HKO decals

[dennis d]

Has anyone found a correct frame decal for the HKO ? All the aftermarkets i have come across are not a dead on match.Some have a different background and some have the letters incorrectly spaced/layed out.I have been useing the one's from NEVC which are nice, but have noticed they are quite different than originals.If anyone knows a better source please let me know.
Thanks,Dennis

[MSZ]

You may also want to try reproductiondecals.com They don't have the Honda stuff listed, but they have it. It may be worth an email.

The last time I built an H, Honda still had them available, so it may be worth giving repro a shot.

Dan

[dennis d]

Thanks Dan,i'll try repro,i don't think Honda has the HKO's but they do for the KO's.

[MSZ]

Correct. The HKO decals are long obsolete. I also think CHP and NEVC get the decals from the same parts source. If reproduction decals has them, they are making them in house. They make decals for a ton of CT70 models, but you'll have to ask them about the H stuff. American Honda made them remove all content from their website for legal purposes, but they do sell the stuff.

[dennis d]

I emailed them and they sent back a copy of a KO decal,i'm waiting to see if they send me back a HKO decal.I'll keep you posted if they do.Also i talked to CHP yesterday and they're having some kind of problem with their decal supplier and they stopped accepting their orders for some reason or another.
Thanks,
Dennis

[dennis d]

Got back a copy of Repros decal and it's not correct either.One big difference in these decals is if you look at the R.side decal on an original the right side of the "T" on Trail 70 just touches the black upright stripe whereas all the reproductions run their "T" way into the black stripe.Plus there's some other little details.
I know,i'm just too damn picky.Just trying to keep it original to the "T"

Dennis

[MSZ]

Dennis,

I think you are the only one who will ever care on a minor decal difference. Start your worldwide search for a set of NOS CT70 HKO decals!

I don't miss those days of knitpicking and when I did my custom H 9 years ago, there was no cool aftermarket performance parts available. I had to use a powroll 85cc BBK and exhaust where I had the header chromed. I sold that bike for over $3,000 and it still gets ridden today. Tire choices were nil as well and I had the seat pan welded back to the correct shape and recovered it in leather. The custom paint was HOK Sapphire Blue with Kandy Pagen Gold lightly dusted with 3 coats of pearl and clear. It changed hues of blue in the light.

We've got it so easy now as compared to 9-10 years ago when you really had to look long and hard for parts. It's a cakewalk today, except for your coveted H decals...

[dennis d]

I'm not sure about a cake walk.Ebay and the web has definetly made it easier finding parts than it was 9-10 years ago,but some keep getting harder to find everyday not to mention more expensive.Some parts that were pretty common 2 years ago such as speedos,dimmer switches,horn buttons,rectifiers and SEATS are definrtly getting hard to find these days and when you do they go for big $$$$$.I'll probaly have to live with my decals.OOPS,forgot handlebars.
Hey Dan,you got the decals i'm after,can you peel them off for me !!!!! Nice bike.
Thanks,
Dennis

[MSZ]

Originally Posted by dennis d

Hey Dan,you got the decals i'm after,can you peel them off for me !!!!! Nice bike.
Thanks,
Dennis

Cakewalk for aftermaket parts, not NOS parts! Sorry for the miscommunication. I sold that bike in 2001. My current 12V CT has the stock frame and wiring harness. Not much else.

Good luck in your quest!

[racerx]

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be...

No question, the heyday of NOS minitrail parts is past. The supply was never completely free of gaps...even when the bikes & parts were current models. Things really went away circa 2002 when the bottom dropped out of the market. Complete bikes were parted-out at a sickening rate and NOS parts inventories were quickly broomed. Except for the now-emasculated US dollar, it was all predictable & only a matter of "when". That's vintage collectibles...

I really doubt that you'll ever see "perfect" repro decals. First off, you'd need originals to replicate. Anything other than K0 tank decals represent a small potential market. Secondly, the materials & processes used to produce the decals have changed over the years, mainly due to cost. No rational vendor is going to undertake a repop project that's likely to end up costing him.

Aside from NOS items, the number of choices has never been better, with new aftermarket stuff coming out all the time, as Dan mentioned. The only downside is that anything not made in China now soaks-up more (limp) dollars .