Honda Cub 50- 1965

While touring Germany in 1956, Soichiro Honda and financial chief Takeo Fujisawa noticed the popularity of mopeds and small motorcycles. Fujisawa had been thinking about a new product that would help Honda expand into other markets. Soichiro was given a new design brief: a small yet powerful motorcycle, in between a scooter and a full bike, with ease-of-use, reliability, and profitability in both developing markets as well as the developed world.

Another of Fujisawa’s requirements was that it could be ridden with one hand while carrying a tray of soba noodles, saying to Honda, “If you can design a small motorcycle, say 50cc, with a cover to hide the engine and hoses and wires inside, I can sell it. I don’t know how many soba noodle shops there are in Japan, but I bet you that every shop will want one for deliveries.”

Fujisawa’s design brief led to the debut of the Cub in 1958. Highlights of the design include distinctive plastic fairings (which greatly reduced weight and cost), a clutchless semi-automatic gearbox, and step-through chassis, which produced an easier-to-ride motorcycle for new riders. Unlike traditional scooters, the engine, designed to run on low-octane fuel, was cradled in the frame below the rider to improve front-rear balance. 17 inch wheels, in comparison to the typical 10 inch wheels of a scooter, were more stable, particularly on rough roads.

Continuously manufactured since 1958, with production surpassing 60 million in 2008, 87 million in 2014, and 100 million in 2017, the Super Cub is the most produced motor vehicle in history.

Specifications:

Manufacturer: Honda Motor Company, Ltd

Country of Origin: Japan

Engine: Honda, air-cooled, 50cc, OHV, single-cylinder, 4-stroke, 4.8 hp

Transmission:  3-speed semi-automatic, pedal-operated centrifugal clutch

Top Speed: 45 mph

Years of Production: 1958– present

Number Produced: Over 100 million

Original Cost: $245