Honda C50: A Look at My Famous, Efficient & Reliable Super Cub

Curiously, all other things being equal, I recently took out my hard-earned money, travelled to another city (twice) in search of a used 1995 Honda C50 Super Cub.

Running it for about three months now, I’d love to share my story: why I decided on something this small, day-to-day life with the Super Cub, and importantly, my impression of the most produced vehicle of all time.

So, why did I choose the slowest bike of all time (in my world and opinion) as something I now frequently ride? Like strange love affairs, it’s complicated. Extremely complicated.

The Strange Romance

I’ve always been a fan of well-made, over-engineered vehicles that stand the test of time when it comes to reliability. This is why I voted the original Lexus LS400 (LS430 actually) and the Mercedes W124 as the best-made sedans of all time, period.

It’s also the reason why, for bikes, I desire only the little 1995 Honda 50 Super Cub and the Honda Goldwing in its current generation: two extremely well-made bikes, both super reliable and at the opposite end of the spectrum from each other.

The decision to buy the Goldwing in its current production year was made without any challenge; the issue was with the little Cub. For some strange reason, I don’t like the older ones (just like I don’t especially love the original LS400). I also don’t like the newer models, especially the 125s with fuel injection, electric start, and whatnot.

I love these bikes as simple as possible; just a slight improvement to the original, but nothing too crazy. This is where I made my decision to stick to the 90s, especially the mid-90s.

The challenge was that the Honda C50 Super Cub is slow: its 49cc motor won’t win any races, and with a top speed that doesn’t especially threaten any serious runner, I wasn’t in any hurry to buy one.

However, when I read that Honda was axing the little Super Cub 50 (no thanks to policy and new emission standards), I knew the wait for me was over: I needed to make my move or kill the dream since May 2025 was the deadline.

I made my move (it was way easier since I’m still searching for a worthy successor to the ES330 I sold a few months back). I travelled hundreds of miles to a small town where almost every bike on its streets is a Super Cub. There, I met Slow C, my new-to-me Honda C50 Cub.

First Impressions, Riding Dynamics & the First Month

When I first took a close and interested look at the Honda 50 Super Cub, it looked cute and little, in a great way. I loved the minimalism, the clean fit and finish, and importantly, the fact that it would be sipping fuel virtually through all driving conditions.

I took another hard, serious look at the little Cub and couldn’t stop appreciating Japanese minimalism and build quality, common to that generation. Despite my dislike of small engines, this looked like a romance that would end in marriage.

And, marriage it did end in!

When I actually sat on the bike, I was beyond shocked at how grossly underpowered the little Cub actually was. So underpowered was it that I believed that the unit I was test riding was bad and asked for another. And yet another.

Same sad story.

I reached top speed quickly (though the actual timing was anything but fast). At the max speed, I could easily hold the throttle and ride all day at that rate. This realization made me painfully aware just how slow the 49cc engine was.

Then came the hills and the now sacred (and intentional) art of navigating them. With only three gears and a top speed that posed no threat even to a turtle, going up them was a painfully slow challenge, especially since I quickly formed the habit of not bothering the transmission too much and instead, riding the bike all through in third gear, like an automatic.

The clutchless shifting was also new to me; the last bike I rode had a solid independent clutch that needed to be worked before gear changes. This centrifugal clutch, on the other hand? Just ease on the throttle, depress the foot lever, and you’re in (or out of) gear!

This was easy enough, though it took some time for my brain to internalize: I was either getting it too early or getting it too late. To this day, I still occasionally make that mistake and wonder if I’ll ever master the shift points like a true biker.

The ride itself was (and remains) smooth – if the bike isn’t pushed to the extremes. However, attempt max speed or insist on keeping up with highway traffic, and the fun of it quickly flies out of your helmet: the bike vibrates, not violently, but annoyingly (and enough to make you detest it).

The first month was spent and rounded up with me thinking daily about what manner of mistake I made when I decided on the Honda Super Cub 50 of all the options open to me in the world!

Maintenance, Fueling & MPGs

The Honda C50 is an extremely small and cute bike. Fortunately (or unfortunately – depending on place or situation), this reality can both be a good and bad thing.

On the road, there’s little to love above its size and cuteness, especially when this impedes your carrying capacity and translates to no real benefits. However, when it comes to maintenance, the bike’s small size more than makes up for its uselessness in the payload department.

The bike, for instance, takes only about .06 liters of engine oil. The specification is mineral tech, which translates to small and cheap. With an OCI of about 1000 km (700 miles) between OCIs, this has the record for the cheapest vehicle I’ve owned and needed to run.

The great part? There’s no oil filter, and the engine oil also serves the transmission and clutch…one stone, essentially killing three birds all at once. The drain bolt is also situated straight down, making it super easy for anyone, even without prior oil change experience, to run oil changes on this little bike.

So, for regular maintenance, just cheap little oil changes, essentially, and you’re on the road again. The chain and other lub parts can be ignored – if you’re lazy…you won’t damage anything or even feel it, at least, not immediately.

Regarding MPGs, WeBike reports that the little Super Cub has an economy rating of 135 km/l (over 300 miles to a single gallon!)

While this sounds almost too good to be true, when I first bought the bike and rode it home (on the open freeway), I noticed that I got an economy figure very close to this. I travelled about 120 km and only burnt about a liter of fuel.

Note, however, that I noticed on the way back that I had a dirty carburettor (had to stop along about three times for this) and, importantly, the bike wasn’t tuned. I have also noticed that I have halves that are out of spec and need adjusting.

Properly serviced and tuned to my satisfaction, I have no doubts that I’ll easily hit 150 km/l in careful highway driving without much fuss.

Should this impressive fuel economy even be considered legal? Isn’t this technically stealing?

Comfort, Luxury & Long Journeys

The concept of comfort on this little bike is highly relative. If you’re about 5’5 (or less), I can imagine that this would be the perfect bike for you. However, around the 5’7 mark and above (which is where I fall), things take a drastic turn, and comfort begins to steeply decline.

The single rider seat, though soft and comfortable, isn’t meant for taller riders. To get some semblance of comfort at this height point, you’ll need to sit way back, often on the raised point of the rear carriage.

As a lone rider, this works okay, and with a great seat such as I have, leaning back and riding in this position is even desirable.

However, things get a little nasty with a passenger – if you decide to take one. You’d be squeezed in and forward to the frame in such a manner that you won’t generally appreciate.

For short commutes in the city, this can work, assuming you somehow manage to control the bike as it should be controlled. However, on the freeway or on long journeys/commutes? This is where luxury leaves the group chat, and you’re cursing yourself, regretting why in the world you opted for a small, grossly underpowered Japanese bike!

Reliability & Failure Points

At 30 years old, it’s incredible that my new-to-me Honda 50 Super Cub has everything that needs to work, working, or needing just a little tune or minor replacement. The engine is super silent; the transmission shifts fine (though sometimes, with a clunk I intend to take a close look at soon); with every other thing working as it should.

Importantly, I have no reason to doubt that all parts on the bike are original, and with proper care, the bike shouldn’t have challenges outliving me.

Failure points? There’s nothing on the Honda Super Cub C50 to suggest failure. Or, poor longevity for that matter. For all I can see, just with regular oil changes and lubrication of suggested parts, this bike will easily outlive any owner, whether ridden hard or sensibly.

Repairs

When I got my Honda Super Cub C50, I noticed that the speedometer wasn’t working, and the hand brake was messed up. Besides these two, there was also no splash guard and no mirrors adorning the handlebars. The rear tire, an original Japanese-built Bridgestone (OE to this make and model), was also at the end of its service life.

Besides these obvious ones, the battery (an original Japanese-built unit) was also at the end of its service life. The bike also needed an adjustment of the valves, something I believe will make it run (and sound) better.

I’ve since replaced the battery and mirrors, and plans are underway to replace the splash guard with an original unit. I’ve also replaced the battery and have ordered for a feeler gauge to set the valves as per the service manual, which I’ve also ordered.

I’ve also cleaned the chain (several times) and lubricated it. For some strange reason, I’ve also changed the spark plug more than once since it fouls and delivers less spark as a result. This, I suspect, is a result of the valves being out of spec or a challenge with the carburetor. Or both.

Once the valve settings are got, I’ll positively isolate this issue and have the plugs stay in there for as long as possible. I’ve also ordered a set of new iridium-tipped, upgraded spark plugs. One of these should take tens of thousands of miles before needing replacement, assuming the fouling challenge is fixed before letting them start their service life.

I’ve also bought the speedometer and brake cables and will be sorting them out, immediately I get less busy, which should be soon. I can’t wait to get the bike running exactly as Honda intended when it rolled off the assembly plant.

So, just basic new-to-me bike things, nothing really.

Strong Points of the Honda C50 Cub

I’ve been very harsh on the little Honda C50 Cub above thus far. However, be that as it may, these are just inconveniences, probably peculiar to me (and a few others). Generally, the bike has so much to love, and below, I’ll detail the hardest to miss.

1. Legendary Reliability

When I went to purchase my Super Cub, I noticed that there were models with 500k kilometers on the clock. I even saw one with 700+k kilometers on the odometer! And, the best part? These bikes still started on the first attempt, and some of them didn’t have a functioning speed cable!

The implications of this? I may have seen many million km examples, just that there wasn’t any positive proof.

Juxtapose that with the fact that the Honda Super Cub is the most made vehicle on the earth’s surface with over 100 million units made and sold wide world, there isn’t any reason to doubt that these things are dead reliable.

A simple engine and a simple soul that just won’t die appear to be the secret of making a bike that will, unquestionably, outlive every owner (unless they’re crazy enough not to want this to happen).

2. Impossible to Believe MPGs

When I was researching the Honda Super Cub C50, I didn’t believe the 135km/l quote from the official catalogue. It was well beyond my reality. I knew the fuel economy would be good…but, that good? I doubted.

However, when I got over 100 km on a single liter of gasoline, even with valves out of tune and a carburetor that needed attention, I started wondering if 150km/l won’t also be possible!

The MPG of the Honda Super Cub C50 is so good that you’d have to experience it yourself to believe.

And, with a tank that only takes about 3.75 liters (about a gallon) of gas, you won’t be stressed with range anxiety if you can easily hit 500 km (more than 300 miles) on a single tank.

Isn’t this plain impossible to believe?

3. Focus on the Basics (Only)

There are many things on the 1995 Honda Super Cub C50 (and Super Cubs generally) worthy of note, especially if you’re used to modern bikes.

First, the head and tail lamps all come on immediately when you power the bike, and there isn’t a switch to power them off!

Second, if you love to flash your headlamps, good luck. On the C50 Super Cub, you only have a low and high beam…no flashers here, please.

Third, there are no hazard lights. This translates to either left or right turn signal operation, but not a simultaneous reality. If you need to leave your hazards on, what is the rear light for?

Fourth, when indicating, there’s no way to tell which way the indicator is flashing, from a look at the cluster alone. Both left and right are integrated.

The list of these quirks can go on and on. But what does this mean? Simple: an aggressive focus on the basics only.

And, this is what translates to long-term reliability: by eliminating many options that you can live without, failure is cut off by almost 99 per cent.

Genius!

4. Superior Fit & Finish

Take a look at a high-end bike, made today, and compare it with this lowly 49cc affair made by Honda over 30 years ago. Side by side, you’ll understand, firsthand, just how superior this little bike is and begin to appreciate the standards to which it was made, back in the day.

The rear fender, for instance, is made of solid metal. The switches are solid and machined, the instrument cluster and fuel gauges are still clear and shining, three decades post-production, and importantly, the frame seems like something that can stop a bullet without deforming.

Things aren’t simply made like this anymore!

5. Super Easy to Ride (and Maintain/Repair)

Where I live at the moment, ladies hardly ride on two wheels; cars are the preferred option. That said, this bike has earned the nickname ladies’ bike around these parts.

The reason? The ladies love it and can be found on it for every 5-10 males you count! This is something extraordinary here. But, beyond being extraordinary, the reason why this is so is simple and to the point: the Honda Super Cub C50 is extremely easy to ride.

To demonstrate how easy it is to ride this bike, I’ve ridden it with just one hand on a pothole-ridden road for more than 50 km (about 30 miles) without feeling anything amiss!

Maintenance and repairs? Easy peasy. A 90-plus-year-old can easily change the engine oil on this bike, and if they’re mechanically inclined, can also easily work on it.

To tell you how easy it is to work on these, I’ve confirmed the engine timing without waiting for the repair manual I ordered to arrive first. Everything here is intuitive and well placed: you just know what to do, and thanks to exposed parts, just how to do it by mere looking.

It’s that good!

6. A Smart Cuburetor System

The fuel gauge of the 1995 Honda Super Cub C50 is placed in an odd location: right above the fuel tank, below the rider’s seat. With this strange position and an exceptional fuel economy, it’s easy to simply keep riding the bike and keep going till you simply can’t go anymore and are stranded.

To prevent that from happening, Honda has what I call a smart cuburetor system where two hoses come from the fuel tank and feed into the fuel tap/lock. The main fuel line has a raised entry point in the fuel tank, while the second, termed reserve, has a lower, almost flat to the surface point.

Once about 3 liters of fuel have been consumed, the fuel naturally drops below the point where it can be fed into the main line. At this point, if nothing is done, you’re officially out of gas.

However, with the smart system this Super Cub sports, you just turn the tap to the reserve position (even in motion) and gasoline begins to flow again from the lower, reserve port!

This reserve fuel can take you for about 50 km more (30 miles), give or take, at which point, you should reach a refueling station or home, whichever is closer.

This is one of the most thoughtful pieces of engineering I’ve come across in all my years with bicycles, motorcycles, and cars.

Annoyances Worthy of Note

Of course, it isn’t all romance; the Super Cub C50 also has a lot of annoyances worthy of note. These annoyances, remember, aren’t deal breakers…but it’s important to fully understand them, especially if you’re contemplating getting one of these older bikes.

Here are the options you should ingrain in your skull.

1. The Bike is Slow…Really Slow!

The last bike I rode was a 125cc affair: not the fastest, but I always found a way to keep up with highway traffic. The secret? I ALWAYS maxed out the throttle, and because of this, the poor engine gave up the ghost sooner than it was logical.

It also didn’t help that it was a cheap Chinese-built unit, specifically made for export. It was called the Nanfang Rocket.

With less than half the power of the Nanfang Rocket I used last, there’s no way I can keep up with traffic; I simply give way and focus intently so that an inattentive folk doesn’t run me over.

Max it, it doesn’t help…the best you can get is 60 km/h, which translates to less than 40 mph. It doesn’t get better than that, and for this sole reason, it’s suited (and best, as a matter of fact) for city roads where traffic crawls to match its snail speed.

2. It’s Perfect without a Passenger

The original design of the Honda Super Cub C50 was to be a solo affair, with no passenger. This is the best configuration to ride the bike. Maybe a little luggage here and there, but nothing human.

If you must do humans, restrict everything to kids, well below 15, and not overweight or obese.

Occasionally, I flout these rules and have a simple footrest designed. On such days, I struggle to move up hills, have the worst MPGs, and strain my rear shocks, wondering why I allowed a full ass grown adult on the extremely hard rear rack.

Because of this challenge, I intend to leave the rear carriage and refrain from putting on a seat there. That way, I’d always be reminded that the bike wasn’t meant for carrying rear passengers, and if anything, light goods max.

If you’re fond of (or need to ferry) large passengers, my full sympathy is with you in advance!

3. Tall Rider? May the Force Be with You!

Life, they say, happens in the middle. While being taller than average has its distinct advantages, you’ll remember the middle rule of life every time you get on a Super Cub 50 if you’re anything beyond 5’5.

To enjoy the ride, you need to sit all the way back, right up to the raised rear carriage, with the accompanying stress. If you have a passenger behind (or luggage), this won’t be possible. The result: your legs will be pushed into crevices you never knew existed, and importantly, you’ll have to slouch and bend your hands like a deformed giant to move the bike.

Not funny…and if you need to travel for any appreciable distance in such a condition, may the force be with you!

Honda Super Cub C50: Will I Buy Another One?

Well, this is a hard one to tell, especially since I haven’t spent an appreciable time with the bike yet. I’m looking to keep this example, well beyond my active riding days: though still new to me, I’ve had memories (and fun) with it, memories and fun I’ll forever cherish as long as I live.

With that said and out of the way, it’s difficult to hate the Honda Super Cub, especially the C50: it’s reliable, efficient, easy to ride, easy to repair, and importantly, cheap to buy and run.

It’s also built well, and since it’s such a popular vehicle, mechanics (and parts) abound if you’re not open to servicing and fixing it yourself when the need arises.

My conclusion?

Everyone should own these bikes or at least live with one for a month…only then will any of what is written above here make sense. The little Super Cub is that magical, and importantly, that hard to believe, whether you’re predisposed towards loving or hating it.