Honda: bring back the Cub!
Do you remember the Honda Cub? Using only 50ccs of power, this is the vehicle that established Honda as a player in the American market. Long before Honda was making cars, they were turning out little scooters and motorcycles which got excellent gas mileage. In some parts of the world, you can still make your way down to the local Honda dealer and buy a Honda 50 new. Unfortunately, here in the States, this is not the case... leading many to turn to eBay - where Honda 50s, 70s and 90s can be picked up for a pretty decent price. The fact that the vehicles are still road-worthy is a testament to the original design.
Honda should consider bringing back this type of transportation. Back in '03, they showed off a few concepts using the same engine and drivetrain as their original Cub from way back when. The concept of cheap transportation, great gas mileage and high reliability are still very much worth pursuing. Honda: bring back the Cub! Once again, you'd meet the nicest people on a Honda.
[Source: The Scooter Scoop]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
TomRoberts 7:05AM (2/24/2008)
To the Aprilla owner. The Cubs in Japan are far cleaner running than your Aprilla ever will be. I think you are stuck on 2 strokes, my laddy.
The CatConverter you praise is actually a mobile superfund site in its construction and when it's time to dispose of it.
And btw, 500cc is NOT more fuel efficient than 50cc. Math was not your strong point, was it?
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TomRoberts 7:04AM (2/24/2008)
Don said at 6. "Uh, THAT thing did not a player Honda make...it may have established them, but it didn't sell in droves."
Are you out of your mind? It is the most sold vehicle OF ANY KIND in the world. Check your facts.
The Cub paid for Asimo, F1, and now the Honda JET.
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Dave 12:03PM (2/24/2008)
All cars pollute at start up. till 02,and cats heat up better woork there first
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lpkortuem 8:28AM (4/04/2008)
I have owned a Honda cub (C102) since 1965. I recently restored it and our automotive class which I teach did a gas millage test and it came in at 164.4 miles to the gallon. This would translate into a dramatic drop in green house gases if the US would promote small cycle use. Honda has not stood still with the design. In 2005 they passed the 50 Million units mark and have made another environmental leap in small motorcycle technology by fuel-injecting the Cub. This would drop carbon monoxide and Hydrocarbon levels dramatically but would do little with overall Nitrogen Oxide emissions. At this point it would be a stretch to think that the new Fuel-Injected Cub would produce more overall emissions than an SUV
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Juan 10:40AM (5/24/2008)
"A 50cc bike like the one you show above might use less gas and therefore produce less carbon dioxide but it burns a lot dirtier than catalyzed automobile exhaust and produces a lot more pollutants than autos."
That's idiotic. The average Honda cub gets 150 mpg. Try driving a Prius for 150 miles while collecting every single molecule that comes out of the exhaust and compare. There is no comparison, the scooter is much, much friendlier to the environment.
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will 11:26AM (5/02/2009)
Unless you carpool in a prius... Then with 4 people in there you're getting 200mpg per person! Carpool!!!!
Okinawa Marine 5:23AM (8/21/2008)
All,
I plan on buying a new Honda 90 Super Cub to take back next year when I retire from the Corps. There are many more modern scooters that are quite fine, However, the new Cubs look like the original, but, are now fuel injected, and I would imagine, make better mileage, and less emmissions. It's the bike I grew up on, and I would applaud the re-introduction into the American market such air-cooled simplicity. Lot of Boomers grew up as these as their 1st bikes. I think they would sell very well.
Major Jeff Fultz
Okinawa, Japan
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Peter Corbett 9:06AM (9/26/2008)
Do you know how or who I can talk too about purchasing a Super Cub Standard in Japan and have it shipped to me in USA (Atlanta, GA)?
Thanks, Pete
Ian 10:02PM (11/13/2008)
Forget it. You might get it registered if you have a permissive or ignorant DMV, but motorcycles are subject to most of the same import regulations as cars.
http://www.epa.gov/EPA-IMPACT/2007/September/Day-27/i19118.htm
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/elig050108.pdf
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/FAQ%20Site/index.html
If you do this, you run the risk of having the bike confiscated and destroyed.
Now, there are some interesting bikes on that list that you COULD import, but the Cub is not one of them.
The lowest-hassle, lowest-risk way to go about getting a new-ish cub would be to secure a beat-up US cub, and buy the running gear from a new cub and whatever restoration parts you need while you're in Japan, and convert it. Depending on how attentive your DMV is, you may need to stick with US-market lights, though.
jessica 2:03PM (9/28/2008)
someone should start a petition to request honda start selling the super cub in the US again. With everyone going green, it would be a smart move on their part. i would love to be able to buy one of the new anniversary super cubs.
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Yoshi 3:41AM (11/20/2008)
+1
I soooo want one. ^_^
Claude Balesdent 3:03PM (4/04/2009)
I So agree with you Jessica. Although parts can still be purchased for these bikes, I can only see it being a wise business move for Honda to sell them over here again. I own a 1981 C-70 Passport and am looking at getting another if the guy calls me back. I also have a 1966 Honda CT-90cc needing repair. The 70 gives me unbelievable gas mileage and allows me to go to work and back everyday,plus other excursions during the week for about $1.50/week. The most I paid for a fill-up was $3.15. (CANADA = $0.92 per litre) last summer.
steve 9:24PM (12/04/2008)
The USA is finally getting a Cub, SPRING 2009!
Here's the link with the details:
http://tinyurl.com/supercub
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Jonathan Schaefer 5:05PM (1/23/2009)
I don't trust Honda's engineering...some of it's very good, while some is shoddy. Bought my son a 49cc moped eight years ago and he had it worn OUT in two years. The engine was completely shot. He just rode it too much, I guess. 2500 miles is all he got out of it.
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will 11:26AM (5/02/2009)
The metropolitan and the ruckus and really every honda scooter that's still sold in the US uses a 2-stroke engine. These give more power per cc, so it has better acceleration while keeping transmission simple, but the 2-stroke engines require an oil mix be burned and they don't last nearly as long as the 4 stroke cub. Mine's 40 years old with almost 20,000 miles and NO major issues. Most honda 2-strokes should hit 10000 though, I'd blame the premature failure on improper oil mix, either on the part of your son or some malfunction in the oil mix system.
The supercub engine has been gushed over by even superbike racers for it's incredible engineering, amazing symplicity, and nearly unstoppable longevity.
tahrey 10:31AM (4/29/2009)
Ian: care to give us ANY kind of figures to back up that claim that cars are going to be less polluting per passenger mile? I'm really having a hard time swallowing it. Its not like there's a major technological or engineering chasm between bike engines and car engines. There's even lightweight sportscars built with Suzuki Hyabusa engines... they somehow manage to pass car-standard emissions tests though. And this is in a vehicle still twice the weight of the donor cycle and very much tuned for speed rather than economy.
Don: Um... yeah. Some kind of research would be good before you want to go saying silly things, e.g. that the 50 didn't "break" Honda into various world markets or make huge towers of cash for it. Their cars certainly didn't do it.
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Hank Antler 5:10AM (7/13/2009)
Will,
You are wrong Ruckus etc. are 4-stroke engines - they couldn't boast the 100mpg mileage if they were not. So are most chinese knockoff scooters.
I really wish they did bring the cub/passport back - and as a honda. This SYM-thing isn't nearly as attractive and it doesn't hit low enough price point either.
What the original had and so does this version
- 17 inch tires that will pot small tired scooters in shame on bumps.
- Manual transmission that improves mileage over variator scooters - yet easy enough to use so it doesn't intimidate non clutch experienced crowd.
But the styling fails bad...
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PFC 1:43PM (10/29/2009)
If anyone is in the Connecticut area of the United States they can check out Scooter Centrale in Plainville CT (860)747-2552. They have a SYM Symba on the floor. It seems to be a well finished bike and was a lot of fun when I tried it out.
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mark 5:18AM (9/03/2007)
I managed to get my hands on a Honda Z50 for putting around town on. It's great, fits in the back of our 1981 Honda Civic, doesn't require much in the way of maintenance or fuel. Plus it's lots of fun. I've never seen a cub in person though.
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yoinkers 1:19AM (9/03/2007)
Hey autoblog green. Do us a favor and go back to college for a few refresher classes in chemistry. A 50cc bike like the one you show above might use less gas and therefore produce less carbon dioxide but it burns a lot dirtier than catalyzed automobile exhaust and produces a lot more pollutants than autos.
We do NOT want a country with people adopting motorcycles like this en-masse. The pollution is too great from these crappy little bikes. I wholeheartedly encourage people to ride motorcycles but they should choose newer rides that also contain catalytic converters (like my Aprilia Scarabeo 500 did).
Shame on you for not thinking about the overall pollution level of various engines.
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