Honda Super Cub arrives in Australia
Honda’s legendary Super Cub has arrived in Australia in an all-new form that pays homage to the original while an increased engine capacity and a number of modern features bring the iconic scooter into the new millennium.
Cub History
Put simply, the Super Cub is not just a motorcycling phenomenon, it’s a transport phenomenon, with over 100 million units produced since the first ‘Super Cub C100’ was released in 1958. No, that’s not a misprint; more than 100 MILLION Super Cubs have been built.
The roots of the Super Cub go back to the mid-1950s, when Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa saw that a lightweight, quiet, reliable and affordable motorcycle could replace the bicycles being used for lunchtime meal delivery and light freight work in Tokyo and other urban areas of Japan.
Inspired by the mopeds seen in abundance during a trip to Europe in 1956, the pair created the Super Cub C100 - a simple step-through scooter with a 50cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine and clutchless transmission – in 1958.
Produced at Honda’s Yamato factory initially, by the time Super Cub manufacture moved to their Suzuka factory in 1960, overseas sales had begun and the Super Cub was already on the verge of reaching 1 million units.
Overseas production began in Taiwan in 1961, followed – curiously – by Belgium in 1963. By the start of the following decade, Super Cub manufacture had begun in factories throughout South East Asia, where the bulk of production still occurs today. Plants in Africa, South America and China have also built or continue to build the Super Cub and its modern derivatives.
Manufacture of the Super Cub in Japan came to an end in the 1960s but was restarted in 2017 at Honda’s Kunamoto factory.
While the Super Cub is currently sold in 160 countries worldwide, Australia isn’t one of them. Older C100 and C90 versions of the Super Cub can be found here, but you have to look hard as they’re quite rare.
Much more common is the similar CT110, thanks to its long tenure as the ‘postie bike’ for Australia Post’s delivery fleet.
Classic Looks, Modern Features
The new Super Cub C125 is essentially a production version of a concept that was unveiled last year. Taking the classic C100 looks, the C125 concept added a number of modern features, like alloy wheels, ABS braking, LED lights, digital instrumentation and a Smart Key for keyless operation. Most of these features have made it to the production version.
Powering the Super Cub C125 is the same engine from Honda’s Grom; an SOHC 125cc single with a 52.4 x 57.9mm bore x stroke and electronic fuel injection. Outputs haven’t been listed, but expect somewhere in the 7.5kW and 11Nm range from the air-cooled single.
Staying true to the original, the C125 uses a semi-automatic centrifugal clutch for clutchless gear changing and what’s arguably a better ride than fully-automatic CVT systems used in other scooters, while both the engine and transmission have been built to reduce noise.
A pressed steel frame is also true to the original Super Cub, with rubber mounts for the handlebars, step plates and seat to reduce vibration. The seat itself is thickly padded, with the height listed at 780mm.
The new Super Cub’s wheels are 17-inch polished alloys at both ends, which is the most noticeable deviation in appearance from the original Super Cub. Front and rear suspension set-ups offer 90mm and 91mm of travel, respectively, while a 220m front disc brake with ABS is standard, matched to a 110mm drum rear brake.
Retro-look head and tail lights house modern LEDs, with the front and rear indicators LED, too.
Instrumentation combines an analogue speedometer with modern digital displays of other essential information and the usual warning lights. Another modern addition is the Smart Key, which allows the rider to start and ride the Super Cub without the key leaving their pocket. The Smart Key also serves as an immobiliser.
In homage to the original Super Cub C100, the new Super Cub C125 will only be offered in one colour – Pearl Niltava Blue – with white leg shields and side covers, a red saddle, chrome detailing and retro-look badging
Limited Numbers
Released in Australia as a limited edition 2019 model, only 72 units of the Super Cub C125 have been allocated. Honda Australia says the total is significant, as 72 represents the number of years since Soichiro Honda founded the ‘Honda Technical Research Institute’, which later became the Honda Motor Company.
Pricing for the limited edition Super Cub C125 is $6,099 ride away.
How the local market embraces the new Super Cub will likely determine if it moves from a limited edition to a listed model in Honda Australia’s range. Ironically, the purpose for which the original Super Cub was designed – meal delivery – will likely see a modern equivalent succeed here, as food delivery services like Uber Eats and Deliveroo have seen a boom in Australian scooter sales in the past 12 months.
