When the world “motorcycle” comes up, what’s the first thing showing up in your mind? Is it a Harley, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and his shotgun? Is it the scene from John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. John Wick is getting its own anime by the way, most likely directed by Chad Stahelski. Or, is it Onizuka-sensei in GTO?

Aside from those wild, unruly, and daredevil-like images of motorcycles, there is a segment with nothing more than practicality and a happy ordinary life. Enter the world of Honda Cub.

The Honda Cub, or also known as Honda Super Cub, is a simple underbone motorcycle. This old motorcycle line has been around for decades, as far back as 1958. Yes, even older than the early magical girl anime, Sally The Witch.

This might be seemed sentimental, but this bike exists in many people’s sweet childhood as their dads’ primary mean of transportation around town. Nothing beats a nostalgia with a classic bike like the Honda Cub.

But, what’s exactly the deal with this comically small bike? Compared to the typical motorcycles, it seems tiny. Even the tiny Grom has more grunt than this old geezer. And, how does it even relate to anime? Well, let’s dig into its history first.

Honda Cub History

“You meet the nicest people on a Honda.”

1963 Honda’s iconic advertising tagline.

This Honda was the one who pioneered Honda’s image as the nice people’s ride. The charming and tidy looking, non-threatening, and overall simplistic design of a Honda Cub has been the epitome of beginner-friendly small motorcycles.

First produced in 1958, this bike is older than even some nations in the world. Modern-day Algeria can technically call it senpai, if it even makes sense. What’s surprising is that a version of the Honda Cub is still in production and being sold worldwide. This bike earns the title of one of the longest production motorcycles ever.

Among many models of the Honda Cub, the most recognizable might be the C70, C90, and the C125. Overall, it is the most sold motorcycle worldwide. By 2008, Honda had sold over 60 million Cubs. By 2017, the sales raked up to 100 million.

On a side note, the advertising tagline was the most brilliant copy of its time. Why? To understand how much of an impact the tagline was, you should know the context of how the motorcycle world back then.

Honda Cub Was A Counter Culture In The 1960s

The early 60s was the era of motorcycle gangs in the US. Combined with massive culture shift. The life of a motorcyclist had become synonymous with thrill-seeking and, of course, freedom on the road.

Even more so, the competition between American and British manufactures also had become heated. Triumph first brought out their legendary Bonneville in 1959, while Harley-Davidson later introduced its new Shovelhead engine in 1966. So, the motorcycle market became flooded with rumbling V-twins.

However, when Honda came up with their “nice guy” tagline, they ventured into a completely different market. And on top of that, the motorcycle they marketed was the Honda Cub. Honda manufactured tons of variants of the Super Cub. This bike became the go-to for many who sought a means of transportation, the basic function of a bike.

The Honda Cub is a motorcycle that caters not only to motorcyclists but also to non-motorcyclists. In a time when most motorcyclists may strive to be like the iconic Marlon Brando, the Honda Cub appeals to regular people.

All that most people want from a transportation is practicality, and simplicity. Most importantly, it should transport them from point A to point B, without much hassle. As a result, this beginner-friendly bike has achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the highest-selling motorcycle ever.

Why The Honda Cub Is An Eternal Bike

Despite its old age, the Honda Cub stays on the market. It seems like they are not going away soon either. With how technology improves in motorcycle manufacturing, it’s not surprising at all if manufacturers release a new motorcycle every few years.

However, Honda Cub owe its timelessness to its genius design and intent behind its production. Back in 1956, founder and co-founder, Seichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa took a tour in Germany. There, they visited motorcycles showroom like Lambretta. After seeing how popular mopeds and small motorcycles were in Europe, Honda went into work on the production of the Super Cub.

Fujisawa made notes how their motorcycles should be practical and appeal to the popular masses. He intended that the bikes they were producing should enable the rider to ride with one hand on the handle bar, and the other carrying a tray of soba noodles. In short, they also envisioned that the Cub should be ideal for food deliveries.

The Honda Cub, Now And Then

The first Honda Super Cub was the C100 with a 50 cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine. The C100 could go up to 70 kph or 43 mph, which is more than enough for commuting in Japan.

It was what Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa thought the general people needed. A small, underbone bike, which was mass-produced and so it was easy to acquire parts. And, on top of that, anyone could hop on one without much training.

Today, the most recent variant is the 2024 Honda Super Cub C125 ABS, which is priced at $3,899. The current version has a 125 cc air-cooled engine. The bike can go up to 104 kph or 65 mph, with a meager 9 horsepower. The C125 can go as far as 188 miles with only one gallon of fuel, well, that’s all the fuel capacity anyway. Of course, you can’t take it to the highway, but it makes a nice in-town commuter.

Since its conception, the Cub is intended as a mean of transportation for everyone able to twist the gas, change gears, and hit the brake. The bike has always meant to be simple, easy to maintain, and cheap to buy. So, it is no wonder that the Honda Cub has become the motorcycle of the masses.

Who Should Ride It?

Alright now that we have the idea of what the Honda Cub is, the reason for its creation, and why it exists until today, it is time to say who is the most deserving character to ride this mini masterpiece.

Since there is an anime called Super Cub featuring the bike, it would be a low-hanging fruit to just go for the main character of that anime. The Honda Cub screams ordinary life, but it is undeniable that the bike is special, it’s ordinarily special.

So, it would only be fair to give it to someone who is yearning for an ordinary life. Someone who suffers from being special and would love to see the beauty of being average. That’s right, it is Saiki Kusuo from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.

Saiki Kusuo And The Suffering Of A Psychic

The anime is a comedy with absurd sense of humor and some innuendos, but overall a fun one to watch. The story revolves around Saiki, a high school student with psychic abilities. However, he is never happy with his power, the man is absolutely done with it. Although, it sometimes proves to be convenient, like when he got terrified by a cockroach and teleported himself to Texas.

He speaks through telepathy without anyone else noticing that his lips never actually move. He can see through things, although it leaves him only seeing people as muscle and bones. Clearly, living like this for maybe fifteen, sixteen years is not always fun.

The Honda Cub Is A Much Needed Respite For Saiki

Saiki’s extraordinary since he was born, so he has never felt what it is to be a normal boy. Until, he meets Satou Hiroshi. Satou goes to the same school as Saiki. Everything about Satou is extremely average. Average, height, weight, grades, family, everything about Satou is average down to the most minute detail.

Because of this, Saiki becomes obsessed with Satou. He craves the normalcy that Satou has. For that reason, I think Saiki would love a Honda Cub. The bike is an epitome of what a normal rider is. There’s no flashy design, no overly offensive exhaust, no expensive price and maintenance. The Honda Cub would grant everything that Saiki craves.