The Honda Super Cub Gets A Heart Transplant

With over 100 million examples sold since its production run began in 1958, it is impossible to understate the significance of the Honda Super Cub. With this much heritage on the line, Big Red isn't going to let the Super Cub fade away anytime soon, which is why the 2021 version has just been unveiled with a new engine to help it meet ever more stringent emission norms.

The outgoing version is powered by a 124cc motor with bore and stroke dimensions of 52.4mm x 57.9mm, and a compression ratio of 9.3:1. The 2021 Super Cub C125 gets a 123.94cc motor with cylinder dimensions of 50.0mm x 63.1mm, and a compression ratio of 10:1. Not entirely coincidentally, these engine specs are exactly the same as those of the new Honda Grom, except that while the Grom gets a conventional 5-speed gearbox, the Cub receives a 4-speed unit with a centrifugal clutch. In fact, this new 125cc motor seems to be a bored-out version of the Super Cub C110's engine, which also has a 63.1mm stroke.

• Honda Grom To Go Electric?
• The Honda Rebel Has Gotten One Step Closer To India!

While there are no output figures for this new motor yet, we do know that the previous engine produced 9.7PS and 9.81Nm, and the new one is likely to be in the same ballpark. Aside from the engine update, there are no other changes to the Super Cub C125, so you still get the neo-retro underbone design with modern features like keyless operation and LED lighting. Suspension duties are handled by a telescopic fork and twin shock absorbers, and there's a disc brake up front assisted by a drum brake at the rear. Thanks to the new motor, ground clearance is up from 125mm to 136mm.

With no real market for geared mopeds in India, it is unlikely that the Super Cub will ever be launched in our country.

Image Source