1958 Honda Super Cub
In 1958, Honda introduced the original Super Cub. It was a friendly and easy to ride "step-through" motorcycle that offered mobility to the masses. The Super Cub was quite revolutionary for its time (you can read all about it on the wikipedia entry), but its also noteworthy for being the world's most manufactured vehicle. The Super Cub has been in continuous production since it's introduction in 1958 with over 100 million units produced.
2019 C125 Honda Super Cub
To celebrate the Cub's 60th Anniversary, Honda created the C125 as a modern tribute to the original from 1958. I was very excited to hear about this in 2018, but even more excited when I learned that it would be sold in America. I immediately called the local Honda dealer and placed a deposit. I took delivery some time the next year (early 2019) and brought it home to my garage for storage.
I absolutely adore this machine, something of a piece of art to me rather than transportation. Fuel injection, aluminum wheels, front disc brakes with ABS, LED lighting, keyless smart ignition, a catalytic converter, and even a digital instrumentation. All of this modern stuff, but the lines and colors are paying respect to the original. Gotta love that red seat!
I've owned a few other motorcycles earlier in my life ('74 Honda CL360 Scrambler, '82 Yamaha XJ650, and a '99 Suzuki SV650), but I'm actually terrified of riding. I was hit by a truck while riding the Yamaha and never quite felt comfortable on the road afterwards. That was a long time ago, but everyone is fixated on their smartphones while driving these days and I feel the risks are even higher. With that in mind, I bought the C125 on an MSO (Manufacturer Statement of Origin) and I never titled or registered it. For now, it simply rests in my garage and I enjoy looking at it.
In 2019, I spent three months living in Japan and I was able to enjoy a lot of Super Cub content while there. It was particularly interesting to observe the C125 "as it was designed", considering that the US market version (USDM) was required to meet different regulations and the turn signals, rear lighting, and reflectors were changed for the worse. Further down the webpage, I have a guide (with part numbers and pricing) for how to convert your Cub from USDM to JDM spec, back to the way it should be.
- Photos of the Japanese market (JDM) 2019 Honda Super Cub, on display at Honda's Aoyama Showroom in Tokyo, Japan
- Photos of Cub related content from the Honda Collection Hall in Motegi, Japan
- Photos from the 2019 annual "Cafe Cub" gathering at Honda's Aoyama Showroom in Tokyo, Japan
- In Japan, "Capsule Toys" are a popular thing for kids and adults. You put a couple of coins in a machine with some particular theme, twist the knob, then out comes a little capsule egg with your toy inside. I was pleased to discover a Super Cub capsule toy vending machine while In Japan and I got the whole set (they were 300 JPY each, or 3 USD):
I've also enjoyed collecting a ton of useful reference materials which I will share for you below. Please be patient, this is a work in progress!
- 2019 C125 Super Cub Owners Manual ( America / USDM)
- 2019 C125 Super Cub Owners Manual (Japanese / JDM)
- 2019 C125 Super Cub Owners Manual (European / EUDM)
- 2019 C125 Smart Key Operational Diagram
- Honda dealership "Set-up and Pre-Delivery Checklist"
- Parts Manual (American / USDM) - Waiting for the Publisher to release
- Parts Manual (Japanese / JDM)
- Parts Manual (European / EUDM)
- Service Manual (American / USDM) - Need to scan and upload someday
- Service Manual (Japanese / JDM) - Need to find
- Service Manual (European / EUDM) - Need to find
- Service Manual's page on Torque Values for maintenance services
- 2019 Honda C125 Super Cub dimensions
- Scrape of content from Honda's website in 2018 and 2019, upon release
- Reviews from various websites
- How to convert the USDM C125 to JDM configuration (lighting, decals, etc)
- Installation instructions for the USDM accessory luggage rack ( Honda Part Number 08L70-K0G-920 )
- C125 Super Cub featured in an episode of Jay Leno's Garage
- Cycle World magazine dyno pull of the C125
- Honda Japan created a "paper craft" Super Cub you can make at home with your kids!
- June 2018 Honda Japan press release about the C125
- Japanese / JDM catalogs and stuff I've obtained while traveling in Japan
- Super Cub C125 Customize Parts Catalog
- Special Parts Takegawa (aftermarket) rear passenger seat cushion
- Kaijima (aftermarket) side saddle bag support bars
- Japanese / JDM dealership sales brochure
- The sales brochure had this insert about custom rear footpegs
- 60th Anniversary sticker set (available only in Japan)
- 60th Anniversary / 100,000,000 "Thanks" brochure
- Japan only 60th Anniversary Helmet (I bought three of these, haha)
- Japan only 60th Anniversary casual jacket
- Japan only 60th Anniversary riding jacket
- Japan only 60th Anniversary key chains