Motorcycle.com

mjs · 10-21-2006, 03:50 AM

Thanks, I laughed until I cried. They really were great at what they did.

I never owned a Honda Cub but wish that I could buy a new one today.

Best bike ever, no. But they probably created more smiles than any other.

bigjames · 10-21-2006, 04:10 AM

Gee, the ad says "You meet the nicest people on a Honda.".

What happened?

gbrummett · 10-21-2006, 04:14 AM

At over 50 million sold throughout the world you should have titled it [b]"Most Motorcycles of any kind sold, the Honda Cub"[b]

seruzawa · 10-21-2006, 06:07 AM

Yep. My first bike was a 1962 Honda 50 Cub. Of course I immediately got rid of the stupid fairing since it reduced the top speed from 45mph to about 38mph. And the front brake was about useless. All it ever needed was a new piston about every 9 months since I had to ride it at wide open throttle every second. And it still got 125 mpg. That's good since the fuel tank only held .8 gallons. Still it took me all over Torrance, Palos Verdes, Redondo, etc for three years at which time I sold it when I went into the Navy.

Definitely the 90 is a better idea since the couple extra horsepower makes a heck of a lot of difference.

You see these all over Asia. I've still got some old photos of entire families riding on these things in Danang in '68. The Vn "Cowboys" (the youth gangs that ran the country) preferred the S90 style 50cc mopeds over the step-through Cubs. I guess back then a Vn civilian had to be rich to own a Honda 90. Occasionally we'd see someone on a CL90 but 99% of the bikes were Cubs and Mopeds.

xlr8r · 10-21-2006, 07:42 AM

One in three of all the motorcycles ever made is a Honda, and over half their total production since they began in 1948 has been Cubs. Therefore one in six of all the motorcycles ever made...is a Cub.

They also carry more than their own weight in payload, which few other bikes do; there's something neat about that.

The_AirHawk · 10-21-2006, 07:53 AM

I've seen pics of an entire factory floor covered in those fairings - all stacked vertically, like soldiers waiting to go to war........

Kind of creepy, actually.

mikenomad · 10-21-2006, 09:02 AM

We used to refer to the fairing on a Honda 50 as "chaps" as in what cowboys wore in the Westerns we watched while growing up in the fifties.

mikenomad · 10-21-2006, 09:05 AM

Nobody ever performed a stoppie on a Honda 50, but if you wound it all the way out in first gear and yanked the bars as you kicked it into second, you could loft the wheel for a few feet.

Mike_Dirt · 10-21-2006, 03:31 PM

This video brought back memories that had sat dormant in my mind for more than 30 years - thankyou.

I was 16 years old (I'm now 55) when I won a ex-postman's 50cc Honda motorcycle - it was my first bike. Little did I know then, that this was the beginning of an eduring love affair with motorcycles. I have had more than 20 bikes to date, ranging in size from 50-1000cc. Currently, I ride a Honda NSR 150 SP. Don't laugh, this model used to do well in the 125 class at the Moto GP, and its light weight, make it a joy for city riding.

Thanks again for triggering some great boyhood memories.

Mike.

Gritboy · 10-21-2006, 03:38 PM

What a hoot down memory lane. While I never road the Cub 50, I road a Honda Trail 90 (descendant of the Cub 90) in my formative years on our ranch for chores, hunting, etc., and it never failed. Sadly, it rusted away from years of salted roads during the spring thaw, but man did that thing take a lickin'. Simple, fun and indestructible are definitely true, but stylish and powerful are not.

10-21-2006, 03:50 AM	#1
mjs Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 114	Re: The Best Motorcycle Ever! Thanks, I laughed until I cried. They really were great at what they did. I never owned a Honda Cub but wish that I could buy a new one today. Best bike ever, no. But they probably created more smiles than any other.

10-21-2006, 04:10 AM	#2
bigjames Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 408	Re: The Best Motorcycle Ever! Gee, the ad says "You meet the nicest people on a Honda.". What happened?

10-21-2006, 04:14 AM	#3
gbrummett Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 512	It should have read Most Sold! At over 50 million sold throughout the world you should have titled it [b]"Most Motorcycles of any kind sold, the Honda Cub"[b]

10-21-2006, 06:07 AM	#4
seruzawa Robby Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: 8501 ft. Posts: 16,803	Re: The Best Motorcycle Ever! Yep. My first bike was a 1962 Honda 50 Cub. Of course I immediately got rid of the stupid fairing since it reduced the top speed from 45mph to about 38mph. And the front brake was about useless. All it ever needed was a new piston about every 9 months since I had to ride it at wide open throttle every second. And it still got 125 mpg. That's good since the fuel tank only held .8 gallons. Still it took me all over Torrance, Palos Verdes, Redondo, etc for three years at which time I sold it when I went into the Navy. Definitely the 90 is a better idea since the couple extra horsepower makes a heck of a lot of difference. You see these all over Asia. I've still got some old photos of entire families riding on these things in Danang in '68. The Vn "Cowboys" (the youth gangs that ran the country) preferred the S90 style 50cc mopeds over the step-through Cubs. I guess back then a Vn civilian had to be rich to own a Honda 90. Occasionally we'd see someone on a CL90 but 99% of the bikes were Cubs and Mopeds. __________________ I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tanhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain.

10-21-2006, 07:42 AM	#5
xlr8r Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 277	Re: The Best Motorcycle Ever! One in three of all the motorcycles ever made is a Honda, and over half their total production since they began in 1948 has been Cubs. Therefore one in six of all the motorcycles ever made...is a Cub. They also carry more than their own weight in payload, which few other bikes do; there's something neat about that.

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10-21-2006, 07:53 AM	#6
The_AirHawk Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Livin' in a Van: down by the Mariana Trench Posts: 10,891	Re: The Best Motorcycle Ever! I've seen pics of an entire factory floor covered in those fairings - all stacked vertically, like soldiers waiting to go to war........ Kind of creepy, actually. __________________ *Parfois, on fait pas semblant* Sometimes, it's not pretend Oderint Dum Metuant Let them hate so long as they fear политики предпочитают безоружных крестьян Politicians Prefer Unarmed Peasants Nothing to see here, Citizen. Move along now...

10-21-2006, 09:02 AM	#7
mikenomad Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 361	Re: The Best Motorcycle Ever! We used to refer to the fairing on a Honda 50 as "chaps" as in what cowboys wore in the Westerns we watched while growing up in the fifties.

10-21-2006, 09:05 AM	#8
mikenomad Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 361	Re: Stupid Cub Tricks Nobody ever performed a stoppie on a Honda 50, but if you wound it all the way out in first gear and yanked the bars as you kicked it into second, you could loft the wheel for a few feet.

10-21-2006, 03:31 PM	#9
Mike_Dirt Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2	Re: The Best Motorcycle Ever! This video brought back memories that had sat dormant in my mind for more than 30 years - thankyou. I was 16 years old (I'm now 55) when I won a ex-postman's 50cc Honda motorcycle - it was my first bike. Little did I know then, that this was the beginning of an eduring love affair with motorcycles. I have had more than 20 bikes to date, ranging in size from 50-1000cc. Currently, I ride a Honda NSR 150 SP. Don't laugh, this model used to do well in the 125 class at the Moto GP, and its light weight, make it a joy for city riding. Thanks again for triggering some great boyhood memories. Mike.

10-21-2006, 03:38 PM	#10
Gritboy Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 530	Re: The Best Motorcycle Ever! What a hoot down memory lane. While I never road the Cub 50, I road a Honda Trail 90 (descendant of the Cub 90) in my formative years on our ranch for chores, hunting, etc., and it never failed. Sadly, it rusted away from years of salted roads during the spring thaw, but man did that thing take a lickin'. Simple, fun and indestructible are definitely true, but stylish and powerful are not.