HONDA MOTORCYCLES

HISTRORY
1954-2013

Models: K50,C50,C70,CUB,GLX,ASTREA,INNOVA
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Honda Super Cub
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Honda C50)

This article is about the motorcycle. For the SUV, see Honda Passport.
For the Piper aircraft, see Piper PA-18.

Honda Super Cub

Honda Super Cub in the Honda Collection

Hall in Japan

Also called Cub, C100, C102, C65,

CM90, CM91, C110, C50,
C70, C90, Passport, EX5,
Dream 100, EX5 Dream,
C100EX, Super Cub 50, Super
Cub 110

Production Since 1958

Assembly 15 countries worldwide

Class Underbone

Engine Horizontal 49–109 cc (3.0–

6.7 cu in) 4-strokeair-
cooled single
 Transmission 3 or 4 speed, semi-
automatic with wet multi-
plate centrifugal clutch

Frame type Step through pressed

steel monocoqueunderbone

Suspension Front: Leading

link (early), telescopic
fork(late)
Rear: Swingarm

Brakes Front: drum

rear: drum

Weight 75–90 kg (170–200 lb) (dry)

The Honda Super Cub, also known as

the C100, 50, Cub, C50, C70, C90, C100EX, Passport and more, is
a Honda underbonemotorcycle with a four stroke single cylinder
engine ranging in displacement from 49 to 109 cc (3.0 to 6.7 cu in).
Having been in continuous manufacture since 1958, with production
surpassing 60 million in 2008,[1][2] the Super Cub is the most
produced motor vehicle* in history.[3][4] The Super Cub's US advertising
campaign, "You meet the nicest people on a Honda", had a lasting
impact on Honda's image and on American attitudes about
motorcycling, and is considered a classic case study
in marketing.[5][6][7][8]

Contents
[hide]

 1 Development
 2 Design
 3 "You meet the nicest people on a Honda"
 4 Model history
 o 4.1 Super Cub line
o 4.2 Sports Cub
o 4.3 Mini bikes
o 4.4 Trail
 5 Specifications
 6 Current popularity
o 6.1 Licensed models
o 6.2 EV-Cub
 7 See also
 8 Notes
 9 References
 10 External links

[edit]Development
The idea for a new 50-cubic-centimetre (3.1 cu in) motorcycle was
conceived in 1956, when Honda Motor's Soichiro Honda and Takeo
Fujisawa toured Germany and witnessed the popularity of mopeds and
lightweight motorcycles.[9] Soichiro Honda was primarily the engineering
and production leader of the company, always with an eye towards
winning on the racetrack, while his close partner Fujisawa was the man
of finance and business, heading up sales and formulating strategies
intended to dominate markets and utterly destroy Honda Motor's
competitors.[10] Fujisawa had been thinking about a long term expansion
strategy, and unlike other Japanese companies did not want to simply
boost production to cash in on the recent economic boom in Japan.[9] A
small, high performance motorcycle was central to his plans.[9] Upwardly
mobile consumers in postwar Europe typically went from a bicycle to
a clip on engine, then bought ascooter, then a bubble car, and then a
small car and onwards; Fujisawa saw that a motorcycle did not fit in this
pattern for the average person, and he saw an opportunity to change
that.[11] Soichiro Honda was at the time tired of listening to Fujisawa talk
about his new motorcycle idea; Honda came to Europe to win the Isle of
Man TT race and wanted to think about little else.[9]
1954 Kreidler K50.

Fujisawa and Honda visited Kreidler and Lambretta showrooms, as well

as others, researching the kind of motorcycle Fujisawa had in mind.
Fujisawa said the designs had "no future" and would not sell
well.[9][12] His concept was a two wheeler for everyman, one that would
appeal to both developed and developing countries, urban and
rural.[11] The new motorcycle needed to be technologically simple to
survive in places without up to date know how and access to advanced
tools or reliable spare parts supplies.[11] The common consumer
complaints of noise, poor reliability, especially in the electrics, and
general difficulty of use would have to be addressed.[11] Because Honda
was a large company growing larger, it need a mass appeal product
that could be produced on an enormous scale.[11] The design had to be
sorted out before production began, because it would be too costly to fix
problems in the vast numbers that were to be manufactured. The
scooter type nearly fit the bill, but was too complex for developing
countries to maintain, and the small wheels did poorly on badly
maintained or nonexistent roads.[11][13] Another of Fujusawa's
requirements was that it could be ridden with one hand while carrying a
tray of soba noodles, saying to Honda, "If you can design a small
motorcycle, say 50 cc with a cover to hide the engine and hoses and
wires inside, I can sell it. I don't know how many soba noodle shops
there are in Japan, but I bet you that every shop will want one for
deliveries."[12][13][14]
Once interested, Soichiro Honda began developing the Super Cub on
his return to Japan.[9] The following year Honda displayed a mockup to
Fujisawa that finally matched what he had in mind, Fujisawa declaring
the annual sales would be 30,000 per month, half again as many as the
entire monthly two-wheeler market in Japan.[9] His goal was export on a
scale yet unseen in the economic disorder of postwar Japan, when
most companies' halting trade efforts were handled through foreign
trading companies.[9] Honda would have to establish its own overseas
subsidiary to provide the necessary service and spare parts distribution
in a large country like the United States. To this end American Honda
Motor Company was founded in 1959.[9] In 1961 a sales network was
established in Germany, then in Belgium and the UK in 1962, and then
France in 1964.[10]
The Honda Juno had been the first scooter to use polyester resin, or
fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP), bodywork, and even though
production of the Juno had stopped in 1954 as a result of Honda
Motor's financial and labor problems at the time, Fujisawa continued to
encourage research in polyester resin casting techniques, and these
efforts bore fruit for the Super Cub.[9] The new
motorcycle's fairing would be polyethylene, the most widely
used plastic, which reduced weight over FRP, but Honda's supplier had
never made such a large die cast before, so the die had to be provided
by Honda.[13] The Super Cub was the first motorcycle ever to use a
plastic fairing.[15] Motorcycling historian Clement Salvadori wrote that the
plastic front fender and leg shields were, "perhaps the Cub's greatest
contribution; plastic did the job just as well as metal at considerably
lower cost."[16] The technology developed in the Isle of Man TT racing
program was equally vital to the new lightweight motorcycle, making
possible 3.4 kilowatts (4.5 hp) from a 50 cc four-stroke Honda engine,
where the first engine the company built a decade earlier, a "fairly exact
copy" of the 50 cc two stroke war-surplus Tohatsu engine Honda had
been selling as motorized bicycle auxiliary engine, had only a 0.37–0.75
kilowatt (0.5–1 hp) output.[9][10] Honda's first four stroke, the 1951 E-
type, had just a little more power than the Super Cub, 3.7 kilowatts
(5 bhp), with nearly triple the displacement, 146 cc (8.9 cu in).[10]
To make the new motorcycle, Honda built a new ¥10 billion factory
in Suzuka, Mie to manufacture 30,000, and with two shifts, 50,000,
Super Cubs per month.[9][17] The factory was modeled on
the Volkswagen Beetle production line in Wolfsburg, Germany.[17] Until
then, Honda's top models had sold only 2,000 to 3,000 per month, and
observers thought the cost of the new plant too risky an
expenditure.[9] Edward Turner of BSA went to Japan to see the
motorcycle industry in September 1960, and said that investments the
size of the Suzuka plant were "extremely dangerous" because the US
motorcycle market was already saturated.[17] When completed in 1960,
the Suzuka Factory was the largest motorcycle factory in the world, and
was a model for Honda's mass production facilities of the
future.[9] The economies of scale achieved at Suzuka cut 18% from the
cost of producing each Super Cub when Suzuka could be run at full
capacity,[17]but in the short term Honda faced excess inventory
problems when the new factory went into operation before the full sales
and distribution network was in place.[9]

[edit]Design

Late 2000s Super Cub

The Super Cub has been compared to the Ford Model T, Volkswagen
Beetle and the Jeep as an icon of 20th century industry and
transport.[8][9][18]The C100 used a pressed steel monocoque chassis,
with the horizontal engine placed below the central spine, a
configuration now called the 'step through' or 'underbone' motorcycle.
By some criteria, the type of motorcycle the Super Cub falls into is
difficult to classify, landing somewhere between a scooter and a
motorcycle,[15] and sometimes it was called a moped, "step-thru", or
scooterette.[10][19][20]
The instruments of a 1966 CA100 and 2009 Super Cub 110

A plastic fairing ran from below the handlebars and under the footpegs,
protecting the rider's legs from wind and road debris, as well as hiding
the engine from view. This design was like the full enclosure of a
scooter, but unlike a scooter the engine and gearbox unit was not fixed
to the rear axle. This had several benefits. It moved the engine down
and away from the seat, detaching the rear swingarm motion from
the drivetrain for lower unsprung weight, and also made engine cooling
air flow more direct, and it made possible larger wheels.[10] Placing the
engine in the center of the frame, rather than close to the rear wheel,
gave it proper front-rear balance.[11] The fuel tank was located under the
hinged seat, which opened to reveal the fuel filler inlet. The 17 inch
wheels, in comparison to the typical 10 inch wheels of a scooter, were
more stable, particularly on rough roads, and psychologically made the
motorcycle more familiar, having an appearance closer to a bicycle than
a small-wheel scooter.[10]

The Super Cub early push-rod engine.

The pushrod overhead valve (OHV) air-cooled four stroke single

cylinder engine had a 40-by-39-millimetre (1.6 in × 1.5 in) bore × stroke,
displacing 49 cubic centimetres (3.0 cu in), and could produce 3.4
kilowatts (4.5 hp) @ 9,500 rpm, for maximum speed of 69 km/h
(43 mph), under favorable conditions.[21] The low compression
ratio meant the engine could consume inexpensive and commonly
available low octane fuel, as well as minimizing the effort to kick
start the engine, making the extra weight and expense of an
electric starter an unnecessary creature comfort.[21] Though some of the
many Super Cub variations came with both kick and electric start, the
majority sold well without it, and even the latest 2011 model
year Japanese domestic market (JDM) Super Cub 50 and Super Cub
110 versions, using up to date technology like Honda's Programmed
fuel injection (PGM-FI) and convenience features like a fuel gauge,
were not offered with an electric start option.[22][23]
The sequential shifting three speed gearbox was manually shifted,
but clutchless, without the need for a clutch lever control, using instead
a centrifugal clutch along with a plate clutch slaved to the footchange
lever to engage and disengage the gearbox from the engine.[21] While
not intuitive to learn, once the rider got used to it, the semi-automatic
transmission, "took the terror out of motorcycling" for novice
riders.[21] Unlike many scooter CVTs, the centrifugal clutch made it
possible to push start the Super Cub, a useful advantage if the need
arose.[11]
The early Super Cubs used a 6 volt ignition magneto mounted on
the flywheel, with a battery to help maintain power to the lights, while
later ones were upgraded to capacitor discharge ignition(CDI) systems.
The lubrication system did not use an oil pump or oil filter, but was a
primitive splash-fed system for both the crankcase and gearbox, with a
non-consumable screen strainer to collected debris in the engine oil.
Both the front and rear brakes were drums. On both the front and rear
wheels were 2.25" × 17" wire spoke wheels,[21][24] with full-width hubs.[10]
Honda recommended daily checks of the lights, horn, tire pressure,
brakes, fuel and oil level, and a weekly check of
the battery electrolyte level. The new engine break in maintenance was
done at 320 kilometres (200 mi), requiring adjustment of
the valve tappets and contact breaker points, and an oil change, and
the rider was advised to stay under 48 kilometres per hour (30 mph) for
the first 800 kilometres (500 mi). Every 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi)
the spark plug needed cleaning, and the chain adjustment checked, and
every 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi) an oil change, breaker point check,
and valve adjustment was due. At 8,000 kilometres (5,000 mi), major
maintenance was due, requiring the removal and cleaning of
the carburetor, drive chain, exhaust silencer, and wheel
bearings.[24] The rider closed a manual choke to aid in starting at cold
temperatures.[24] By the standards of the day, this was an extremely
simple motorcycle, with minimal maintenance demands, and it earned a
reputation for high reliability.[16][21]
[edit]"You meet the nicest people on a
Honda"

"You meet the nicest people on a Honda" print advertisement, from

poster or magazine page

In June 1963 in US media,[25] Honda began the 12 year long advertising

campaign "You meet the nicest people on a Honda," created by Grey
Advertising.[26]Grey had bought the idea from a UCLA undergraduate
student, who had created the concept for a class assignment.[27] The
event marked the beginning of the decline of domestic and British
motorcycle brands in the US market, and the rise of Honda and the
other Japanese companies.[28][29][30] In December 1965, Edward Turner
said the sale of small Japanese motorcycles was good for BSA, by
attracting new riders who would graduate to larger machines, not
anticipating that the Japanese would advance over the next 5 years to
directly threaten British bikes with technically sophisticated models like
the Honda CB750.[17] As a case study in business and marketing, the
campaign is still remembered 40 years later, with one strategic
management textbook saying, "Honda and the Supercub is probably the
best known and most debated case in business strategy."[7][31] It was
credited with having, "invented the concept of lifestyle marketing."[8]
Specific elements of the Super Cub's design were integral to the
campaign, such as the enclosed chain that kept chain lubricant from
being flung on the rider's clothing, and the leg shield that similarly
blocked road debris and hid the engine, and the convenience of the
semi-automatic transmission. Presenting the Super Cub as a
consumer appliance[15] not requiring mechanical aptitude and an identity
change into "a motorcyclist", or worse, "a biker", differentiated Honda's
offering, because, "the dedication required to maintain bikes of that era
limited ownership to a relatively small demographic, often regarded as
young men known for their black leather jackets and snarling
demeanors."[32]

The 50 cc CA100, a US version.

Rather than remaining limited to trying to convince traditional

downmarket male buyers to switch to Honda from other brands with the
macho approach of most motorcycle advertising at the time, Honda
broke new ground. The ad campaign sought to improve the image of
motorcycling in general and expand the overall size of the motorcycle
market by attracting new riders.[30][32] In a stroke of good fortune for
Honda, Brian Wilson and Mike Love composed the 1964 song "Little
Honda", extolling the joys of riding the Honda 50, and even inviting the
listener to visit their local Honda dealership, in language that sounded
as if it could have been written, or at least paid for, by Honda's
advertising copywriters, yet it was not a commercial jingle.[8] The song
was released by The Hondells in 1964, followed by the release of the
original recording by The Beach Boys.[8] In 1965 The Hondells released
"You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda", another song promoting the
Super Cub, which was actually used in Honda's TV spots, as a B side to
their version of "Sea Cruise."[33]
An example of the Harley-Davidson "Young America" campaign.

The long-running campaign, including the slogan, the music, and the
upbeat images of respectable, middle and upper-class people,
particularly women, riding Hondas became closely associated with the
Honda brand ever since.[5][28] The image Honda created was contrasted
with the one percenter "bad boy" biker and became a focal point
of Japan bashing boosterism of US-made Harley-
Davidson motorcycles.[29][34]
Aside from Harley-Davidson fans, the company itself had a more
conflicted reaction to the successful Honda "You meet the nicest
people" campaign. At first they were offended at the suggestion that
Harley-Davidson riders were not "nice people." Harley-Davidson had,
since its founding in 1903, scrupulously cultivated an image of staid
respectability, and would not begin to tentatively embrace the "outlaw"
demographic of their customer base for at least another ten years. In
1964 they denied any association with one-percenter bikers, and so
distanced themselves from the implications of Honda's campaign. But
they also "tried to have it both ways", and soon
joined Vespa and Yamaha in producing ads that were "suspiciously
similar" to "You meet the nicest people."[7][35] Whether they were being
offended by or imitating Honda, at the time Harley-Davidson did not
share the interpretation that Honda's advertisements, "added to the
macho Harley image."[36]

[edit]Model history
Production history
 Annual Super Cub production from 1958
through 2008, the year cumulative production
passed the 60 million units milestone.[1]

Timeline of production locations

 1958 Yamato Plant, Japan

 1959 Hamamatsu Factory, Japan
 1960 Suzuka Factory, Japan
 1961 Taiwan
 1963 Belgium
 1966 Bangladesh
 1967 Thailand
 1969 Malaysia
 1971 Indonesia
 1973 Philippines
 1980 Mauritius
 1981 Colombia
 1981 Nigeria
 1985 India
 1988 Mexico
 1989 Brazil
 1991 Kumamoto Factory, Japan
 1997 Vietnam
 2002 China
 2004 Laos
 2005 Cambodia
 2006 Argentina
 2007 Peru
Sites no longer making Super Cubs in italic[37]
The Honda Super Cub debuted in 1958, ten years after the
establishment of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. The original 1952 Honda Cub
F had been a clip-on bicycle engine. Honda kept the name but added
the prefix 'Super' for the all-new lightweight machine.[11] The Super Cub
sold poorly at first, owing mainly to the recession in Japan, and then 3
months after the 1958 launch, customer complaints began rolling in
about slipping clutches.[12] Honda salesmen and factory workers gave
up holidays to repair the affected Super Cubs, visiting each customer in
person.[12] When it was imported to the US, the name was changed to
Honda 50, and later Honda Passport C70, and C90, because the Piper
Super Cub airplane trademark had precedence.[32] Similarly, in Britain
they were only badged 'Honda 50', 'Honda 90' etc. as the Triumph Tiger
Cub preceded.

[edit]Super Cub line

The first Super Cub variation was the C102, launched in April
1960.[11]:39, 188 The C102 had electric start in addition to kick starting,
and battery & coil ignition instead of magneto, but was otherwise the
same as the C100.[11]:39
The enlarged 86.7 cc (5.29 cu in) OHV engine of the 1963 C200 was
used on the 1965 CM90 step-through. New in 1965 was a 63 cc
(3.8 cu in) engine with a chain-driven overhead camshaft (OHC). This
was used in two new models: the C65, a step-through with 4.1 kW
(5.5 bhp),and the S65, with a frame like the C110/C200 and 4.6 kW
(6.2 bhp) @ 10,000 rpm.[11]
In 1966 the C50 appeared and remained in production through the mid
80s, becoming one of the most widespread and familiar versions of the
Super Cub.[11]:48–49, 188–189 Honda replaced the C100's 40 mm × 39 mm
(1.6 in × 1.5 in) 50 cc OHV engine with the 39 mm × 41.4 mm (1.5 in
× 1.63 in) OHC alloy head and iron cylinder engine from the CS50 and
C65, which increased power from 3.4 to 3.6 kW (4.5 to 4.8 bhp).[11]:48–49,
188–189
Similarly the CM90 was replaced in 1966 with the 89.5 cc
(5.46 cu in) 5.6 kW (7.5 bhp) OHC CM91, which a year later on 1967,
got restyled forks and headlamp like the C50, to become the familiar
C90. Though the basic design of Cub remained unchanged, new styling
and improvements included enclosed front forks. The C100 stayed in
production alongside the newer versions one more year, until
1967.[11]:188–189
1972 C70

After 1980 the USA C70 was called the C70 Passport.[11]
In the 1982, for most markets, Honda fitted a new capacitor discharge
ignition (CDI) system to replace the earlier contact points ignition,
thereby helping to meet emission standards in markets such as the US.
At the same time the electrical system was changed from 6 volt to 12
volt.
In 1984, Honda released restyled versions of the Cubs on some
markets, with square lamps and plastic-covered handlebars and rear
mudguard. On the domestic Japanese market the square style was
optional, but in some places such as the UK they replaced imports of
the traditionally styled round lamp Cub.
In 1986, a larger 100 cc HA05E engine model was introduced especially
for Asian markets. The newer100 cc model was developed exclusively
for Southeast Asian market, especially in Thailand, Malaysia and
Vietnam, where underbones were very popular, with new features such
as a telescopic front suspension to replace the older leading
link suspension, and a four-speed transmission to replace the older
three-speed transmission used in older Cub variants. The 100 cc model
was initially known as the Honda Dream in Thailand and Honda EX5 in
Malaysia, before being standardised as the Honda EX5 Dream in 2003.
In addition, Honda Japan began importing the made-in-Thailand Dream
as the Super Cub C100EX in 1988.[38] The Japanese C100EX was later
being facelifted in 1993, while the Southeast Asian EX5 Dream retains
the 1986 design until today with only minor cosmetic changes.[39]
A 12v square headlight C90

In the late 1990s, Honda introduced their newer NF series motorcycles,

known as Honda Wave series, called the Honda Innova in some
markets, which use steel tube frames, front disc brake and plastic cover
sets in various displacement options: 100 cc, 110 cc and 125 cc.
Though not Cubs, these bikes sold consistently well particularly in
European countries, where the production of Honda Cub models had
been previously discontinued. However, the production of Honda Cubs
in Asia, Africa and South America still continues today even though the
newer Honda Wave Series and other designs have been introduced
alongside the Cub.
In 2007, Honda began installing their PGM-FI fuel injection system for
the Honda Cubs in the Japanese market for lower smog-forming
emission.[1]

[edit]Sports Cub
See also: Honda Sport 90

The 1970 Honda 70, also called CD70, used the sport frame of the
C110 and CD65, with the engine of the C70.

The C110 Sports Cub debuted in October 1960.[11]:188 The C110 was
more like a traditional motorcycle that the rider had to straddle, not a
step-through. It had a different frame, with the fuel tank in the on top of
the frame and in front of the seat, and the frame's steel tube spine ran
horizontally from the head tube to the seat. It also had a bit more power,
increased from 3.4 to 3.7 kW (4.5 to 5 bhp) @ 9,500 rpm. Sub-variants
of the Sports Cub were the C111, absent the pillion seat, and C110D,
also called C114, which had a low exhaust pipe. Early versions of the
Sport Cub had a 3 speed gearbox but later this was changed to 4
speed.[11] The C102 stayed in production for six model years, through
1965, and the C110 Sports Cub through 1966.[11]
In 1963 came an enlarged OHV engine of 86.7 cc (5.29 cu in) and
4.8 kW (6.5 bhp). It was used first in the C200, which had a frame like
the C110, with more upright handlebars.[11]
The S65's last year of production was 1967, and the CD65 and CL65
took its place for only one year, 1968. These had the higher-revving
4.6 kW (6.2 bhp) 63 cc (3.8 cu in) engine of the CS65. Then the 4.6 kW
(6.2 bhp) 71.8 cc (4.38 cu in) C70 replaced the C65 and CL65 in 1969.
It had the same peak horsepower, but at 9,000 rpm instead of 10,000,
and more torque, 0.53 kg·m (5.2 N·m; 3.8 lb·ft) at 7,000 rpm instead of
0.48 kg·m (4.7 N·m; 3.5 lb·ft) at 8,000 rpm. It was introduced in the
USA, Canada and Asia at launch and in the UK in 1972.[11]

[edit]Mini bikes

Honda Z100 Monkey in theHonda Collection Hall.

Main articles: Honda Z series and Honda ST series (minibike)

In late 1960 the CZ100 arrived,[11]:188 using the same engine in a much
smaller frame with only 5" wheels. First of the Honda Z series, the
CZ100 was meant only as a short-distance novelty or paddock bike, but
instead, as luck would have it, had wide popularity in the monkey
bike niche.[11]:39–40

A group of Honda Monkey Bike riders.

[edit]Trail

Honda CT110 Hunter Cub.

Main article: Honda CT series

An on- and off-road version of the Super Cub, what today would be
classed as a dual-sport motorcycle but called atrail bike at the time, the
CA100T Trail 50, came out in 1961.[8]:46 Jack McCormack, the first
national sales manager of American Honda Motor Company, said the
Trail 50, and even more so the later Honda CB77, was the result of
Honda's willingness to listen to and respond customer demand.[8]:34–
60
"When you talk about Japanese manufacturers, their strength
(besides the quality of their equipment) was that they listened to the
marketplace. People always suggest that it was about Japanese
management, but, to be frank, I was never impressed with Japanese
management. They did what no other motorcycle make did—they
listened.[8]:47
In 1960, McCormack noticed that one Honda dealer in Boise, Idaho was
selling more Honda 50s than the combined total of all six dealers in Los
Angeles. He found out that the Idaho dealer, Herb Uhl,† was selling the
CA100s as a trail bike by adding knobby tires for off-road traction and a
"cheater sprocket,"[8]:34–60 that is, increasing the final drive ratio by using
a larger rear sprocket with more teeth, which increased the effective
torque of the rear wheel, trading off lower top speed as a result. Uhl
said the advantages of light weight and the automatic clutch allowed
unskilled riders to enjoy off-road riding, in comparison to traditional big
trail bikes that could be difficult to handle.[8]:34–60 McCormack shipped a
version of Uhl's customized CA100 to Japan and requested Honda put it
into production, and by March 1961 it was available to US dealers.[8]:34–
60
Cycle World praised the simple pleasure of trail riding on the new
bike, and it was a US sales success.[8]:34–60

[edit]Specifications

Supe
Supe
r
C100[11 C102[ C50[1 C70[ C100 r
] 11] 1] 11] C90[11] Cub
EX[38] Cub [23
[22] 110
50 ]

1966 1969
Mode 1960
1958– – – 1966– 2007 2009
l – 1986–
1967 1980 1980 1980+ – –
years 1965
+ +

EX5
Dream
Electr in
Passport in
Notes ic Thaila PGM-FI
US
start nd and
Malay
sia

Engi 49 cc 49.5 c 71.8 89.5 cc 97 cc 49 cc 109.1

 ne (3.0 cu in) OH c cc (5.46 c (5.9 c (3.0 c cc
V air- (3.02 (4.38 u in)O u in)O u in) (6.66
cooled single cu in) cu in HC HC OHC cu in)
) OHC

47 m
39 m 39.0 50 m
m 50 m
m 50 mm mm m
× 41. m
Bore 40 mm × 41. × 45.6 × 41. × 55.
4m × 49.5
x × 39 mm 4 mm mm 4 mm 6 mm
m mm
strok (1.6 in (1.5 i (2.0 in (1.54 (2.0 i
(1.9 i (2.0 in
e × 1.5 in) n × 1.80 in n
n × 1.95
× 1.6 in) × 1.6 × 2.1
× 1.6 in)
3 in) 3 in) 9 in)
3 in)

Com
pressi 8.5:1 8.8:1* 8.2:1 8.8:1 10:1 9.0:1
on

69 km/
Top h
speed (43 mp
h)[21]

3.6 k
5.9 k 2.5 k 6.0 k
W 4.5 k 5.6 kW
W W W
3.4 kW (4.8 b W (7.5 bh
Powe (8.0 P (3.4 h (8.0 h
(4.5 bhp) hp) (6 bh p) @
r S) @ p) @ p) @
@9500 rpm @ p) @ 9500 r
8000 r 7000 7500
1000 9000 pm
pm rpm rpm
0 rpm

0.33 kg 0.53 0.67 k 0.83 k 3.8 N 8.4 N

Torq
·m kg·m g·m g·m ·m ·m
 ue (3.2 N· (5.2 (6.6 N· (8.1 N (2.8 l (6.2 l
m; N·m; m; ·m; bf·ft) bf·ft)
2.4 lb·f 3.8 l 4.8 lb·f 6.0 lb· @ @
t) b·ft) t) @ ft) @ 5000 5500
@8500 @ 6000 r 6000 r rpm rpm
rpm 7000 pm pm
rpm

Flywhe
Igniti
elmagn Coil Magneto CDI
on
eto

3
Trans speed wet cent
missi rifugal 3 spd. 4 spd. 3 spd. 4 spd.
on clutch semi-
automatic

Fram
Pressed steel underbone
e

Front:
leadin
g link
56 m
Telesc m Teles
Susp Front: leading link 56 mm (2.2 in) opic (2.2 i copic
ensio travel, rear: swingarm 61 mm fork, n) fork,
n (2.4 in) travel swing travel swing
arm , rear: arm
swing
arm
61 m
m
 (2.4 i
n)
travel

Brak
Front & rear 110 mm (4.3 in) drum
es

2.25 2.5×17 2.25× 2.25× 2.25×

Tires
2.25" x 17"/2.25" x ×17"/ "/ 17"/ 17"/ 17"/
(front
17" 2.5× 2.5×17 2.5×1 2.75× 2.50×
/rear)
17" " 7" 14" 17"

26°
26°,
71 m 30',
47 m
Rake, m 75 m
m
trail (2.8 i m
(1.9 i
n) (3.0 in
n)
)

1,190 1,185
46.7 in
Whee 1,180 mm 1,180 mm mm mm
(1,185
lbase (46.5 in) (46.6 in) (46.9 i (46.7
mm)
n) in)

1,780 1,810 1,835 1,775 1,830

1,800
Lengt mm mm 1,800 mm mm mm mm
mm
h (70.1 in (71.2 (70.7 in) (72.2 i (69.9 (72 in
(72 in)
) in) n) in) )

670 m 660 710

Widt 570 mm
640 mm (25.2 in) m mm mm
h (22.6 in)
(26 in) (26 in (28 in
 ) )

760 1,035 960 1,040

610 m
Heig mm mm mm mm
m
ht (29.9 (40.7 i (38 in (41 in
(24 in)
in) n) ) )

705 735
Seat 760 m
mm mm
heigh m
(27.8 (28.9
t (30 in)
in) in)

Dry 65 kg 70 kg 69 kg 72 kg 85 kg 93 kg 79 kg 93 kg
weig (143 lb (154 l (152 l (158 (187 lb (210 l (170 l (210 l
ht ) b) b) lb) ) b) b) b)

3L 3L 4.8 L 3.4 L
3.6 L 4.3 L
3L (0.66 (0.66 (1.1 i (0.75
(0.79 i (0.95
Fuel (0.66 i imp g imp g mp g imp g
mp gal imp g
capac mp gal; al; al; al; al;
; al;
ity 0.79 U 0.79 0.79 1.3 U 0.90
0.95 U 1.1 U
S gal) US ga US ga S gal US ga
S gal) S gal)
l) l) ) l)

[edit]Current popularity

Honda Super Cub "Street" model 50 cc

Sales for Super Cubs have increased in Japan[1] with upgrades on the
engine and the installation of fuel injection for Japanese domestic
market models starting from 2007, making it more powerful, more
economical and cleaner. With respect to newer, plastic body underbone
designs, such as the Wave, the original Cub remains popular.
Cycle World magazine's Peter Egan and Steve Kimball entered a stock
Honda C70 Passport in the 1981 Craig Vetter Fuel Economy Run,
competing against specially designed high-mileage two wheelers built
by teams of engineering students, and an entry from American Honda.
The course was a 65 miles (105 km) loop near San Luis Obispo that
had to be completed in 1 hour and 40 minutes, give or take 10 minutes,
meaning an average speed of 35 mph (56 km/h). Kimball, riding the
Passport, won the event through skillful and error-free riding, with
198 miles per US gallon (1.19 L/100 km; 238 mpg-imp).[40][41]
In Vietnam, Super Cubs are the predominant model of motorcycle taxi,
so that "Honda" has become a genericized trademark or metonymy,
equivalent to "xe ôm" referring to any motorcycle taxi.[42] In the English
speaking world as well, "Honda" was often a synonym for "motorcycle"
as a result of the ubiquity of the Super Cub.[11][43][44]

The Art of the Motorcycle at theGuggenheim Las Vegas.

The Super Cub was included The Guggenheim's 1998 The Art of the
Motorcycle exhibition.[16] In 2006, on the Discovery Channel's The
Greatest Everseries, an episode on motorcycles placed the 1958 49 cc
Super Cub in first place.[45] James May, a co-presenter on the popular
television series Top Gear, bought a Honda Super Cub for the 2008
Season 12 Vietnam special.[46] Author Roland Brown wrote that, "of all
the brilliant bikes Honda have built — the CB750 superbike, Mike
Hailwood's six-cylinder racers, the mighty Gold Wing, you name them
— the most important of all is the C100 Super Cub of 1958."[10]
[edit]Licensed models
Symba 100

Manufacturer SYM Motors

Also called Symba 110

Assembly Taiwan

Engine 101.4 cc (6.19 cu in) air

cooledfour
stroke OHV single

Compression 9.6:1
ratio

Top speed 90 km/h (56 mph)

(claimed)[47]

Power 4.8 kW (6.5 hp) at

8500 rpm[47]

Torque 6.8 N·m (5 lb·ft) at

8500 rpm[47]

Transmission Wet multi-plate clutch, 4

speedsemi-automatic

Frame type Pressed steel underbone

Suspension Front: telescopic fork,

rear:swingarm

Brakes Front: 130 mm (5.1 in), rear:

110 mm (4.3 in)
 Tires Front and rear: 2.50-17"

Wheelbase 1,225 mm (48.22 in)

Dimensions L 1,900 mm (75 in)

W 690 mm (27 in)
H 1,000 mm (41 in)

Seat height 760 mm (29.9 in)

Weight 95 kg (209 lb)

(claimed)[47] (wet)

Fuel capacity 1.08 US gal (4.1 l;

0.90 imp gal)

Chongqing Guangyu Motorcycle Manufacture Co, of China, known as

Kamax, has a line of motorcycles based on the Super Cub Design,
licensed from Honda, including the EEC Super Cub. This Super Cub
'remake' was developed solely for the European market in cooperation
with Super Motor Company. Super Motor Company which is the sole
European distributor of the EEC Super Cub sells 3 different variations;
the Super 25, the Super 50 and the Super 100. Flyscooters imported a
Yinxiang Super Cub variant to the US, under the name Fly Scout.
Similarly, China Jialing Industrial Co., Ltd. has ten models based on
Honda's Super Cub design, including the JL50Q-2 and JL90-1 which
are faithful to the original 1958 styling, as well as several more modern
restylings.[48] Lifan Group exports a version to the UK, the 97 cc
(5.9 cu in) LF100, which features telescopic forks, a four speed gearbox
and a digital gear indicator.[49]
SYM Motors of Taiwan licensed the Super Cub design as the Symba
100, previously called the Symba 110, which they exported to the US.
While keeping the basic design, SYM increased the size of the front
brake from 110 to 130 mm (4.3 to 5.1 in), and added an LED fuel
gauge. Instead of leading link front forks, it uses telescopic forks. The
Symba engine has a carbureted 101.4 cc (6.19 cu in) single claimed to
produce 6.5 hp (4.8 kW) at 8500 rpm, with a four speed gearbox using a
centrifugal clutch semi-automatic transmission.[50]

[edit]EV-Cub

EV-Cub at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

At the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda presented the EV-Cub concept
vehicle, an electric motorcycle patterned after the venerable Super Cub,
featuring two-wheel drive by means of electric motors mounted in the
hubs of each of the wheels.[51] Honda said they felt keeping the 1958
layout for their 21st century concept bike made sense because, "the
human body has not changed in the past 50 years," and, "the size,
shape and position of all the Super Cub parts had a kind of necessity to
them, and that the design of the Super Cub was very rational and rider-
centric."[52] The additional space created by the absence of the engine
in the center of the frame and the lack of a gas tank created room for
underseat helmet storage, typical of a scooter.[51][52][53] Integrated with
the new electric motorcycle was an interactive communications system,
to let riders converse while riding.[54] Several other companies, including
Christini, KTM, Öhlins, and Yamaha have done development on two-
wheel drive motorcycles, and have found that the addition of power to
the front as well as the rear wheel aids in stability, particularly in corners
and in the hands of novice riders.[51][55] At the time Honda hinted that
they would bring the EV-Cub to market in 2010, which would have
made it the first two-wheel drive motorcycle in production.[51]
 The Super Cub as cargo hauler

Ho Chi Minh City.

Postal Super Cub.

Honda enthusiasts rally.

In Kagurazaka, Tokyo.

A fleet of Pizza Hut's Honda EX5 inSegamat, Malaysia.

===========================================================================
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