In case you missed last week’s episode, Motorbike’s weekly iM Cubaholic series covers everything about the iconic Honda Cubs. The Cub is one of the most important bikes in both the motorcycle and Honda’s history. Honda changed the way people look at riding motorcycles with the introduction of the Super cub and the ad campaign “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” back in the 1950s. Since then Honda has sold over 100 million Cubs with a large Cub lineup/variants where some models are barely known. In this series, we cover everything from both known and unknown Cub models to their history, specs, features and many more. Are you a Cub addict? well, this is something you wouldn’t want to miss!
On this week’s episode of iM Cubaholic, we are taking you back to the roots of Honda Cubs with the Honda Cub F! Wondering why Honda decided to go with the name “Cub” for their record-breaking bike? Well, get ready to have your mind blown!
The first time Honda coined the name “Cub” was for the Honda Cub F in 1952! But it wasn’t for a motorcycle, it was the name given for their 50cc auxiliary engine that mounts to the rear wheel of a bicycle. The Cub F is very important in Honda’s history because this is one of the products that kickstarted Honda’s sales network nationwide in Japan. This is the origin of Cubs because Honda developed the first C100 Super Cub motorcycle 6 years later which in turn led to the development of countless Cub models that we know of now.
1952 Honda Cub F | Photo Credit: Mr.Bike JP
So, back to the name…the name “Cub” is actually derived from…drumroll….a bear cub! But, why? Honda went with the name “Cub” to basically suggest how the bike is free to roam and run around just like a bear cub in the wild! Now let’s take look at this extraordinary Honda Cub F – aka Honda’s first “Cub” in detail!
The Honda Cub F was introduced in 1952 as an auxiliary /clip-on 50cc engine for bicycles which could be mounted directly to the rear wheel of bicycles. It was designed with special consideration such as being; simpler, easier to use, and even more durable compared to the predecessor, Type F auxiliary bicycle engine.
The Honda Cub F was also popularly known as the “White tank and red engine”. This is because of its unique design and colour scheme. It’s actually mindblowing when we think of how Honda came up with the idea of selling a “clip-on engine” kit to get people into motorcycling. Not just that, their method of sales with this bike was also something new for the company.
Did you know, the Cub F helped Honda establish their first national independent dealer network? Managing director Takeo Fujisawa initiated a direct-mail campaign to 50,000 bicycle dealers to help them sell the Cub F. In return Honda received 30,000 replies from which they selected 13,000 dealers. On top of this, he also initiated a loan scheme to all customers. This allowed customers to make the payment for the “bike” across 12 months. You read something about the box earlier, right? Well, Honda sold the Cub F directly to bicycle stores in a 33x33x60cm cardboard box which had all the documents and mounting brackets.
The Japan-only Cub F was sold for 25,000 yen (235USD/RM1000; with the current exchange rate) – this was roughly three months starting salary of an average white-collar worker in Japan. However, Honda’s price for quality, reliability and ease of use meant people were still willing to pay; pushing sales over 25,000 units in the first year of production!
However, Honda ceased production of the Cub F in 1954 because the bicycles weren’t made by Honda so they had no control over the quality of the overall product. On top of this, Honda looked into to focus on changing consumer demand as Japan’s postwar economy improved. Eventually, the demand led to the creation of the C100 Super Cub later in 1958.
Hint for collectors: The Cub F rarely gets on sale. However, recently a Honda Cub F was sold at an auction for 500 Euros for parts. In case you come across a mint unit during your next trip to Japan, just GET IT! These would only grow in value so don’t lose the chance! In case you have any more details on the Cub F, feel free to contact us!
The unit mounts to the bicycle via two brackets; one at the engine head and the other one at the engine casing. The engine unit connects to sandwich-type sprockets to drive the rear wheel of the bicycle. On top of this, with the whole unit weighing only 6kg, a nicely designed fuel tank and dynamo headlamp came along with the engine to go hand in hand- the overall aesthetic of the unit actually gained a lot of attention from the public.
The Honda Cub F kit came with an; air-cooled, 50cc, two-stroke single-cylinder engine which was capable of production 1bhp at 3,600rpm. The Cub F had no transmission, it had only two levers; throttle and clutch, where the clutch was used start the engine. Yes, like mopeds you need pedal the bike and engage the clutch to push-start the engine. According to sources, the 1bhp Cub F could do 35kmph. However, it all depends on the rider’s weight and the condition of the road. Did you know, when Honda released the first Super Cub (C100) with 4bhp, only 10% of Japan’s roads were paved!
iM Cubaholic Ep.1: Honda EZ90 Cub / EZ-9
iM Cubaholic Ep.2: Honda C110 Sports Cub – The Roadster Cub