Presentation of the Honda Super Cub

The Honda Super Cub, a motorcycle like no other

The Honda Super Cub is a single-cylinder, 4-stroke motorcycle with a 3-speed gearbox, featuring a stamped sheet metal frame. It was launched in 1958. Since that date, the model has sold over 100 million copies.

La Super Cub experiences its first modifications in 1968: its engine gains half a horsepower. In 1970, the ignition with platinum screws gives way to a CDI (electronic ignition) in order to comply with the increasingly drastic anti-pollution standards of some countries where it is exported ©, like the United States. It is also slightly restyled in 1971.

During the 80s, a 100cc version appeared on the market, which had a more efficient 3-speed gearbox than the old 4-speed gearbox and a fork telescopic instead of the balance fork.

In 2006, a television report ranks the super Cub the best two-wheeler ever built for its proven characteristics of economy, ease and solidity, but above all the due to the large number of machines produced.

The model has largely contributed to the success of its manufacturer, Honda Motors. The Super Cub was exported to 160 countries and produced in 13 of them. In Vietnam, the Cub is so popular that people give the name 'xe Honda' to any two-wheeled vehicle!

Birth of a myth

So, they decided to create something different to meet the needs of the Japanese market. A two-wheeler that was neither a moped nor a scooter and which could appeal to the general public.

Every detail has been carefully thought out. So the size of the wheels. When the Honda was created Super Cub, the majority of European mopeds had 24 to 26 inch wheels. Like bicycle wheels.

However, Mr. Honda saw a problem there, given the average size of the Japanese people. He therefore felt that this had to be changed.

So he chooses a tire size of 2,25 x 17 inches. However, no one in Japan was producing tires of this size at the time. Honda then appealed to a small workshop which agreed to take up the challenge. And who was amply rewarded par the following !

At the time, the Honda Super Cub was totally different from what people knew. The motorcycles were then still mostly noisy road bikes or stripped racing machines. The Honda Super Cub was anything but.

The Honda Cub was equipped with a 49cc engine, with a low compression ratio, which developed about 4,5hp at most. At top speed, it reached around 70 km/h. Perfect to meet the objective that had led to its design. Thanks to the low compression ratio and its design, the engine was particularly easy to start with the kickstarter and could even make do with very poor quality petrol. So many design features for the benefit of the pilot.

These functions were already quite revolutionary for the time, but the Honda Cub still had a new feature: a clutchless transmission! It was fitted with a three-speed manual transmission with a centrifugal clutch instead of the traditional shift lever. It made riding so easy that anyone – young or old, male or female, short or tall – could ride it. A goal to which Honda has always remained faithful.

La Super Cub was already a sensational motorcycle in itself but if it became cult, it is mainly thanks to the brilliant marketing which he was subjected to. Even today, his announcements and techniques of marketing are cited as an example

Indeed, the Japanese firm has thought out its design and its strategy to shake up morals and win over women. Super Cub wanted to be welcoming and comfortable. And Honda has touted this extensively through ad campaigns in women's magazines. In color, these advertisements depicted active, independent women.

The strategy proved effective as, in 1961, Honda rose to number one in the world by volume of motorcycle production.

The historical model

Honda was celebrating the 19 millionth Cub off the lines since 2018 October 100: a great opportunity to present the new Super Cub 110 2018 at the Tokyo Motor Show, but also to announce the release of a Cross Cub and a Super Cub 125

Released in 1958 and sold over 100 million copies, the Super Cub should soon be declined in a 100% electric version.

ease and driving pleasure have always been among the strengths of the Super Cub, to the point of having inspired a Beach Boys song ("My Little Honda") in the 60s.

A real success story for Honda which will have survived its visionary engineer. There "Honda Super Cub embodies Honda's passion for serving people around the world by bringing them pleasure and allowing them to live their lives to the fullest. This passes par the uncompromising development of models that put the user first. This is why the range of Super Cub has always been appreciated par consumers around the world and was able to reach the figure of 100 million units produced. Honda will continue to be at the forefront of change and deliver models that exceed customer expectations » Takahiro Hachigo, Chairman and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

The Honda Innova series, Honda Wave (in Southeast Asia), or Honda Supra (in Indonesia) are derived from the Super Cube.

In 2017, Marc Marquez and Dany Pedrosa faced off on the traditional Honda Thanks Day at the controls of Super cub. It was Dany Pedrosa who won the 2018 edition.