Honda Super Cub: the joy of being useful

Honda’s classic Super Cub scooter may look dated, but commuters still love it. 

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Honda's classic scooter may look dated, but commuters still love it.

Honda's update to the Super Cub C125 is a "new commuter scooter for the Shoreditch massive", says Visor Down. And there's no denying the demand for it. As of last year, more than 100 million Super Cubs had been sold, making it the most popular motor vehicle in the world. Laid nose-to-nose, the number of Super Cub bikes sold could circumnavigate the world five times.

First introduced in 1958, the stated aim of the Super Club C11 was "to provide the joy of playing a useful part in people's lives". The model went on to become the centrepiece of Honda's marketing campaign which proclaimed that "You meet the nicest people on a Honda". The bike is so instantly recognisable that it was the first vehicle in Japan to be granted a three-dimensional trademark. So as you might expect, the new version doesn't deviate from the classic template.

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With the new model set to hit showrooms in January, "get ready to meet more nice people on Hondas".

Price: £3,399. Engine: 125cc, air-cooled 4-stroke 2-valve. Transmission: four-speed.Fuel capacity: 3.7 litres. Fuel consumption: 188.4 mpg. Kerb weight: 240 pounds

Sarah is MoneyWeek's investment editor. She graduated from the University of Southampton with a BA in English and History, before going on to complete a graduate diploma in law at the College of Law in Guildford. She joined MoneyWeek in 2014 and writes on funds, personal finance, pensions and property.