Popularity cannot be relied
upon as an accurate gauge of the quality of a product. However, neither is
success a guarantor of banality. Introduced in 1958, sales of the ubiquitous
Honda Super Cub have recently crossed the threshold of 50 million. Unlike the
similarly counted McDonald’s hamburgers, the Super Cub has proven itself to be
anything but a consumable object. Although we cannot venture a guess as to how
many Super Cubs are still out on the world’s streets and roads—it is currently
sold in 160 countries—we suspect that many millions of the air-cooled,
two-valve, four-stroke motors are still spinning their three-speed,
automatic-clutch transmissions. The revolutionary pressed-steel step-through
frame and leading bottom link forks have also withstood the tortuous test of
time.
Robb Report MotorCycling is not immune to the allure of the
unpretentious machine. Senior Editor Don Williams started his off-roading career
in 1970 on a well-used Super Cub, with only a knobby rear tire as a
modification. His relentless pounding of the Super Cub drew nary a word of
protest from the ASPCA, as the bike ran flawlessly until it was passed on to the
next merciless motorcycling novice.
Dunlop Motorcycle Tires will offer a series of high-quality, collector’s edition Legends posters, with the net proceeds benefiting injured riders through the Clayton Memorial Foundation. ::MORE::
