Honda Super Cub 50 Will Be Discontinued on Japanese Market
It is an end of an era for Honda. The Japanese motorcycle manufacturer has announced that the iconic Honda Super Cub 50 will disappear from the Japanese market in May 2025.
The Super Cub—which introduced many riders to two-wheelers even in the U.S., thanks to the famous “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” campaign—has been suffering from poor sales for years. The rise of electric low-powered mopeds and scooters has meant fewer and fewer people are choosing the legendary 50cc moped.
Just for reference, Honda sold more than 2.78 million Super Cubs at the peak of the bike’s popularity in 1982. In 2023, however, the company moved less than 100,000 units.
Yet, low sales aren’t the entire reason why the Super Cub is being taken behind the barn. The biggest blow comes from Japan’s National Diet.
The Japanese government is tightening the country’s emission regulations significantly from November 2025. The current iteration of the Super Cub 50 can’t comply with them and would need a costly redesign.
With the falling sales numbers, the expensive updates sadly don’t make sense. In addition to the financial realities, Honda has stated its intention of going fully electric by 2024.
And so, it is time to say goodbye to the Super Cub 50.
Leaving a Legacy
Although the Super Cub 50 will be retired, its name won’t disappear entirely. Honda will focus on larger-displacement mopeds and minimotos, and the Super Cub name will live on in models such as the Super Cub C125, which is available stateside.
Additionally, Honda can’t take away our memories of the legendary moped. The Super Cub 50 leaves behind an illustrious legacy.
Since its introduction in 1958, more than 100 million Super Cubs have been sold. Its fuel efficiency, ample power for simple urban riding, and eye-catching looks made it popular worldwide.
In Asia, in particular, the Super Cub has performed tasks Honda may have never imagined the little machine would do. Even today, Super Cubs serve as taxis, delivery vehicles, police bikes, and more.
Yet, even in the U.S., the moped carried many riders to their first two-wheeled adventure. It also spawned multiple offshoot models, such as the Sports Cub and Sport 90, the Honda Monkey (which crammed the Super Cub’s engine in a much smaller frame), and the Trail series, which carries on with today’s Honda Trail 125.
One ingredient in the Super Cub’s recipe for success was Honda’s famous advertising campaign in the ‘60s and ‘70s, which touted that “you meet the nicest people on a Honda.” The ads admittedly did a lot to make Honda’s two-wheelers seem socially respectable, although it also drew the ire of Harley-Davidson by implying the “nicest people” didn’t ride American iron.
You could say the thinly-veiled dig at H-D reflects the mechanical aspects that also made many people fall for the Super Cub. Under its cute exterior, the bike had just enough bite to it that it made even a suburban ‘60s dad in his argyle sweater want to rev it—just a little bit.