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Sunday, March 17, 2019

The Honda Super Cub is Back!

Saints be praised, it's a bona fide miracle.  Honda, having kept the Super Cub away from US enthusiasts since 1983 (the last year the "Passport C70" was sold in America) has finally decided it's time for it to make a comeback!  The 2019 Honda Super Cub C125 is available in Honda Powersports dealerships across the country!

Honda announced this news in late 2018, but decided to wait until bikes were actually being delivered to dealerships to post anything, and I am now pleased to say that, yes, it is, no joke, really happening.  Although allocations are small, anyone in the US wanting to buy a genuine Honda Cub can go to their nearest dealer and put in an order.

There are two reasons why I am excited about the 2019 Cub:  first, because Honda has designed this year's model to be much closer in appearance to the classic C100/C102 of the 1960's compared to, say, the 2013 model year, which IMHO looked more like a Honda Wave/Innova than a Cub; second, because Honda has loaded up the 2019 model with many new features, such as:


  • ABS front disk brake
  • Fuel injection
  • 125cc engine
  • 4-speed transmission
  • Telescopic fork front suspension
  • LED lighting
  • Fuel gauge, gear indicator, trip odometer
  • Keyless start
A few downsides:
  • Price - $3,600 (quite a jump in MSRP from the SYM Symba @ $2,400)
  • Electric start only - no kickstarter (we've all been there before)
  • You can get any color you want, as long as its blue
  • Solo only - no option for a bench or pillion seat and no passenger pegs (of course, the aftermarket may change this)
  • Keyless start - more to go wrong and a drain on the battery
  • Limited availability - but worth the wait if you want one
So, with the exit of the Symba in 2016, at least Cub enthusiasts have a new (and totally unexpected) option!  

I have to say, IMHO the 2019 Honda Super Cub is superior to the SYM Symba. Not just because its a Honda, although that's a big part of it, but because of the fidelity the bike has to the Super Cub legacy.  You just can't beat that.

Of course, if you own a Symba, you have a great bike - so, enjoy it!