The Greatest Motorcycle of All Time? A Brief History of The Honda Super Cub

[Formerly YB-2]

Have owned two (2) Truimphs. A '76 Bonneville and a '71 T100R. The T100R was my favorite 'round town' ride. Tickle the carb and it always started with one or two easy kicks. Wonderfully balanced so very agile. Just enough vibration to not be the best highway cruiser. The Bonneville was a fair bit more temperamental. Am sure the new one is very nice. For the highway nothing was like my '81 Honda CBX.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2

Have owned two (2) Truimphs. A '76 Bonneville and a '71 T100R. The T100R was my favorite 'round town' ride. Tickle the carb and it always started with one or two easy kicks. Wonderfully balanced so very agile. Just enough vibration to not be the best highway cruiser. The Bonneville was a fair bit more temperamental. Am sure the new one is very nice. For the highway nothing was like my '81 Honda CBX.

The T100 is still going strong. Very popular model. Triumph is playing it smart and keeping the retro bikes going with careful/mindful modern upgrades and updates without straying too far from the classic appeal and alienating their loyal fans/customers.

I spoke to a local dealer and was informed Triumph is having trouble keeping up with global demand and has seen record sales in US. Dealer said he is only getting roughly half the inventory he could sell this fall/next spring...



1971 T100










2021 T100

[Formerly YB-2]

The new T100 is quite different from the original. 900cc vs 490cc. 55hp vs 41hp. 5spd vs 4spd. Longer wheelbase, more weight (still under 500#). Etc., etc. Time marches on.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2

The new T100 is quite different from the original. 900cc vs 490cc. 55hp vs 41hp. 5spd vs 4spd. Longer wheelbase, more weight (still under 500#). Etc., etc. Time marches on.

The average American has also grown in size a bit… hence the upgraded bike capacity

https://www.healthline.com/health/me...weight-for-men

[Formerly YB-2]

Grown, all right. In circumference.

[PHC1]

Here are some historic facts about the Super Cub for those who may be interested.


What do Japanese people really want?
The search of the priorities matching the times begins
Moped or scooter? In 1956, Honda president Soichiro Honda and managing director Takeo Fujisawa traveled to Europe in search of hints to what their next major product should be. Instead, what they discovered were major differences in each country’s conditions, and how small bikes were used. They arrived at the firm belief that a new concept in motorcycles was necessary: The search of the priorities matching the times thus begins.




https://global.honda/products/motorc...tory/vol1.html



:

[Samac]

Originally Posted by PHC1

Here are some historic facts about the Super Cub for those who may be interested.


[I]What do Japanese people really want?


https://global.honda/products/motorc...tory/vol1.html



:

Great link, thanks.

Cheers,

Scott

[PHC1]

[Azbiker]

I remember 1 or 2 of those Super Cub's running around my small midwestern town in the 60's. The first Honda CB750 had more of an impact on me though. By then I was in 5th grade and had discovered car and motorcycle magazines that I bought with paper route money. Fast forward to 1975, my sophomore year in high school, and I was totally taken by the BMW R90s in Daytona Orange. I still own one today.




I did also own a 2014 Triumph Thruxton until I traded that for my Ducati V4s Corse Edition.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Azbiker

I remember 1 or 2 of those Super Cub's running around my small midwestern town in the 60's. The first Honda CB750 had more of an impact on me though. By then I was in 5th grade and had discovered car and motorcycle magazines that I bought with paper route money. Fast forward to 1975, my sophomore year in high school, and I was totally taken by the BMW R90s in Daytona Orange. I still own one today.




I did also own a 2014 Triumph Thruxton until I traded that for my Ducati V4s Corse Edition.

R90 is a very cool bike!


From the time I was 12 and got interested in all things that had wheels and an engine, the motocross bikes had the biggest impact on me. I dreamt of owning one but living in NYC at the time, there was neither a place to ride it nor the funds available.

I also did a paper route, which was not easy in NYC with all the apartment buildings/apartments to keep track of But I did earn some cash and kept buying and reading all the available magazines on motocross and then carefully cut out the pages and plastered them all over my bedroom walls. There was not one spot that remained empty, all the way up to the ceiling. That was awesome! Motorcross wallpaper...

I did buy a nice preowned Suzuki RM125 at 16 after landing a more serious summer job. Learned quite a bit about maintenance and riding and kept the bike upstate NY where I could actually ride it on trails. Wonderful memories.