Honda Super Cub

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Honda
2004supercub.jpg
2004 Super Cub, Model Street , the world's best-selling motor vehicle
Super Cub
Manufacturer Honda
Sales description C 100 / C 102
Production period from 1958
class Small scooter
Motor data
Single-cylinder four-stroke, overhead camshaft ( OHC valve control ), two-valve, air cooling, bore 40.0 mm, stroke 39.0 mm, compression: 1:10
Displacement  (cm³) 49 cc
Power  (kW / PS ) 2.94 kW (4.0 hp) at 7000 rpm
Top speed (  km / h) 80 km / h
transmission 3, some models 4
drive Chain
Brakes drum brake
Empty weight  (kg) 75 kg

The Honda Super Cub , also known as Honda Cub , Honda 50 or Honda C 100 , is a small part of the model with four-stroke engine , manufactured by Honda Motor Co. Ltd. in Japan and by licensees in East and Southeast Asia.

meaning

The Honda Super Cub is the most produced motorcycle model in the world and with its number of over 100 million in October 2017 - even before the Toyota Corolla , the VW Beetle and the VW Golf - the most produced motor vehicle in the world.

Model history

The Honda Super Cub model debuted in 1958, 10 years after Honda Motor Co. Ltd. was founded. The name Cub is an acronym for Cheap Urban Bike , it was designed as an inexpensive vehicle for big cities. It was built with the type code C 100 from the spring of 1958 and from 1960 also as the C 102 in the Suzuka Honda plant .

The production of the Honda Cub became an important event in Japanese automotive history because it marked the beginning of the conquest of Japanese technology. More than 100 million Honda Cubs have been built and sold worldwide since the model was first created, primarily in Asia and Europe , they continue to be produced primarily in Asia, although there are now larger, stronger and more modern motorcycles.

The name also refers to a small aircraft, the Piper Cub , an inexpensive and popular light aircraft of the 1930s that shared many of the mechanical qualities with the small Honda. Improved versions of the Piper then also bore the name Super Cubs .

Honda was one of the first manufacturers to produce four-stroke engines with the typical high speeds for greater performance with a long service life, which is why the company used a four-stroke engine, while the competition still relied exclusively on two-stroke engines. At that time there was also internal criticism of the feasibility of the Super Cub project, but despite these concerns, the 49 cm³ machine became the most successful motor vehicle in history. The sales of the Honda Cub contributed most of the company's earnings and profits.

Honda enlisted in the US with the slogan: You meet the nicest people on a Honda ( you make the nettesten people on a Honda ), which correct the bad image of the two bicycling Rocker and should help the little machines to the mass market to more acceptance.

Years later, the engine of the Honda Cub was changed from the OHV concept to OHC (overhead camshaft), there were more powerful versions with 70 and 90 cm³ displacement. When the US government prescribed the use of contactless electronic ignition systems for environmental reasons in the 1970s, Honda installed an electronic capacitor ignition (CDI) instead of the previous contact-controlled ignitions.

In the 1980s, a larger 100 cm³ GN-5 model came out, which was specially built for the Asian market. It is the result of a facelift with a front telescopic fork and a four-speed gearbox to replace the three-speed gearbox. The 100 cc models were sold under the name Honda Dream in Thailand and as the Honda EX 5 in Malaysia .

In the late 1990s, Honda launched the NF-Series Honda Wave Series . These had a tubular steel frame, a front disc brake and plastic panels. They were available with 100 cm³, 110 cm³ and 125 cm³ displacement. Honda Cubs production continues despite newer Honda models such as B. Scooters.

Constant model maintenance measures made the vehicle more and more economical and less polluting, paired with the stylish and timeless design of the Cub even increased sales. The Super Cub is so popular in Vietnam that xe Honda is the common generic name for motorcycle.

In 2006, the ten best motorcycles ever built were voted in a documentary about motorcycle history, the Honda Cub won first place and was named the “greatest motorcycle success of all time”. The Honda Wave series or other plastic-clad models were not mentioned in the list.

Example for everyday use

In Asia in particular, the machine is an indispensable part of everyday life and is used as a load donkey and universal transporter.

  • Used as a transport device in Tokyo

  • Super Cub fleet of a delivery service in Malaysia.

  • Version of the Japanese Post

  • Street model

  • As a van in Ho Chi Minh City

Reasons for success

There are many different reasons for a motorcycle model to be successful. These sales successes and the reasons for them can also be transferred to car models (see e.g. VW Golf or Toyota Corolla ). Mostly it is the level of awareness or the good reputation of a brand, the proven technology and / or the price, which make a model successful. The reasons for the success of the Honda Super Cub include the following:

  • Available at a low price compared to other motorcycles (new: approx. USD 1200/1000 EUR)
  • easy to ride because of the automatic clutch that makes it easy for beginners to learn to ride a motorcycle
  • very low fuel consumption (up to 146 km with one liter, driven with a 2006 Super Cub)
  • the use of a four-stroke engine enables strict environmental laws to be met
  • pleasant engine sound; quiet compared to two-stroke engines
  • easy to maneuver even through heavy traffic, especially in traffic jams
  • cheap maintenance and repair
  • very durable all-weather motorcycle
  • usually achieves high mileage before repair is needed
  • Ability to carry heavy loads. In developing countries, especially in Asia, the Honda Cub is used to transport harvesting equipment and household items or to drive up to five people

The Honda Super Cub was also named Greatest Ever Motorcycle in Discovery Channel ’s Greatest Ever series , beating prominent motorcycle manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson , Triumph and Ducati .

technology

The basic construction with a pressed steel shell frame, which accommodates the engine with the different displacement variants and the multi-disc centrifugal clutch in an oil bath, has remained unchanged over the years. The early models with contact ignition were followed by models with electronic magneto ignition from the 1970s. The front wheel guidance and suspension were initially taken over by a pushed short swing arm and later also by a telescopic fork. The rear wheel is guided by a simple swing arm. It is started with a kick starter, optionally with an electric starter.

Web links

Commons : Honda Super Cub  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ heise.de 60 years of the Honda Super Cub (accessed on May 12, 2018)