Diane the Honda Cub Passenger

When Honda Motorcycle first began exporting the 50cc Model C100 Super Cub to the US, they had a marketing campaign aimed at the baby boom generation. There was a pop record, and a low cost motorbike rental program.

The Super Cub has sold 50 million copies worldwide, it's the best selling motor vehicle ever. The very durable Honda Cub is still in production, and is very popular in Japan and the developing world.

The 50cc Honda was the Japanese beachhead on the US mainland. Nobody in the American car industry paid any notice. Today the Chinese are regarded with the same arrogance as they launch products that are "too small", "insignificant", and unsafe, aimed at Detroit.

In 1965 there was no such thing as motorcycle safety. The thinking was that kids couldn't get hurt on such a small toy.

A go-kart style centrifugal clutch and semi-automatic gearbox meant little skill was needed to ride the Cubby. Renters did need to be licensed car drivers, but that was it. Any and all training, experience, or safety equipment was purely optional.

I ran right over to the Honda store and rented a bike, recruited my girlfriend Diane as a passenger, and blasted off. We made a few laps around DeKalb, IL, which was a pretty sleepy town, yawn. With my vast new riding skills, I decided a few jumps over moguls out on the University Golf Course would be fun.

The ramp jumping passed without incident, and, unable to blow the engine, I decided to head back to Honda and turn in the Cub.

As I pulled onto the blacktop, the muddy rear wheel slipped and then caught, popping a very cool wheelie!

Wow that was cool, wasn't it Diane?

Diane?

I stopped the bike, and saw my girl sitting in the middle of the road 100 yards behind. She was unhurt, and cheerfully got back on the banana seat.

When I see videos of fools, with girlfriends in t-shirts and sneakers on the back, getting hurt doing motorcycle stunts, I feel lucky that the first Japanese imports weren't 1300cc 'rockets.

Today I still love Hondas, but it's "all gear, 100% of the time". Passengers are for taxicabs.

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