Legendary Learner – the C90!

Bob Pickett takes a look at Honda’s C90.

‘The World’s Greatest Motorcycle’? An outrageous boast for something under 100cc that barely tops 50mph? Consider this. Manufactured in 1958, in 2018, the 100 MILLIONTH bike rolled out of the factory. It is still being made today (in fewer locations admittedly, now ‘just’ 15 plants worldwide) wherever there is a need for a mechanically simple machine that is easy to self-service and runs on a whiff of petrol, creating cheap but robust urban transport for the masses.

Given the energy crisis and escalating bills in the UK, is it time for the C90 to make a comeback? By the way, the C90 is appreciating in value! Oh, and let’s not forget that the humble Cub spawned one of the most famous advertising slogans of all time: ‘You meet the nicest people on a Honda’. More on that later.

The story began in 1956 when Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa visited Germany and Italy. Soichiro was the engineer and production leader focusing on winning the Isle of Man TT to push the company onto the world stage. Takeo was the money man, who insisted they needed a small-capacity bike that would appeal to both developed and developing countries; technologically simple – essential if it was to sell in areas without access to advanced tools or spares – and robust. The scooter model they observed in Italy was close, but Takeo felt the wheels would not survive rough terrains.

Interest whetted, on returning to Japan, Soichiro began designing the new bike. After a year, the prototype was revealed (what came to be the C50). To keep costs and weight down, Honda pioneered the development of fibreglass-reinforced plastic, which formed the fairing.

Opinions vary on who said this to whom, but (Soba) Noodles were the masterstroke that launched the Cub into the sales stratosphere. The story goes that one said to the other: “This is a bike that a Soba Noodle delivery man can ride with one hand and a stack of noodle trays balanced on his shoulder. I don’t know how many noodle shops there are in Japan, but I bet you that every shop will want one for deliveries.”

Honda’s first great campaign for the Cub was born. Featuring a fictional boy who journeys from the countryside to sell Soba in the big city; he raves to his mother how his Cub is so fast the noodles don’t get soggy, finishing with the slogan, “Soba-mo genki-da, Okkasan!” (The Soba is good too, Mum!) It was a spectacular success. After the campaign launch, Honda received over 4,000 orders for Cubs from Soba Noodle shops and other restaurants.

Manufacture was on a scale never before seen. Thirty-thousand bikes were produced PER MONTH – half as much again as the entire two-wheel market in Japan – in a massive new facility built at Suzuka, modelled on the Volkswagen Beetle facility. Introducing a two-shift system, manufacture leapt to 50,000. This enormous leap allowed economies of scale, with an estimated 18% of the unit cost recouped by building at this level.

Over the next decade, Honda opened in America, Germany, Belgium, the UK and France. Another masterstroke was the American advertising campaign, ‘You Meet The Nicest People On A Honda’. Running for 12 years, it remains one of the most famous campaigns of all time and, to this day, is still used as an educational example of mass marketing.

During this period, the bike evolved as well. But in 1967, the C90 Super Cub we know today debuted. Featuring an 89.5cc engine housed in a pressed steel underbone frame, the C90 Super Cub featured a 3-speed semi-automatic box. Power was 5.6kW (7.5bhp) @ 9,500 rpm with a torque of 0.67kg.m (6.6Nm; 4.8lb-ft) @ 6000rpm. Over the decades, a series of minor tweaks have been made, but the C90 is essentially the same bike as ever.

Despite not being sold new in the UK for a couple of decades, they’re still widely available. A quick search of a single auto trading site sourced half a dozen, ranging from a 1991 model with 35,850 miles on the clock for £1,995 to a 1990 one with a meagre 1,540 miles logged at £3,499.

And they’re still popping up at dealers! I found a 2002 bike with 6,290 miles for £2,995 (and a 1983 C70 with 8,255 miles clocked at £1,495).

TECH SPEC

Year: 1967 onwards

Engine: 89.5cc air-cooled OHC single cylinder

Bore and Stroke: 50 x 45.6mm

Compression Ratio: 8:2:1

Power: 5.6kW/7.5bhp @ 9,500rpm

Torque: 0.67kg⋅m (6.6Nm; 4.8lb-ft) @ 6000rpm

Ignition: Magneto (electric and kick start)

Clutch: Wet, semi-automatic

Frame: Pressed Steel underbone

Transmission: 3-speed, chain

Suspension: Front: leading link 56mm (2.2in) travel, Rear: swingarm 61mm (2.4in) travel

Brakes: 110mm expanding drum, both front and Rear

Length: 1829mm/72 inches

Wheelbase: 1185mm/46.7 inches

Seat Height: 760mm/29.9 inches

Dry Weight: 85kg/187lb

If you’re interested in a C90, we suggest joining the Owner’s Club: www.c90club.co.uk

You’ll find a wealth of information, buy/sell pages(bikes and parts), workshop sections, events calendars and even a C90 racing guide!

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