front suspension

Hi all, was wondering if honda c90 front shocks would fit into t80 forks, mine are very soft and cant seem to find any replacements.
Hope someone can help, Mark

mark.l wrote:Hi all, was wondering if honda c90 front shocks would fit into t80 forks, mine are very soft and cant seem to find any replacements.
Hope someone can help, Mark

Honda ones will not fit, & new Yamaha or pattern ones are unobtainable.

What about the front and rear shocks off a V50 or V80? Are they the same and if so, are aftermarket available?

Frank.

cant find any V50 or V80 front shocks anywhere either  
will just have to keep an eye on ebay and prey a nos set turn up, Mark

Sods Law I just sold some really good ones for a tenner!

I have a used pair c/w fork links I will send you a pm with price etc.

Thanks JohnW I am going to a bike breaker today to compare c90 and t80 shocks,to see what the difference is. If the c90 ones look modifiable I can get a new set from eBay,if it looks unlikely I will let you know tonight and will buy your set,thanks for your help,Mark

It would be interesting to see if you could fit the front end off some thing like an RSX125,
You would then have proper forks and may be a disc brake to.
Or the front end out of a Chinese scooter with forks there plenty full and cheep.

Admin drgaz wrote:It would be interesting to see if you could fit the front end off some thing like an RSX125,
You would then have proper forks and may be a disc brake to.
Or the front end out of a Chinese scooter with forks there plenty full and cheep.

Whilst the C70/90 ones are similar its the bottom fitting thats bespoke to the Townmate, there is a threaded hole on one side & a clearance hole for the pivot screw head on the other. Mark its worth checking yours to see if they are actually knackerd, if they are not leaking oil & the springs are not broken then I would think they are OK. The damping is not that good even when new, & compared with a modern scooter the shocks may appear to be tired when they are not. Whilst I would only be too pleased to sell you a pair it would be a waste of money to find that there was nothing wrong with yours in the first place. Best to try & find another T80 to compare. As for fitting another set of forks, is it worth it? The T80 handles well enough as made, after all its only a 45mph commutator not a 150 mph resin rocket.

Back from the breakers with a set of..............Honda melody front shocks. My t80 ones weep oil so I guess they are goosed.
The Honda ones are very close in dimensions,only 5mm longer,look to have the same size threading and holes and appear to have some damping which my t80 ones don't,they just bounce. When I get time this week I will see if they fit and actually work and will report back on my findings.
I know it's just an 80cc commuter but I love ragging it around,I have continental conti go tyres 2.75 on the rear and 2.5 on the front and pattern shocks on the back that are slightly longer than standard. It is actually really good fun in the corners,pegs touch down now and again but it's just the front suspenders that lets it down,back soon

Hi Mark Can you post some pictures of the units side by side ,

I think the Honda NB50 Melody front shocks are as rare as T80 ones, a quick look on eBay does not reveal any in the UK although there are some used ones listed from the USA but no new replacements.

Just a quick update,the Honda melody front shocks fit....... They are exactly the same length as the t80 items,all you have to do is drill the 12mm hole out to 14mm on the fork end,the tapped side is the same as the t80's, then use the rubber bush and spacer insert from the t80 and fit it into the eye end of the Honda melody shock,dead easy,damping is much better but could maybe do with a bit more preload on the spring,will do a proper road test soon,but at least there is another option when looking for replacement front shocks;)
All original bolts and bushes were retained from the t80,hope this is helpful,Mark

Sorry,no photos as yet,if I'm happy after the road test I will whip them out and try and post some comparison photos

Quick report back,disappointing! The Honda melody front shocks fit perfectly after drilling a 12mm hole out to 14mm and fitting the rubber bushes and sleeve into the eye end. Unfortunately the springs are not heavy enough although the damping is much better.when sat on the bike compresses too much,reducing travel and giving more rise when the front brake is applied. Being like the t80 the shocks are sealed units and can't be rebuilt,shame,could have been an option. On a plus note my breaker gave me a t80 that he found at the back of his shed,frame is beyond repair but the shocks look ok and I now have a spare engine to fiddle with;)

How good is your breaker!!!

6 pack of beers for his efforts?

That's pretty cool Mark nice one shame the shocks were no good, I asked for the pictures because I thought the springs may be lighter. Shame but it proved a point.

that may get some of us to try out a few ideas

Just ran an pre MoT check over my T80 today, found one of the retaining nuts loose on the bottom shock absorber mounting. Worth checking these regularly as well as the bushes for wear & give them a squirt with the grease gun.