Postie Bikes Revisited
From Mod Mania
GOING MAD POSTAL
What is the CT110?
The iconic Honda CT110 has been Australia Post’s delivery motorcycle (Australia wide) for over 30 years. It should come as no surprise that it has earned the affectionate nickname, the ‘Postie Bike’. The Postie Bike today, enjoys increasing popularity and indeed a healthy cult following. The CT110 'vibe' is about keeping it cheap and being as utilitarian as possible. Owner customisation is generally not encouraged - the bike is celebrated for its’ 'standard issue' fire-engine red presentation. The other feature, simply - is a stolen milk crate fixed on the rear rack! Despite being considered by motorcycle purists as ‘not a real a motorcycle’...the Postie Bike has consistently been Australia’s number one selling motorcycle, thanks to the large number Australia Post purchases - with over 35,000 units sold in the past fifteen years.1 Also, the CT110 is a derivative of the iconic Honda Super Cub which has cumulatively sold 60 million units (as of April 2008 2) over 50 years. “The venerable Honda Super Cub motorcycle is the best-selling vehicle in the history of internal combustion”.3 An unusual situation exists with the Honda CT110 motorcycle as Australia Post has an exclusive contract with Honda to supply the CT110. Customers therefore cannot purchase new units for road use, unless they have been previously owned by Australia Post. When the bikes have clocked twenty thousand kilometres Australia Post disposes of them through auction houses around Australia. This has resulted in a steady stream of cheap (under $1k) motorcycles for decades.4
Who are Postie Bike enthusiasts and why are they passionate about these bikes? Research has led me to believe that enthusiasts fit into three main categories – The Urban Commuters, The Racers and The Tourers.
• The Urban Commuters: The Postie Bike provides cheap and reliable transport for people who wish to enjoy the benefits of '2 wheels with an engine' - it fills the void between a scooter and a traditional motorcycle.
• The Racers: Interested in increasing the (humble) performance capabilities of the bike...concerned with things like weight reduction, gear ratios and increasing engine size. Racing generally remains on a hobby level.5) “The bike also has an iconic following through numerous enthusiasts clubs whose members test the little machines to their absolute limits.”6
• The Tourers: Enjoy the bike for extended group road/camping trips. An extra petrol tank may be included to increase the potential distance travelled. This group is often involved on a club or 'challenge for charity level'.
Popularity I believe is expansive for a number of reasons. Only a very basic 'entry level' is required for operating the CT110. Due to the semi-automatic gearbox, this very non-intimidating bike is impossible to stall, is easy to handle as it is responsive and light and promotes a general sense of fun! Affordability may also be an important reason for the bikes popularity - you could be on the road, fully equipped for under $1000. I also think that the bikes have a cult following because they represent a great deal of fun and possess a unique novelty value...a notion that is easily shared with others, so becomes a bonding opportunity for a community to flourish. Postie bike fans come from a wide spectrum of society. Fans do not hail from one specific group of the population. They are a diverse community of practice who all seem to love the spirit of adventure that this bike promises to deliver. The popularity of the CT110 appears to be increasing (particularly given recent sales statistics). Why? (Apart from the cult following reasons) The bike offers riders an easy 'city get about'. This could be because of increasing traffic congestion, petrol prices and parking limitations. It could be said, postie bike fans value the bike for the same reasons Australia Post does; low fuel consumption, legendary reliability and amazingly low maintenance. The bikes’ ubiquitousness also ensures spare parts & consumables are readily available & affordable.
The culture of riding a postie bike is a surprisingly in depth one. Due to its widespread popularity in Australia, many people congregate around the CT110 as a unique way to explore our country. The modification of the bike is something that goes very closely with preparing for a motorcycle trip in Australia and the CT110 is very conducive for modification. In my research I came across a story about a rider obtaining a postie bike that was about to be destroyed and repair and modify it for an adventure into the centre of Australia. There are some quite different and amazing mods like the above and the below pictures for example. The iconic fire-engine red is overlooked in these modifications with orange, jet black and jungle camouflage being the favoured colours. Attaching panniers is a typical modification to the CT110 and these can range from highly functional to very decorative. The rear rack of the CT110 also makes it very versatile for carrying loads, which is a large reason for it being favoured by agriculture and as an alternative to large, expensive road motorcycles, being cheap and reliable but still being able to carry enough gear for large trips.
The Lone Postie
In August 2009, Aaron Thew (a then lawyer and engineer), The Lone Postie embarked on an epic journey more than 7,300kms from Maroochydore to the northern most tip of the Australian continent, across to The Gulf of Carpentaria, and back to raise money for the children's ward at Nambour General Hospital. This fund-raising expedition shows both the widespread popularity and use of the CT110 and examples of large modifications to the original CT110. For the trip the CT110 was fitted with some modifications to ensure that it could handle the rigours of Far-North Queensland. The modifications include:
Heavy duty clutch
Long range fuel tank
Potable water storage tubes
Waterproof US military aviation grade aluminium panniers
Waterproof rack bag
Lambs wool seat cover
Relocated and waterproofed ignition switch
Spoke ties
Clear inline fuel filter
Hybrid power supply to recharge batteries for a laptop, mobile phone, digital camera and spotlight
The Lone Postie completed his trip without fellow riders or support crew, so this meant that large modifications were necessary to be able to carry all equipment and supplies. As with all CT110s, the bike used for the trip was a decommissioned postal delivery service vehicle and had travelled 30,000 kilometres and was bought at an ex-government vehicles auction in Brisbane.
CT110 Mods.
There are many modifications a rider of a CT110 can make to their bike to make it go faster or suitable for off road etc. To reduce weight owners can remove all unnecessary weight such as the rear rack, crash bars, lights, battery etc. To increase speed the exhaust and air intake can be improved by removing the rear rack. Other heavy modifications such as use of nitrous oxide, methanol fuel, supercharging or turbo charging engine additions are necessary to maximise the engine's capacity if the rider uses their CT110 as a racing bike. To make a postie bike suitable for off road many modifications can be made. The wheels can be changed. The standard wheels are chrome plated steel, alloy wheels are much lighter. Putting knobbly tyres instead of road tyres will improve off road grip. The engine guard is large on a factory CT110 so many off road riders make a home made engine brace. The metal mud guard can be replaced with a standard rubber mud flap. The main centre kick stand can be removed to improve clearance. The above mod was installed after the rider broke their leg in 2 places and is an ingenious demonstration of postie bike owner's love of the CT110.
What sorts of communities exist for Postie Bike enthusiasts?
The communities researched, appear to exist on a temporary level, however, participants consistently feedback, that meaningful and lasting friendships are formed through the adventures. Participants may form (for example), Facebook and online forum connections after the event – thus sustaining the community’s existence, connections and practice.
• Possibly most famous, is the annual “Postie Bike Challenge”. The challenge has been in operation since 2002 and aims to celebrate a sense of community whilst providing an opportunity to ride (slowly!) through the Australian Outback. Participants pay a fee of $5500, which covers all costs (including the bike). The challenge lasts for around 2 weeks and covers (on average) 3000 kilometres.7
• “The Hardcore Posties” – another community who organise group tours in order to raise funds for The Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS). Participants supply their own bike and pay a donation fee (minimum of $500). Organiser and founder, Phil Hodgens says of the event – “The action will start from the moment the little Honda’s roll off the Spirit of Tasmania Ferry at Devonport...and this year we have shortened it to 4 days to attract an even more diverse range of CT110 riders.”8 Hodgens has been chief organiser for The Hardcore Posties for the past 5 years. He commenced his involvement when he and two brothers were dared to ride from the east to west coast of Australia on a Postie Bike. Their intent was always for charity and the following year, they were joined by another 30 riders for a desert flavoured event. Although a third of the participants were hospitalised en route, they still managed to raise over $85,000 for the RFDS.9 Hodgens remains the head organiser of subsequent events of The Hardcore Posties – other members certainly regard him as their ‘go to’ guy. Hodgens facilitates discussion of ideas and encourages feedback for events – he also takes responsibility for the collection of the charity monies. Beyond Blue was the chosen charity for the 2010 event.
• Additionally, http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/HondaCTparts/ is an online group which connects bike owners for the trading of spare parts and knowledge. It is an informal trading post (of sorts), that allows people to trade and sell CT110 parts. Participants can also informally share information, experiences and knowledge regarding their use (and love) of the Postie Bike.
• Finally, the Online Forum ‘Adventure Rider’, shows that the experience and knowledge of actual Australian Postal Workers is somewhat revered within this community. To be ‘working’ whilst riding a CT110 seems to be an enviable position to be in!
