A Comprehensive Guide On Features, Specs, And Pricing

Honda’s anything-but-humble C125 Super Cub is the G.O.A.T., the most popular motorcycle in the world going by the number of units sold. We’re talking McDonald’s numbers here with over 100 million units sold since its inception back in 1958, which is a testament to the brilliance of the designers. It was only Honda’s eighth year of operation, and inspired by a trip to Europe by Honda president Soichiro Honda and managing director Takeo Fujisawa, who were looking for their next big thing. Based on the current numbers, they could scarcely have imagined exactly how big “big” could be.

The design has evolved very little over time, because after all, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and Honda takes it to the bank. C125s are barely more than a novelty on our side of the world, but they are ubiquitous in areas with a robust, small-displacement motorcycle/scooter culture, such as in the Asian, Indian, and South American markets. It has a semi-automatic transmission for easy operation with a reliable engine and a miserly fuel-consumption rating for inexpensive operation and basic transportation.

What’s New For 2024

The basic design is pretty much the same as the old models, though the bodywork has become more streamlined for a modern look that ties everything together and leaves more to the imagination. Everything you see is a product of natural evolution, so many of the original genetic markers remain among the modernized bits to give this bike a pedigree that is rare in the world of motorcycles. The overall build is pretty much the same as the 2019 model that heralded the Super Cub’s return to the U.S. Market, save for a handful of paint changes.

2024 Highlights

• Classic design features
• Built-in leg protection
• Efficient and proven engine
• Modern ABS protection
• Step-through design for comfortable co-ed usage

2024 Honda Super Cub C125 Performance And Capability

Power for the Super Cub 125 comes from a reliable, air-cooled thumper that hides under the bodywork save for the cases that peek out around the footpeg area to add a little bling. It isn’t a terribly advanced engine overall, but it does benefit from electronic fuel injection for precise and stable operation.

The 2024 Honda Super Cub C125 ABS produces 9.7 horsepower and 7.7 pound-feet of torque. A single over-head cam times naught but a pair of poppets to keep the top-end light, simple, and compact. The semi-automatic, four-speed transmission does away with the clutch for ease of operation to make it friendly and fun for old-salts and newbies alike. It sports a heel-toe shifter and centrifugal clutch to make the magic happen.

Super Cub top speed is around the 65 MPH mark depending on uphill grade, winds, and how much you ate for lunch, but you may fall short of that mark. At least you can count on closer to 70 MPH on the downhill stretches. This won’t do on the interstate, but highway (55 MPH) travel is well within the Super Cub’s means. As such, it can serve in most areas in the U.S. as a commuter or basic solo transportation.

Performance Specifications

Design And Styling

The overall design is very similar to the earlier versions, which shows a nice continuity of design with a natural evolutionary arc to arrive at the current modern-classic machine. The front fender mounts to the standing structure over the upper frontend bits with plenty of clearance to accommodate the 3.9-inch front wheel travel.

Bodywork conceals the triple clamp and fork uppers for a clean look that pairs well with the rest of the extensive paneling. The headlight housing also matches the rest of the bodywork, though a chrome trim ring dresses it up and pairs with the chrome tie just below. The trim ring holds a single round headlamp opposite a single round gauge that hosts an analog speedometer with an LCD screen and an array of indicator lights to complete the instrumentation. Even the handlebar comes with its own little fairing to hide all the innards and clean up the cockpit quite nicely.

While the leg guards are unusual outside of scooter territory, they make a nice addition and a good quality-of-life feature. The generous step-through is also scooter-like in design, and it allows for easy mounting and dismounting with a bit of shirt-hem storage for beskirted riders. An electrically-operated lock retains the seat, which in turn conceals the fuel-filler for the one-gallon fuel tank. The seat rides just 30.7 inches off the deck, and that should accommodate some relatively short riders.

On the right side, below the saddle, there’s a side cover that pops open to reveal a small tool kit for roadside emergencies. The bodywork flows aft to include the full rear fender mounted high for rear-wheel clearance, and there’s even a color-matched cover over the dual shocks to finish tidying up.

Specifications And Dimensions

Chassis And Handling

The Super Cub’s underpinnings are mostly hidden from view beneath the copious body panels with a color-matched, yoke-style swingarm to complete the bones. A set of 26 mm telescopic forks float the front end on 3.9 inches of travel, while out back, the twin shocks turn out 3.6 inches of travel for a considerable amount of bump attenuation and a comfortable ride.

Cast, 17-inch wheels round out the rolling chassis in style and come clad with a 70/90 hoop ahead of an 80/90. These are full-size bike tires and give the Super Cub a big-bike feel when underway. The brakes are a mixed bag with a 220 mm disc, single-pot hydraulic caliper, and ABS protection. However, in the rear, a 110 mm mechanical-drum brake takes care of business in a nice compact package. Needless to say, the rear brake is not an ABS-augmented anchor, so you’ll have to rely on technique to keep the rear end from breaking loose.

Chassis And Suspension

2024 Honda Super Cub 125 Price And Availability

MSRP on the 2024 Honda Super Cub C125 ABS starts at $3,899. It rolls in a choice between the classic Pearl Niltava Blue colorway, and the Pearl Gray package. Available in the U.S., the Super Cub C125 has modern features like LED lighting, Smart Key technology, and front wheel ABS.

Pricing And Features

2024 Honda Super Cub 125 Versus Its Competitors

Despite its age and popularity, there aren’t any dead ringers for the Super Cub out there in the cycle-verse in both looks and engine size, so I went beyond the mainstream to find competitors, the KYMCO K-Pipe 125 and the Scooter Moped model from RTX.

How the Honda Super Cub Compares To The KYMCO K-Pipe 125

• 

  2024 Honda Super Cub C125

  Expert Opinion: The design has proven to be very popular everywhere it goes, but is especially liked in areas with a robust small-displacement bike culture such as the Indian and Asian markets. I like the ABS protection, but I’d like to see disc brakes and ABS out back as well.

  Engine:

  Single cylinder

  Torque

  7.7 LB-FT

  Transmission

  4-speed semi-automatic

  Driveline

  RWD

  MSRP

  $3,899

  Horsepower

  9.7 HP

  Pros

  • Undeniable classic looks
  • The most prolific bike in the world
  • Highway speed capabilities make a good commuter
  • Price is low for a major brand
  • Easy to operate

  Cons

  • Too slow for interstate travel
  • No stock accommodations for a passenger
  • Could use a stock windscreen to complete the pilot protection
  • Limited color choice

• 

  2022 KYMCO K-Pipe

  Expert Opinion: This is a fun little bike that’s easy to ride due to the semi-automatic transmission, and honestly, is fast enough for highway speeds without winding it up too far. It really needs a small screen and maybe even some small panniers.

  Engine:

  125 cc single cylinder

  Torque

  6.3LB-FT @ 6,000 RPM (claimed)

  Transmission

  4-speed semi-automatic

  Driveline

  RWD

  MSRP

  $2,699

  Horsepower

  8 HP @ 7,000 RPM (claimed)

  Pros

  • Affordable
  • Passenger-ready right off the showroom floor
  • Standard UJM-like design
  • Kickstarter backup

  Cons

  • Too slow for the superslab
  • No pilot protection
  • No onboard storage capacity

The KYMCO K-Pipe makes the cut because of its compact size, semi-automatic transmission, and basic transportation capabilities. While it doesn’t have that half-scooter build like the Honda, it does still lend itself to the daily commute. With a top speed of around 62 MPH, it’s plenty fast for up to highway (55 MPH) speeds, so you can ride anywhere but the interstate.

Power comes from an air-cooled, 125 cc thumper to the tune of 8 ponies and 6.3 pounds of grunt to fall below the Super Cub’s numbers. To its credit, KYMCO chucked on a kicker as a backup for the electric start for a nice bit of redundancy and peace of mind when riding hither and yon. The brakes are also a hybrid with a hydraulic disc up front and a drum out back, but no ABS. It’s priced to move at $2,249 in the U.S. market for significant savings over the Big-Brand Honda.

How the Honda Super Cub Compares To The RTX Scooter Moped

• 

  2024 Honda Super Cub C125

  Expert Opinion: The design has proven to be very popular everywhere it goes, but is especially liked in areas with a robust small-displacement bike culture such as the Indian and Asian markets. I like the ABS protection, but I’d like to see disc brakes and ABS out back as well.

  Engine:

  Single cylinder

  Torque

  7.7 LB-FT

  Transmission

  4-speed semi-automatic

  Driveline

  RWD

  MSRP

  $3,899

  Horsepower

  9.7 HP

  Pros

  • Undeniable classic looks
  • The most prolific bike in the world
  • Highway speed capabilities make a good commuter
  • Price is low for a major brand
  • Easy to operate

  Cons

  • Too slow for interstate travel
  • No stock accommodations for a passenger
  • Could use a stock windscreen to complete the pilot protection
  • Limited color choice

• 

  2024 RTX Scooter Moped 125

  Expert Opinion: t looks like a Moped, true enough, but is neither a true Moped nor a true scooter, as it lacks push-pedals and an automatic transmission. Still, it’s a classic design that is sure to turn heads. The little stock luggage rack is a nice touch as well.

  Engine:

  125 cc single cylinder

  Torque

  6.78 LB-FT @ 6,200 RPM

  Transmission

  4-speed manual

  Driveline

  RWD

  MSRP

  $1,350

  Horsepower

  11.02 HP @ 7,000 RPM

  Pros

  • Light and supremely easy to handle at low speeds
  • Comfortable rider’s triangle
  • Old-school design
  • Uncommonly affordable

  Cons

  • No stock pillion gear
  • No pilot protection
  • No modern disc brakes or ABS

Marketed as a Scooter Moped, this machine is actually neither, even if it shares some features. The overall look seems to borrow from the same general era with a seat and seat support area that looks the part, complete with side-cover cases on both sides. Bodywork is minimal, though the stock luggage rack allows for some external cargo-carrying capacity. It also has a dramatic step-through that cements the look of the classic moped country, even if it doesn’t come with push-pedals like a moped proper.

Power comes from the electrically-started, 125 cc thumper with 11 horses on tap and 6.78 pound-feet of torque to place its performance between the other two bikes. Further removing it from scooterdom, the RTX appears to have a regular manual clutch lever, so it’s more like a motorcycle proper. Front and rear drum brakes mean no ABS here either. The price is the lowest of the three, with an exceedingly budget-friendly $1,349 sticker price.

He Said/She Said

He Said

My husband and fellow motorcycle writer, TJ Hinton, says,

“As classic, old-school designs go, it’s hard to beat Honda’s Super Cub. It has barely evolved over the years, but when you have the most popular motorcycle in the world, there must be little appetite to change what works. If you like a dose of history with your riding experience, it’s hard to go wrong here.”

She Said

“The success of this purely utilitarian design is apparent in its longevity and in the number of units sold. For this modern version, Honda took the top end of its Grom engine and the bottom end from the C110 engine in its Japanese market to make the C125 engine. Awarded for its iconic design, the Super Cub maintains classic good looks and adds modern features to make it as popular now as it was 60-plus years ago.”