Popularity cannot be relied upon as an accurate gauge of the quality of a product. However, neither is success a guarantor of banality. Introduced in 1958, sales of the ubiquitous Honda Super Cub have recently crossed the threshold of 50 million. Unlike the similarly counted McDonald’s hamburgers, the Super Cub has proven itself to be anything but a consumable object. Although we cannot venture a guess as to how many Super Cubs are still out on the world’s streets and roads—it is currently sold in 160 countries—we suspect that many millions of the air-cooled, two-valve, four-stroke motors are still spinning their three-speed, automatic-clutch transmissions. The revolutionary pressed-steel step-through frame and leading bottom link forks have also withstood the tortuous test of time.
Robb Report MotorCycling is not immune to the allure of the unpretentious machine. Senior Editor Don Williams started his off-roading career in 1970 on a well-used Super Cub, with only a knobby rear tire as a modification. His relentless pounding of the Super Cub drew nary a word of protest from the ASPCA, as the bike ran flawlessly until it was passed on to the next merciless motorcycling novice.
