The Symba Conquers the Australian Outback

Two intrepid Australian chaps have made the 2,148 mile journey across their home continent, from Perth to Melbourne - each on a Symba, of course!  Of note is the fact that on one day of the trip the temperature went over 110 degrees (F)!  Just shows to go you - the Symba is a quality machine that can take extremes in stride and just keep going.  The only issue either bike had during the 7-day trek was a flat tire (or, "tyre", to use the king's English).  The full story is here.

A Few Simple Customizations Can Make Your Symba Really Special!

This Symba is new on my list of favorites!  The owner painted the side covers to match the body - which may sound like a minor point but I think it really enhances the classic "Cub" lines of the bike - and he added rally striping and decal to the legshield.  Nnnice!  I'm not too keen on windshields, though - but if you're going for that British "Mod" scooter look, they work.  About 8 more headlamps would be fitting as well.  Perhaps that's next on his list!  Thanks for the submission!  Visit the owner's blog here.

Symba Appears in Local News Report on Scooter Industry

Story link: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

It's not great news (scooter sales off by 67% compared with prior year - oof!), but there is a great shot of the Symba.

Taiwan's Super Cub History...

The Super Cub is the most manufactured motor vehicle in history, having been made not just in Japan but throughout Asia for the past 52 years.  

In Taiwan, Honda chose to license manufacturing to local companies operating on the Island, rather than pay the stiff import duties levied on imported vehicles.

The company they chose to manufacture Honda motorcycles for them was Sanyang Industry Co. (SYM), which started production of the Super Cub in 1962. This photo is of the SYM museum in Hsinchu, Taiwan.  Note the C100 Cub on the right and the Symba on the far left, with all the intervening models in between.


Today, SYM is one of the major manufacturers of both motorcycles and automobiles in Taiwan.  No longer under license from Honda, SYM produces a line of world-class quality scooters and motorcycles that are designed in Taiwan by SYM engineers, and compete with Honda and other major brands head-on.  SYM has won praise and admiration for its extremely high quality standards and the resulting durability of its scooters.  Thus, we have the Symba, which came to these shores in 2009, two years after SYM's entry into the USA.

Download it Today - The Symba Service Manual!

The Symba Service Manual.  Every Symba owner should have a copy of this document.  If you ever need to adjust your valve clearance, set the ignition timing, gap a new spark plug, replace the main fuse, etc... this is the source for technical specifications and instructions on how to make such adjustments and repairs.


As far as I know, this is the only copy available in its entirety online.


Download it here.

The Symba is for Sale in California! Finally!

The Scoot Shop of Sacramento, CA announces the arrival of the Symba to dealerships in sunny California.  What took so long?  The answer is, it was the very stringent and incredibly slow CARB (California Air Resources Board) certification process, which can take upwards of a year or more from the date of application to approval.  Without a CARB certificate, a scooter or motorcycle can't be legally sold in the state of California.  Period.  California is a very important state for scooters, partly because its the nation's most populous state (with nearly 40 million residents), but also because more scooters are sold there than in any other state by a wide margin (runner up:  Texas).  Also, California has the distinction of being where, in 1959, Honda opened its USA headquarters and introduced the Super Cub to American scooteristas.  The Cub was a big hit - and inspired at hit song, too - the 1964 Beach Boy's tune, "Little Honda".  The arrival of the Symba in California signals the return of the classic Cub to its American spawning grounds, and (finally) gives Cub enthusiasts there the opportunity to get back on their favorite ride!

Binh is Back (home)!

Our friend and intrepid Symba-trekker Binh Cheung has completed his incredible ride to Alaska and back!  Both rider and Symba made it in good shape - Binh showing himself to be quite the minimalist (the photo above is his Symba with all the gear he took on his month-long trip.  No chase vehicle - just Binh, Symba, tent and sleeping bag!) and the 2010 Symba proving its durability and endurance!  Binh has posted a summary of his ride and a bunch of great photos at SYMplifylife.com.


Editor's note:  The previous post about the fire at Carter Brothers has been removed.  I've made the decision not to distract Team Symba from our primary interest - the bike!