“Start with the Cub, finish with the Cub”
One of my very first memories, more than half a century ago, is the omnipresent presence of the Super Cub of Honda everywhere around me. It fulfilled several functions in daily life: delivery of newspapers morning and evening, transport of Sobas or Chinese dishes … Even without seeing it, we recognized its proximity to the gentle and warm noise of its engine or in the mechanical click of its speeds. Whether in big cities or at the heart of the countryside, this extraordinary motorcycle blew itself into the Japanese daily life. This is the essence of the Super Cub.
As a motorcycle journalist, I was lucky to try many models around the world. But each time I take the handlebars of a Super Cub, I am touched by the reassuring rhythm of its quiet engine, the simplicity of its grip for any level of driving, and above all, by its exceptional energy efficiency. The breakdowns are almost nonexistent. Just as fishermen often say: “Start with the Funa, finish with the funa” – this carp being both the ideal fish to start and a real pleasure to fish for veterans -, the bikers have a similar adage: “Start with the CUB, finish with the CUB. A formula that perfectly sums up the spirit of the Super Cub: perfect for learning to drive, and always there decades later.
The big dates of the Super Cub
- August 1958: Launch of the Super Cub C100
- 1959: start of exports to the United States
- 1961: 1 million units produced in the world
- 1964: output of the C65, the first model with a head camshaft
- 1974: global production reaches 10 million units
- 1983: the Super Cub 50 reaches a yield of 180 km/L
- 2005: 50 million units produced
- 2008: 60 million units and fiftieth anniversary of the CUB
- 2014: its design is recorded as a 3D brand in Japan
- 2017: more than 100 million units produced
- 2025: programmed end of the production of 50cc models
Source: Honda
Designed by Honda Sôichirô, sold by Fujisawa Takeo
The Super Cub was born from the alliance between Honda Sôichirô, founding engineer and president of Honda, and Fujisawa Takeo, sales manager. While Honda piloted technical development, Fujisawa ensured the commercial and industrial strategy.
In December 1956, the two men left in Europe looking for inspiration to create a successful model. At the time, scooters were popular in Japan. Honda had launched the Juno K in 1954, with a plastic body reinforced with fibers, but this model, too heavy and not very powerful, remained a commercial failure. In Europe, Honda and Fujisawa find that scooters and mopeds have become daily transportation. Back in Japan, they begin to imagine a small motorcycle perfectly suited to local needs.
The CUB F launched in 1952 by Honda: an auxiliary engine for bicycle, with white tank and red engine, very popular at the time. (© Oya Yûichi)
Their specifications: that meal delivery people can drive with one hand while wearing noodles from the other, and that the motorcycle is also suitable for women in skirt.
Back in early 1957, Honda personally took the development in hand. While the majority of market engines are then in two stages (more powerful), Honda opted for a four -stroke, cleaner and economical engine. For comfort, the engine is mounted very low, and an automatic centrifugal box is created to avoid using the clutch on the left hand. The 50cc engine develops 4.5 horsepower, more than four times the power of the 1952 CUB F (1 horse).
The entire design of the Super CUB is based on innovative choices: 17 -inch wheels (size not found in Japan, which forced Honda to convince a tire manufacturer) and an elegant S -shaped line, which has become emblematic. Without the agreement of a manufacturer to produce these tires, this silhouette might have never seen the light of day.
The first Super Cub C100, launched in August 1958. Its price was 55,000 yen, while the average monthly salary of an employee was 8,500 yen. Despite everything, he managed to sell massively. (© Honda)
The protection of the legs at the front, signing of the CUB, is designed to avoid splashes. Made of light polyethylene resin, it was made possible by Honda’s commitment to provide mussels, plastic manufacturers who have never worked on such large parts.
Called Super Cub C100 in reference to CUB F, this new model becomes an immediate success. At the time, total motorcycle sales in Japan amounted to 40,000 units per month. Fujisawa had daring to want to sell 30,000 monthly. Three years later, annual production reached 560,000 units.
To conquer the world and the United States
As early as 1956, Fujisawa studied foreign markets. Europe then had 2 million motorcycles per year, compared to 60,000 in the United States, where two-wheelers were associated with gangs and dominated by large Harley and Triumph displacements.
Despite obstacles, Fujisawa wanted to aim for the American market, with high purchasing power. After the Japanese launch, Honda founded American Honda Motor in Los Angeles in 1959. But the beginnings were difficult.
The turning point comes with the Super Cub C100 (renamed Honda 50 in America). Considered utility in Japan, it is seen in the United States as a leisure vehicle, transported in pickups and motorhomes.
American Honda diversifies its points of sale to stores of sports or fishing equipment, and launches a large advertising campaign.
In 1963, Honda launched in the United States the famous “Nicest People” campaign. Published in Time, Life, Look or even in the Saturday Evening Post, it became televised in 1964. (© Honda)
The slogan “You Meet the Nicest People on Honda” (“You meet the most nice people in Honda”) and its illustrations showing all possible uses of the vehicle change the image of the motorcycle in the USA, going from rebel to daily companion. Honda 50 becomes a cultural phenomenon.
In addition to its American success, Honda begins its production abroad, faithful to its principle, namely “to produce where demand exists”. The firm decides to build new factories in Taiwan in 1961, Belgium in 1963, Thailand in 1967. Today, the Super Cub is made on 10 sites in 9 countries.
The Kumamoto factory, where super cubs are produced for the Japanese market. (© Honda)
Global growth
In October 2017, almost 60 years after the C100, the series crossed the historic CAP of 100 million units. Today, more than 110 million have been produced.
The CT125 Hunter Cub, one of the best -selling 125cc models in Japan, popular for camping and outdoor outings thanks to its rear loading space. (© Oya Yûichi)
There are many variants of the Super Cub, adapted to the specific needs of each country. As early as 1961, Honda presented in Japan, at a national show, a C100 version designed for the distribution of newspapers. The same year, the American market saw the appearance of the CA100T Trail 50, designed for all-terrain use.
In 2010, Honda launched Wave 110i AT in Thailand, equipped with an automatic transmission close to that of scooters. The Wave series, introduced for the first time in 1995 in the country, was an immediate success thanks to its modern and elegant design. (© Oya Yûichi)
The launch of the Wave in 1995 marks the start of a real craze, not only in Southeast Asia but also in South America. In Brazil, the Biz series made its debut in 1998, responding to cultural preferences that consider it unattractive to transport luggage on a motorcycle. With a large storage compartment under the saddle, the biz quickly becomes a must on the South American market.
In 2017, a ceremony celebrates world production of 100 million Super Cub. The event highlights models made in various countries, including Biz 125 from Brazil. (© Honda)
In Japan, a new regulation on pollutants’ emissions will prohibit motorcycles from 50cc or less. Honda will release a limited edition “Final Model” in December 2024, and will cease production in May 2025. The 110cc versions will continue to be produced. Easy to drive, practical, thrifty and ultra-by, the Super Cub is still a real legend today. The next time you see a pass, remember that it is one of the more than 110 million copies built.
Honda has also launched several models in collaboration with other brands, including a special edition to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty. (© Honda)
(Title photo: Oya Yûichi, the author of the article, on the handlebars of the Super Cub 110 version 2022, in accordance with the most recent anti-pollution standards, and with tubeless tires to facilitate the repair of punctures. © Motor-Fan Bikes)
