bullet wiring, solid footpeg mount, no reflectors, 50 mph speedometer, silver ignition bezel. |
|
CT70K0 1969–1971 |
June 1969 to August 1971 Produced: 185,000 |
CT70-100001 to roughly CT70-285000 CT70E-100001 to roughly CT70E-285000 |
Candy Ruby Red Candy Sapphire Blue Candy Gold |
One-piece headlight/speedometer, all-chrome grid-shield exhaust, steel fenders, spring/grease front forks, rear hand brake. Early bikes are Silver Tag, later bikes use the black compliance tag. |
|
CT70HK0 1970–1971 |
April 1970 to August 1971 Produced: 65,000 |
CT70H-100001+ CT70HE-100001+ |
Candy Blue-Green Candy Emerald Green Candy Topaz Orange |
Factory 4-speed manual CT70H model, one-piece headlight/speedometer, all-chrome grid-shield exhaust, steel fenders, spring/grease front forks, rear hand brake. |
|
CT70K1 1972 |
August 1971 to June 1972 Produced: 60,000 |
CT70-2000001+ | Candy Ruby Red Candy Yellow Special |
Separate headlight and speedometer, hydraulic front forks, black muffler with black/chrome round-hole shield, steel fenders, rear hand brake. |
|
CT70HK1 1972 |
August 1971 to June 1972 Produced: 25,000 |
CT70H-2000001+ | Candy Ruby Red Candy Yellow Special |
Factory 4-speed manual CT70H model. Separate headlight and speedometer, hydraulic front forks, black muffler with black/chrome round-hole shield, steel fenders, rear hand brake. |
|
CT70K2 1973 |
June 1972 to May 1973 Produced: approx. 45,000 |
CT70-2100001+ | Candy Topaz Orange Candy Riviera Blue |
Separate headlight and speedometer, hydraulic front forks, black muffler with black/chrome round-hole shield, steel fenders, rear hand brake. |
|
CT70K3 1974 |
May 1973 to around June 1974 Produced: 32,907 |
CT70-2300001+ | Candy Riviera Blue Candy Topaz Orange |
Hydraulic front forks, first year with factory turn signals, rear hand brake, black muffler with black/chrome round-hole shield, steel fenders. |
|
CT70K4 1975 |
June 1974 to early/mid 1975 Produced: 8,852 |
CT70-2400001+ | Mighty Green | Single-year Mighty Green model, hydraulic front forks, turn signals, black muffler with black/chrome round-hole shield, steel fenders. |
| CT70 1976 | 1976 model year Produced: 5,996 |
CT70-2500004+ | Tahitian Red | Single-year Tahitian Red model, hydraulic front forks, turn signals, black muffler with black/chrome round-hole shield, steel fenders. |
| CT70 1977 | 1977 model year Produced: 11,959 |
CT70-2600008+ | Shiny Orange | Single-year Shiny Orange model, hydraulic front forks, turn signals, black muffler with black/chrome round-hole shield, steel fenders. |
| CT70 1978 | 1978 model year Produced: 6,881 |
CT70-2700005+ | Black | Single-year black model, hydraulic front forks, turn signals, black muffler with black/chrome round-hole shield, steel fenders. |
| CT70 1979 | 1979 model year Produced: approx. 7,500 |
CT70-5000001+ | Bright Yellow | Single-year Bright Yellow model, first year without the factory engine guard, one-piece traditional BMX-style handlebars, hydraulic front forks, turn signals, all-black exhaust, steel fenders. |
| CT70 1980 | 1980 model year Produced: 8,599 |
CT70-5100007+ | Tahitian Red | Plastic front fender, steel rear fender, all-black exhaust, one-piece traditional BMX-style handlebars, later 17 mm brake pedal pivot. |
| CT70 1981 | 1981 model year Produced: 6,089 |
17-digit VIN starting with JH2DD010… 10th VIN character: B |
Tahitian Red | 17-digit VIN begins, plastic front fender, steel rear fender, all-black exhaust, one-piece traditional BMX-style handlebars, later 17 mm brake pedal pivot. |
| CT70 1982 | 1982 model year Produced: unknown |
17-digit VIN starting with JH2DD010… 10th VIN character: C |
Tahitian Red | Late pre-reissue CT70. 17-digit VIN, plastic front fender, steel rear fender, all-black exhaust, one-piece traditional BMX-style handlebars. |
|
CT70 Reissue 1991–1994 |
1991 to 1994 Produced: varies by year |
JH2DB010… or JH2DB011… 10th VIN character: M, N, P, or R |
Italian Red | 12V CDI system, frame-mounted key switch, steering lock, frame-mounted charcoal canister on emissions models, plastic front fender, steel rear fender, all-black exhaust, white rims and hubs, later 17 mm brake pedal pivot. |
Production totals above are best-known community/registry figures. Unknown or estimated totals are labeled that way on purpose.
Where to Find the Numbers
Frame Stamp
Look on the left side of the steering head/neck. Early bikes use CT70 or CT70H frame numbers.
Engine Number
Look on the left engine case. Common stamps include CT70E, CT70HE, DD01E, or DB01E.
17-Digit VIN
1981 and newer bikes typically carry a printed VIN sticker/plate starting with JH2.
Notes & Caveats
- Honda model years did not always follow the calendar year. A late-summer build may belong to the next model year.
- Production overlapped and running changes can straddle model years.
- Canadian, JDM, and dealer-swapped bikes can differ in colors, labels, engines, or small parts.
- Use multiple clues together: frame number, engine number, exhaust, fenders, speedometer/headlight setup, and paint color.