The most successful motor vehicle in history isn’t the Toyota Corolla, and it’s isn’t the Ford F-Series pickup, or even the Volkswagen Beetle. It’s the Honda Super Cub, the two-wheeled miracle created by the Honda Motor Company in 1958. Conceived as an easy way for people to get around cities in postwar Japan, the Cub (which stands for Cheap Urban Bike, in case you were wondering) was designed as a follow-up to a popular engine kit that could be attached to a bicycle to aid the rider when pedaling. The 50 cc motorcycle became an instant hit, making Honda a leader in economical transportation and becoming one of Japan’s most successful export products. The Cub, which has sold more than 60 million units to date, is used in Japan in a wide range of industries, including delivery of mail and home-delivered ramen noodles. When I first got here I really wanted to buy one, although my high school-age students were shocked by this, since (in Japan) the stereotype of these small motorcycles is that only ojisan (middle-aged men) ride them, although there are enthusiasts who manage to tour the country on their little Cubs. Although sold in the U.S. and Europe, the Super Cub really caught on in Asia, especially in countries like Indonesia and Vietnam and where they’re used by millions — I’ll never forget going to Bangkok and seeing a family of five, including father, mother, two toddlers and a baby, perched on one of these tiny 50 cc bikes. Considering that the Honda Super Cub gets an amazing 340 mpg (146 kpl), it seems to me that this is the perfect solution to the current gasoline crisis. All we have to do is encourage everyone to start commuting on these cheap, economical motorcycles, perhaps after reworking our cities a little to be friendlier to slower-moving traffic. Who’s with me?
