Honda Super Cub
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 1958 Super Cub |
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| Also called | Honda Cub, Honda C50, Honda C100 |
|---|---|
| Production | Since 1958 |
| Class | Underbone |
| Engine | Horizontal 49 cc (3.0 cu in) 4-stroke air-cooled SOHC single |
| Ignition type | Flywheel contact points (early) CDI magneto (late) |
| Transmission | 3 or 4 speed, semi-automatic with wet multi-plate clutch, operated both by centrifugal action and by gear-lever. |
| Frame type | Low floor backbone pressed steel tube system |
| Suspension | Front: Leading link Rear: Swingarm |
| Brakes | Drum |
| Wheelbase | 1,175 mm (46.3 in) |
| Dimensions | L 1,800 mm (71 in) W 660 mm (26 in) H 1,010 mm (40 in) |
| Weight | 75 kg (170 lb) (dry) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.0 L (0.88 imp gal; 1.1 US gal) |
| Related | Honda C70 |
The Super Cub, (originally the Honda C100 or Honda 50) also known as the Honda Cub, is an underbone motorcycle with a four stroke single ranging from 49 to 90 cc (3.0 to 5.5 cu in) . It has been in continuous manufacture by Honda since its 1958 introduction. With more than 60 million manufactured worldwide,[1][2] the Super Cub is the best-selling motor vehicle in history.* [3][4]
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[edit] You meet the nicest people on a Honda campaign
In June 1963 in US media,[5] Honda began the advertising campaign "You meet the nicest people on a Honda," created by Grey Advertising. 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.[6][7][8] 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.[8][9] Brian Wilson and Mike Love composed the 1964 song "Little Honda", which was a reference to the Cub model.[10] The song was released by The Hondells in 1964, followed by the original recording by The Beach Boys.[10] In 1965 The Hondells released "You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda", another song promoting the Super Cub and used in in Honda's TV spots, as a B side to their version of "Sea Cruise."[11]
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 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."[9]
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.[6][12] 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.[7][13]
[edit] Model history
The Honda Super Cub debuted in 1958, ten years after the establishment of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. 1952 The original Honda Cub F had been a clip-on bicycle engine. Honda kept the name but add the prefix 'Super' for the all-new lightweight machine.
In 1964, two larger-engined versions were offered, the OHV 87 cc (5.3 cu in) CM90 and the OHC 63 cc (3.8 cu in) C65 with slight alterations to frame and styling.
Around 1967, the 50 cc Honda replaced the pushrod engine with a SOHC design, a bored-down C65 engine, called the C50, which increased power from 4.5 to 4.9 brake horsepower (3.4 to 3.7 kW). Similarly the 90 cc was redesigned with an OHC engine called the C90. Though the basic design of Cub remained unchanged, new styling and improvements included enclosed front forks. In the 1980s, 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.
In 1984, Honda released a updated version of the Honda C90 and C50, the main difference was that the new models had more reliable 12-volt electronic system and the headlight had changed shape from round to square and a few other cosmetic changes.
In the 1980s, a larger 100 cc GN-5 engine model was introduced especially for Asian markets. The newer 100 cc model branched off from the Honda Cub model design, 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 Honda Cubs. These changes were not incorporated into the Honda Cub lineup, not interfering with the timeless and dependable design of the Cub, but rather, were integrated into new models such as Honda Dream in Thailand and Honda EX5 in Malaysia.
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] Current popularity
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 Wave, the original Cub remains popular.
In Vietnam, the term "xe Honda" (meaning: Honda motorcycle) has become a Genericized trademark or Metonymy. In Malaysia, the word kapchai (a Chinese-Malaysian word from the Cantonese and Hokkien term "Cub仔", which means "little Cub", which in turn derives from an agglutination of the words "Honda Cub" and the Chinese "仔" [pinyin: zai]) is used to refer to all underbone motorcycles.[citation needed]
In 2006, on the Discovery Channel's The Greatest Ever series, an episode on motorcycles placed the 1958 49 cc Super Cub in first place.[14]
James May, a co-presenter on the popular television series Top Gear, bought a Honda Super Cub for the 2008 Season 12 Vietnam special.[15]
[edit] Specifications
| C100[16] | C102[16] | C110[16] | CS50[16] | C50[16] | C70[16] | C90[16] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model years | 1958–1967 | 1960–1965 | 1960–1966 | 1965–1967 | 1966–1980+ | 1969–1980+ | 1966–1980+ |
| Engine | 49 cc (3.0 cu in) OHV air-cooled single | 49.5 cc (3.02 cu in) OHV | 71.8 cc (4.38 cu in) OHV | 89.5 cc (5.46 cu in) OHC | |||
| Bore x stroke | 40 × 39 mm (1.6 × 1.5 in) | 39 × 41.4 mm (1.5 × 1.63 in) | 47 × 41.4 mm (1.9 × 1.63 in) | 50 × 45.6 mm (2.0 × 1.80 in) | |||
| Compression | 8.5:1 | 9.5:1 | 8.8:1 | 8.2:1 | |||
| Power | 3.4 kW (4.5 bhp) @9500 rpm | 3.7 kW (5.0 bhp) @ 9500 rpm | 3.9 kW (5.2 bhp) @10250 rpm | 3.6 kW (4.8 bhp) @ 10000 rpm | 4.5 kW (6 bhp) @ 9000 | 5.6 kW (7.5 bhp) @ 9500 rpm | |
| Torque | 0.33 kg·m (3.2 N·m; 2.4 ft·lbf) @8500 rpm | 0.53 kg·m (5.2 N·m; 3.8 ft·lbf) @ 7000 rpm | 0.67 kg·m (6.6 N·m; 4.8 ft·lbf) @ 6000 rpm | ||||
| Ignition | Flywheel magneto | Coil | Magneto | ||||
| Transmission | 3 speed centrifugal clutch semi-automatic | 3 spd. (early) 4 spd. (late) | 4 spd. | 3 spd. | |||
| Frame | Pressed steel underbone | ||||||
| Suspension | Front: leading link 56 mm (2.2 in) travel, rear: swingarm 61 mm (2.4 in) travel | ||||||
| Brakes | Front & rear 110 mm (4.3 in) drum | ||||||
| tires | Front & rear 2.25" x 17" | Front: 2.25"x17", rear: 2.5" x 17" | Front & rear 2.5" x 17" | ||||
| Rake, trail | 84°, 71 mm (2.8 in) | ||||||
| Wheelbase | 1,180 mm (46.5 in) | 1,150 mm (45.3 in) | 1,180 mm (46.6 in) | 1,190 mm (46.9 in) | |||
| Length | 1,780 mm (70.1 in) | 1,810 mm (71.2 in) | 1,800 mm (70.7 in) | 1,760 mm (69.4 in) | 1,800 mm (70.7 in) | 1,800 mm (72 in) | |
| Width | 570 mm (22.6 in) | 560 mm (22.2 in) | 610 mm (24.2 in) | 640 mm (25.2 in) | |||
| Height | 610 mm (24 in) | 760 mm (29.9 in) | |||||
| Dry weight | 65 kg (143 lb) | 70 kg (154 lb) | 66 kg (145 lb) | 76 kg (168 lb) | 69 kg (152 lb) | 72 kg (158 lb) | 85 kg (187 lb) |
| Fuel capacity | 3 L (0.66 imp gal; 0.79 US gal) | 3 L (0.66 imp gal; 0.79 US gal) | 7 L (1.5 imp gal; 1.8 US gal) | 5.5 L (1.2 imp gal; 1.5 US gal) | 3 L (0.66 imp gal; 0.79 US gal) | 4.8 L (1.1 imp gal; 1.3 US gal) | |
[edit] See also
- Loh Boon Siew (Mr Honda, Malaysia)
[edit] Notes
- *^ The Chinese Flying Pigeon bicycle, with on the order of 500 million in service as of 2007, is the most popular vehicle ever. See Koeppel, Dan (January/February 2007), "Flight of the Pigeon", Bicycling (Rodale, Inc.) 48 (1): 60–66, ISSN 0006-2073, http://books.google.com/books?id=isUDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA60, retrieved 2012-01-28
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Cumulative Global Production of Cub Series Motorcycles Reaches 60 Million Units (press release), Honda, 821 May 2008, http://world.honda.com/news/2008/c080521Cub-Series/, retrieved 2010-10-31
- ^ "Honda Sells Its 60 Millionth – Yes, Millionth – Super Cub", Wired, 23 May 2008, http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/05/honda-sells-its.html, retrieved 2010-10-31
- ^ "That's 2.5 billion cc!", American Motorcyclist (Westerville, Ohio: American Motorcyclist Association): 24, May 2006, ISSN 0277-9358, http://books.google.com/books?id=qvUDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24, retrieved 2010-10-31
- ^ Edstrom, Christian (November 30, 2007), "To Save the Polar Bears, Ride a Cub", New York Times, http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/eco-friendly-and-vintage-the-honda-c90-is-so-now/, retrieved 2012-01-28
- ^ "You meet the nicest people on a Honda (advertisement)", Life: 22–23, http://books.google.com/books?id=30sEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA23, retrieved 2012-01-29
- ^ a b Montville, Leigh (2011), Evel Knievel, Random House, p. 70, ISBN 9780385527453, http://books.google.com/books?id=f9knUbMrF8gC&pg=PA70, retrieved 2012-01-28
- ^ a b Garson, Paul (2006), Davidson, Jean; Thompson, Hunter S., eds., The Harley-Davidson Reader, MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company, pp. 129–134, ISBN 076032591X, http://books.google.com/books?id=xhfcnqvKSRMC&pg=PA134&dq=%22you+meet+the+nicest+people%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1z8kT6jfCIXZiQL29YHYBw&ved=0CD0Q6AEwATgU#v=onepage&q=%22you%20meet%20the%20nicest%20people%22&f=false, retrieved 2012-01-28
- ^ a b The Editors of Motorcyclist Magazine,; Stein, John L. (2011), "You meet the nicest people on a Honda", The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles (5th ed.), Penguin Books, ISBN 9781615640706, http://books.google.com/books?id=XWR2wabfvuEC&pg=PT28, retrieved 2012-01-28
- ^ a b Huffman, John Pearley, "For Honda in America, 50 Years of Going Its Own Direction", New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/automobiles/12honda.html, retrieved 2012-01-28
- ^ a b Frank, Aaron (2003). Honda Motorcycles. MotorBooks International. p. 42. ISBN 9780760310779. http://books.google.com/books?id=CSxTaoGagKoC&pg=PA42. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
- ^ "Spotlight Singles", Billboard: 18, September 18, 1965, http://books.google.com/books?id=GikEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18, retrieved 2012-01-28
- ^ Packer, Jeremy (2008), "Motorcycle Madness; The Insane, Profane, and Newly Tame", Mobility without mayhem: safety, cars, and citizenship, Duke University Press, pp. 123–124, ISBN 9780822339632, http://books.google.com/books?id=F0P8kvrs9iEC&pg=PA122, retrieved 2012-01-28
- ^ Reavis, Dick (May 1979), "You Are What You Ride; Why you don't meet the nicest people on a Harley", Texas Monthly: 106, http://books.google.com/books?id=Mi4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA106, retrieved 2012-01-28
- ^ "Greatest Motorbikes Ever". Discovery Channel. http://www.yourdiscovery.com/greatest_ever/motorbikes/index.shtml. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
- ^ "'Nam we were there man". TopGear.com. BBC. http://transmission.blogs.topgear.com/2008/12/17/nam-we-were-there-man/. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g Bacon, Roy (1996), Honda: The Early Classic Motorcycles : All the Singles, Twins and Fours, Including Production Racers and Gold Wing-1947 to 1977, Niton Publishing, pp. 164–191, ISBN 1855790289
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Honda Super Cub |
- Official website
- Super Cub official site (in Japanese)
- "Nicest People" Campaign Causes a Sensation, Honda, http://world.honda.com/history/challenge/1959establishingamericanhonda/text08/
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