VLOG: Super Cub Acceleration and Top Speed Tests

It's Thursday morning (2019-05-16), and I'm taking the Cub for my commute today. I need to pick up some computers for a customer, and I'm running late as usual. Skip to the end of this description for clickable time indexes.
I had a viewer request more speedometer views for the Cub to show how well the bike keeps up with the flow of traffic. So, I flogged the Cub pretty hard today with lots of full-throttle acceleration tests and a few top speed runs on the highway.
The GoPro gauges are up to their normal quirks for the first few minutes of the video, but they finally catch up around the 4:45 mark. You can see my relative throttle position by watching the cruise control lever on the throttle... straight up (about 90 degrees) is wide-open and zero throttle is flat/forward against the brake lever.
Time indexes:
0:00 : Recording with a chest camera and the Helequip Helmic today
2:08 : I'm running very behind on my video editing and posting, still trying to catch up from my family emergency in Oklahoma
3:55 : The first of many full-throttle acceleration tests, 0-50 mph but the GoPro gauges weren't working properly
4:45 : The GoPro gauges finally catch up and are accurate from this point forward
6:02 : Full-throttle acceleration test, 0-50 mph into a 10-15 mph headwind
7:47 : Showing throttle position using the cruise control lever as a visual reference
8:14 : Full-throttle 3rd gear pull up to redline, 25-50 mph
8:37 : Discussion about the +1 tooth front sprocket change, should make a ~400 RPM reduction in top gear
9:23 : Another full-throttle 3rd gear pull up to redline, 40-50 mph
10:35 : Thoughts on the Super Cub as a first motorcycle... it would be a good bike for anyone that doesn't need to make extended commutes or highway speeds (above 55 mph) because it doesn't have enough power or range for those duties
11:43 : Demonstrating the missed gear indicator "--" problem that another user mentioned... just shift down while still rolling to avoid that problem
14:26 : Riding the Cub in moderate traffic on IH-10... up on the super slab!
15:00 : Top speed run yields 64 mph on GPS
15:45 : Another top speed run sees the same 64 mph top speed
--
QM
[e-mail]
#honda #supercub #minimoto
2019 Honda Super Cub C125
C125A
Super Cub top speed
Super Cub acceleration

[@brian-beeler]

65 on a Super Cub is like 100 on almost anything else. You've got my respect. Life isn't complete until you've ridden a Super Cub on the Ho Chi Minh Highway. Vietnam is the last great motorcycle country left in the world but sadly it's starting to fade. Where I lived it was like a 100 motorcycles for every car. Plus the food is amazing. You should definitely go. If you ride from Hanoi to HCMC you can sell your bike for what you paid for it since everyone else rides HCMC to Hanoi [and they've got a surplus of bikes]. Thanks for the videos. Subscribed with notifications on. =)

[@QuasiMotard]

Thx for the feedback and the sub! I agree on the Cub's feeling of speed... it's like riding a motorized BMX bicycle... the low handlebars with nothing out in front of you makes it feel much faster than other bikes at the same speed. I've never been to Vietnam or Thailand, but I've heard that those countries have some of the best motorcycle/scooter touring roads in the world. I hope to visit there someday. In the meanwhile, I plan to tour all over the USA on the Super Cub. If all goes well, I will be taking the Cub on the 2020 Scooter Cannonball Run, which will be a coast-to-coast trip from Bar Harbor, Maine to Eureka, California (~3500 miles). I live in the Houston, TX area, so my trip will be an additional ~4500 miles to ride to/from the race endpoints... so that will be a ~8000 mile trip! --QM

[@SamCordery]

Great vid! The downshift at stop scenario is exactly why most Cubs have a cyclical box allowing a single press down on the forward pedal to go from top gear to neutral. Allows for very economical and relaxed cruising around. Personally I rev match downshifts, but once in a while the cyclical function is great to use - to your point, when you know you are not going to need to get back on the throttle (you’re coasting to a stop in 4th or 3rd on older Cubs)

[@mattmatt4916]

Good thing you got your ryding gear on!! So many Riders will pretty much ride any two wheeler naked in the crazy traffic we have today.

[@WildWestMotoplexSales]

Great vid, we see your were in our neighborhood! Great video!

[@pechorin1975]

Great vid, like the new cam position. I’ve noiticed in everybody’s vids that it’s tough to capture the Cub speedometer, but the gps does surprisingly well.

[@QuasiMotard]

Thx for the feedback! The Cub's speedo is very flat, so you need to look down at it... so most camera angles won't see it unless it's a helmet mount and I'm staring at the gauges instead of the road. When I finally get my Givi windscreen mounted, I will put a RAM ball mount (or two) under the mounting bolts (the original mirror mounts), and then I can mount my phone and a GoPro up there near the gauges. I'll stick my Hero 5 Session up there staring down at the gauges for a few videos... we'll see how that works out. 👍 --QM

[@ferdelance7474]

Had a feeling the scenery looked familiar, Houston buddy! Subscribed.

[@QuasiMotard]

Howdy, neighbor... thanks for watching and for the sub! I've been swamped with work for several weeks, but I'll have more Super Cub videos coming soon. Cheers! 😉👍 --QM

[@jeff95519]

My first bike was a 1965 Honda 55 cub when I was 14. That is what this bike is based from and what a difference in 55 years

[@davidpitts2766]

Love catching up on your Videos, Hopefully You will catch up with work and editing by the time I get back from Hawaii and we can catch up for Lunch. We have both had a few Busy weeks...

[@cubgsan]

Good morning to you ! I am an Grandpa and Cross Cub tourist from Japan . It is a nice bike video!! Honda Super Cub C125 is great !! Have a nice day !

[@QuasiMotard]

Greetings from the USA! You might enjoy my Super Cub Cannonball Run series that I uploaded recently: kzbin.info/aero/PLLXxDh3JumLnSK37lF4AcrF28frAIfLfA . My friend, Adrian, and I rode our Super Cubs nearly 10000 miles around the USA in July 2021. It was an epic journey, and it was a true testament to Honda's reliability. Cheers! 😉👍 --QM

[@happyhonda1968]

How do you install the gopro hero7 black. Problably on the chin but how to use microphone and ear speakers?

[@QuasiMotard]

I have the Hero7 mounted on a MotoRadds chin mount ( www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074W2J774 ). The GoPro cameras require the use of an external microphone adapter ( gopro.com/en/us/shop/accessories/pro-3.5mm-mic-adapter/AAMIC-001.html ) to connect an external microphone. The microphone that I have been using for several months was from a Cardo Scala G9 bluetooth communicator that was left over from a previous kit. You can see the video of my helmet setup here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epDPk6CCmcqhfrc . I am using a chest mount ( www.amazon.com/GoPro-Performance-Chest-Mount-Official/dp/B07CQ4N5XX ) for several of my Cub videos, including this one, because my helmet mount is too high to see the gauges or the front of the bike unless I look downward. When I use the chest mount, then I will either use a dedicated audio recorder or my other Hero7 on the helmet to record the audio. Then I will merge the audio/video clips in Adobe Premiere Pro to pick which audio track or camera view that I want for the final video. Let me know if you have any other questions about the setup and I'll be happy to help! Cheers! 😉👍 --QM

[@xinox73]

They should do a 250cc on these..^^

[@ridehead8771]

What are they going to call it, SuperCubRR-R lol

[@QuasiMotard]

No... the Super Duper Cub! 🤣 --QM

[@ridehead8771]

@@QuasiMotard 🤣🤣🤣 not bad lol

[@deelarry2137]

I wish it had about about 12-15 hp rather than 9.

[@binhduy9831]

Nah, they should do 1000cc :)

[@robinsnest3855]

Picked up my Honda Super Cub on Saturday. Love it. I shift at 10, 18 & 25. If I dont shift at those speeds I over run the engine. I'm a newbie but it seems shifting is a little close especially when I have to stop fast. A lot of down shifting quickly. What's your thoughts on that. I was thinking an adjustment might be needed. Love you videos. Robin in FL

[@QuasiMotard]

It took me a few days and a few hundred miles to get used to the Cub and to be able to shift it smoothly. If you learn the timing for throttle-blip on the downshifts, then it becomes much easier to decelerate in traffic. The other option to rev-matching (throttle-blip) is to hold the throttle open slightly (about 1/8 turn) to keep the motor rev'd up just a little bit when you downshift... that allows the motor to spin up easier to match the transmission RPM's and not lurch on the downshift. Aside from the throttle control, releasing the shift lever slowly is the key to smooth shifts on the Cub. I do wish that we had the rotary shift pattern that the Asian markets have (N-1-2-3-4-N-1...). That would make the coasting down to a stop and then shift back to 1st much easier. The only problem with their arrangement is that the shift pattern is backwards (toe town to shift up to higher gear)... that would be hideous to relearn after 40+ years of riding "normal" motorcycles. --QM

[@rebelbatdave5993]

Thanks!

[@losxlakers]

You fix laptops?

[@QuasiMotard]

Yep! I fix laptops, but only when I really need to! Reloading or upgrading them is relatively easy... doing component repair (e.g., replacing screens, mainboards, etc) is more tedious than it's worth. 😉👍 --QM

[@samsacre4304]

Your advice is right on! This is a great bike to rip around town! 50 miles an hour feels like 60! Do you ever use your rear brake I find myself always on the front and very rarely use the rear! Thing corners like a road bike! Too bad Honda sold out of the 2019 models! I am glad I got my hands on one for sure!

[@QuasiMotard]

Thx! The sense of speed on the Cub is enhanced because the handlebars and gauges are so low and there is nothing out in front of you. It's like riding a motorized BMX bike that's street legal! --QM

[@QuasiMotard]

I forgot to answer your question about the brakes... I use both brakes equally (just out of habit), but I try to focus more of my bias on the front (better stopping power). The front pads will certainly be easier to change than the rear shoes, so I try not to overuse (abuse) the rear brake. Have you noticed that the front brake lever feels "squishy"? Mine has lots of travel after initial bite and just feels like a soggy lasagna noodle. I don't know if that's normal for these Cub's or if I might have some air in my lines. The bike stops fine... no problem there... it's just a little annoying to have all of that extra travel in the lever. Braided-stainless lines will probably fix that, but I don't know if I really want to dig in there to change the lines or not. --QM

[@pechorin1975]

I think demand for these must vary by region. Around here (mid-Atlantic) there seem to be lots of them around. Haven't noticed any being discounted yet, but they don't seem to be moving. I count 8 in stock at just the dealers I know within 75 miles or so.

[@samsacre4304]

pechorin1975 Yeah Honda is full of themselves they want to sell $20,000 bikes! I know the West Coast is out everywhere! My dealer here said he will take all he can get!

[@RollModel724]

Do you have a video of you doing hills?

[@QuasiMotard]

I do have some footage from my Austin trip to COTA, but I just realized that I never edited or posted it! I've been swamped and forgot to finish out that series. There were a few areas near Bastrop State Park (Bastrop, TX) that have some significant hills where the Cub was straining to keep up. I will try to edit some of that footage and post it for you ASAP. --QM

[@benkenny3220]

Will the front sprocket change the speed/odo reading? The 0-30 mph looks similar to my 2010 Prius. But my Prius will accelerate like that up to 70~. Did your mpg take a hit after that ride? How would you normally ride in say a 60mph zone where it's very common for everyone to do 5mph over the speed limit? (US-79) In my Prius I wouldn't mind so much going 5mph under the speed limit as I would get better MPG, but it's the people behind me that I worry about.

[@QuasiMotard]

The speed sensor is on the output shaft (as far as I know). So the gear change will result in turning the rear tire slightly faster for the indicated speed, which will bring the speedo closer to actual road speed. The speedo is currently about 2 mph optimistic at 55 mph (indicated 55 is 53 actual/GPS). My MPG's definitely dropped after that flogging down to ~123 mpg. I recorded a similar vlog yesterday where I was running wide-open all day and fighting 20+ mph headwinds. That was a worst-case scenario, and the Cub returned ~119 mpg! That's not bad for the lowest efficiency that it will probably ever encounter. As for riding on faster roads, I just try to keep to the right lane to allow traffic to pass me. On the rural highways, I will even ride in the shoulder (if possible) to allow faster traffic to pass me instead of driving up my tailpipe. You can watch some of my Austin/COTA trip to see that scenario in action: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3i5hauLYtiXrKM . I don't have any aspirations of riding the Cub at 65-70 mph all day long, but the +1 front sprocket should calm down the motor a bit at 50-55 mph so I have a little less guilt about wringing its neck... mechanical sympathy, I guess. --QM

[@Winthrop787]

Just did the 13T sprocket on mine and it seems like the speedo reads 5mph optimistic now. Maybe 2mph top speed increase? The highest gps I’ve gotten mine to is 62.

[@QuasiMotard]

@@Winthrop787 You went the opposite direction that I'm going... down 1T in the front will help with acceleration, but hurt top speed. The OEM gearing has the speedo at about 2 mph optimistic... the +1T front should bring it close to true, but a -1T would increase the deviation. I will be putting the 15T on my Cub later today. I'm sweating outside with the Houston dehydration diet at the moment, cleaning out the garage, but I'll try to do that mod today and report back with my results. --QM

[@QuasiMotard]

It's an addiction, I know... but admitting the problem is part of the cure, right? 🤣 . That's not even half of the fleet... drive.google.com/file/d/10JStDT8yOAafZaXmF2w4XMxmDg-6zeZz/view?usp=drivesdk. --QM

[@Winthrop787]

@@QuasiMotard Sounds good. Right now I can't even hit the rev limiter on the 13t. 15t might provide some better/quieter top end cruising, but my 14t was even a bit of a dog in top gear.

[@pjfrog10]

How many cc on this cub?

[@QuasiMotard]

This is the new 2019 model that has a 125cc motor (basically the same motor as the Grom and Monkey 125's, but a different bottom end with the semi-auto transmission and centrifugal clutch). --QM

[@Fonsie85]

It might be slow. But as a commuter especially in town you just wont find anything more fuel eficcient. im really considering one for my ride to work.

[@QuasiMotard]

Meh... not quite true. My 2019 Honda Super Cub C125 and my 2015-2016 Honda PCX150's both get MUCH better fuel economy than the Navi does, and they can travel farther and faster than the Navi under any circumstances. My Super Cub averages 135+ MPG in town (speeds under 50 MPH), and the PCX150's both get 110+ MPG in town. The best that I've seen on the Navi so far is ~78 MPG with average speeds of 45 MPH. The biggest limiting factor and major inconvenience with the Navi as a commuter is its small fuel tank size. It only holds 0.9 gallons of fuel, and the economy is ~75 MPG... so that yields 65-67 miles to empty. That means very frequent fuel stops, and it results in a fair amount of range anxiety. When the Navi coughs and sputters as it needs to switch over to reserve, the carburetor runs dry and doesn't re-prime quickly. That results in a frantic restart routine while rolling (with homicidal cagers tailgating), and it usually requires a full stop with 3-5 seconds of cranking before the engine fires again. In heavy traffic, that's just dangerous. Of course, you can always switch to reserve early, but then you're walking a tightrope with no safety net... when it's empty, there's no backup plan. --QM

[@MadsWorld34]

great vid but i think i like the honda trail just a little better but this cub seems to have a little more speed.

[@curtgottler9961]

How do you know when you're near redline?

[@QuasiMotard]

The engine will be very raspy and not pulling/accelerating anymore. If you actually reach redline, then the rev-limiter will kick in... you will feel and hear the ignition shunting on/off very rapidly (stuttering), which is a protection mechanism to avoid engine damage. 😉👍 --QM

[@jayjames3926]

My ebike goes 50ish mph. I would love to buy this but I am looking for something a little faster. Great review and video!

[@o00scorpion00o]

Yeah but your ebike is illegal and most likely doesn't have proper automotive tyres or brakes. + your ebike won't go nearly as far on a charge at that speed or be able to recharge in the same time. I had fast ebiles in my time, mostly using direct drive motors, can't beat a direct drive motor for sheer raw power and I used LiPo, a 50 amp controller modded for 80 amps, the torque was amazing. Sheer addictive but decommissioned it because it was too dangerous and not having proper riding gear and cars don't expect you to be going so fast.

[@thetreblerebel]

I couldn't imagine 65. 50 scares the sheet out of me

[@QuasiMotard]

🤣 LOL! Try 71-72 MPH... it's really not bad on the little Cub: 71 MPH on GPS here kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGqvZ3uhZdCCb5I , and 71-72 MPH here kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWilhXh-jbyZrrc . Cheers! 👍 --QM

[@optimusprime6436]

I have two Yamaha Zuma 125 BWS. A 2009 and a 2011. Looks like it doesn't matter what brand your bike is, there's no replacement for displacement. My Zumas are capable of 60mph but in reality it's closer to 50-55mph. Any 125cc motorbike will always net 50-60mph tops. 70mph is just not gonna happen.

[@QuasiMotard]

I can squeeze 72 MPH out of my Super Cub under the right conditions ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGqvZ3uhZdCCb5I ), but ~65-68 MPH is its usual top speed. As a Zuma owner, you might like my friend's scooter setup. My buddy, Neil, has a 2013 Yamaha Zuma 125 that he has customized extensively for highway touring, and he even tows a single-wheel trailer behind it! You can check out a recent walk-around video here if you're interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnmppaqOi9-WaZI . Cheers! 😉👍 --QM

[@DeliveryWithShaggy]

I'm searching YT for what this thing can do with the 183cc big bore kit. Same engine/kit as the grom so its tried and trued and super reliable. The cub having bigger wheels and abs would be better suited in my opinion for the higher speeds vs the grom and might just cruise along at 70mph comfortably without redlining. with the clutchless 4 speed it seems like the perfect food delivery vehicle to avoid arthritis (clutch hand) and still have good get up and go

[@mrshhh7841]

If your tapping 65 your just fine on the freeway IMO.

[@sonicjackalopeproductions3342]

65 is practically standing still anywhere in the US. At least in the major cities. I don't know where you live, but in Phoenix or LA, you are either at 10mph or 80+mph on the freeways. 65 will get you killed

[@j3fron]

Well thats 125cc for ya For getting 100kph is already good Btw mine can go about 110kph, same engine btw but with different bike, The reason why you cannot go beyond 52mph, its because you re too heavy and tall 😂

[@namvo4292]

100-106 km/h

[@BigMackhan]

Actually also I think innova little faster on freeways

[@ashleylloyd7445]

No power wheelies, slower than the older ones. Remove emissions, blank those off at the source. Scrap the fuel injection and install carb, jet correctly and it will fly