I was going to start by telling you how many C50s, C70s and C90s have been sold in the world since their introduction, even what countries they haven't been sold in, but Honda UK, helpful as ever, just sent an apologetic reply claiming a lack of information, that they've never had any problems with camchains and a very pretty six page glossy brochure of the new lightweight range minus price list - so I'll just have to ad lib.
The Honda Cub series is perhaps the greatest selling range of two wheel transport of all time - and it’s easy to see why. The whole package can tolerate a great deal of abuse, especially those engines. It’s always been cheap and most people can afford a used one should they feel the need .
Once purchased the owner will be rewarded with a frugality unmatched in the combustion world. And with a modified rear suspension system (a pair of iron rods would suffice) could take people down the road day after day, year after year. There are problems that anyone thinking of buying one should take into account they are poorly suited to learner riders because the gear change is dreadful, they are terribly slow (the C50 dangerously so and the soggy handling is made a lot worse by the application of the weak brakes, in which forward motion is dissipated by the simple expedient of sending it upwards - yuk!) All in all, they are best ridden by riders able to extract the full performance envelope, being fully conversant with the limited safety parameters. Well, something like that anyway...
In the unlikely event of any type of engine failure, the biggest mistake is to try to repair it. A full gasket set costs £10, piston and re-bore £25, main bearings £12, camchain £10. Clearly, despite these relatively low prices, the easiest solution is to purchase a running engine or even bike. £50 should buy a machine that functions, has a log-book, MOT, no tax, a rusty rack and possibly a top box, a helmet three sizes too big and maybe a manual.
Some bikes can be found at the local dump, where useful things like legal tyres, indicators and spark plugs can be removed or carted away if you have access to a large van or hatchback. Local Government operatives are more than helpful if you remember to find a small contribution for the widows and orphans fund.
With regard to day to day running the trick is to leave well alone until failure occurs, except, of course, for regular oil changes, although in some circles even this is seen as an unnecessary and perverse practice. Anything more tends to upset the balance, tuning is a complete waste of time and money, as it’s easier to move up the capacity range.
Rearsets are not difficult to fit, but the linkage stiffens up the gear change. Clip-ons are possible if you fit the front end off something like a Kawa AP80. The leg shields work extremely well at keeping muck off your legs, throwing them away doesn’t increase speed and leaves the machine looking very illegal. If you do remove them you’d better pay the extortionate £10 a year in tax, which contributes nothing to top speed, reliability or handling.
The stock exhaust system is blissfully quiet and has a long life. After a while the silencer falls off, and although the bike will run happily enough it rather embarrassingly sounds like a chorus of wet duck farts. Used systems can be found at any reputable breakers yard for a nominal sum.
Comfort is a low priority in the Cub range. A car seat positioned in the U would help here, unfortunately the cost of hub centre steering rather limits further development in this area. Uprating the rear shocks for heavy riders or those who demand some damping is easy and cheap, but do remember that Suzuki X7 shocks require the centre stand removal.
Small size shouldn’t hinder long distance travel. A friend of mine covered 1500 miles in 6 days, his only complaints were weak lighting that curtailed night riding and a desire for a little more power over the Alps. He still has the machine and is even considering getting a licence.
To sum up, the whole ambience of the C is one of anonymity. It enables one to travel anywhere, at any time, in any part of the world and be quite unnoticed. A perfect travelling module for the humble man or woman.
Robert Garnham
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