CT Stories
Hunter Cub to CT,
and Back to Hunter Cub
The CT90 Trail 90, which could be easily ridden in the field, gained steady popularity not only for leisure but also for commercial use by ranchers and farmers, mainly in the U.S.
In Japan, the Hunter Cub 55, based on the export model CA105H Trail 55, was launched in 1961, but it was only sold for a short period. The C100H was also displayed as an export model at the 1963 All Japan Auto Show, but it was not sold in Japan.
At the time, the economy was booming, and the Super Cub was perceived only as a business bike, its demand continued to grow rapidly, and in 1965, reached a cumulative production of 4.7 million units. In addition, it was also the lead-up period before the fully-revamped model would arrive with a new OHC engine, and Honda may have refrained from increasing the number of Super Cub derivative models.
Perhaps because of this, trail models based on the Super Cub have not appeared in Japan since the Hunter Cub 55.
In 1968, when Japan’s GNP (Gross National Product) became the second-largest in the world, the leisure boom arrived along with the high economic growth.
Following this new trend, the CT50 was finally launched in Japan. The first CT series model to be launched in Japan in seven years since 1961, the CT50 was a 50 cc version of the CT90 Trail 90 (K0), a late version export model. It was designed not only for leisure, but also for deliveries and patrols in mountainous areas and rough terrain. It featured an upward tilting muffler, upright handlebars, and frame covers, and was the first motorcycle for the Japanese market to adopt an auxiliary gearbox. The three-stage automatic centrifugal clutch, the same as that of the Super Cub, was combined with two additional stages (low and high), allowing the rider to use the high range for normal riding and the low range for riding on rough terrain or hills.
Optional parts for a wide range of applications were also available. Because of the strong image of the first-generation Hunter Cub, this model was sometimes called the Hunter Cub, but its official name was the Honda CT50, without the Hunter Cub moniker.
August 20, 1968CT50
The CT50 was designed not only for leisure, but also for business use in mountainous areas. The second photo shows options installed. It was marketed in Japan for about three years, but did not take root, perhaps due to the economic growth period, when leisure and heavy-duty vehicles were in high demand.
The CT50 could be equipped with a wide variety of optional parts, including carriers, bags, windshields, knobby tires, and snow tires, to meet various needs, such as leisure, commuting, carrying luggage, and snow riding.
In 1981, Honda launched the CT250 Silk Road in March, the TL125 Ihatovo in April, and the CT110 in October. These three models introduced to the world Honda’s first use of the term “trekking bike,” a bike that allows riders to enjoy the natural atmosphere of the mountains and countryside as they trekked through them.
Perhaps due to the unprecedented motorcycle boom, however, the new trekking bike genre seemed premature and did not attract much attention, and it was only sold in Japan for a short time. The CT110 was often referred to as a Hunter Cub, but like the CT50, this was not its official name. However, the impression that the CT series is synonymous with the Hunter Cub became stronger with each new model released.
Although the 1981 model aloe was sold in Japan, the CT110 Trail 110, the successor to the CT90 Trail 90, was sold in the U.S. from 1980 through the 1986 model.
October 2, 1981CT110
The CT110 for Japan was equipped with a 4-speed transmission with an automatic centrifugal clutch, but without an auxiliary transmission. It was only sold for about two years, as the motorcycle boom drew attention to high performance models. Its trekking bike concept inherited from the Hunter Cub was perhaps too early for its time.
1980CT110 Trail 110
The CT110 TRAIL 110 for North America began sales in 1980 with a 105 cc, 1-cylinder 7 hp OHC engine and automatic centrifugal 4-speed transmission. It was available in titan red, with a red Honda logo and the Trail 110 logo on the left side cover only.
1981CT110 Trail 110
Secondary transmission was added from the 1981 model onwards. The Honda logo was white without borders, the side covers were black and the Trail 110 logo appeared on both the left and right side covers.
1982CT110 Trail 110
Ignition system changed from point to C.D.I. Body color changed from titan red to monza red.
1983CT110 Trail 110
Black Honda logo, silver side cover.
1984CT110 Trail 110
Red Honda logo with thick white outline, black side covers with white edges. The same graphics were used until the final model in 1986.
1990s Catalog for Australia. Export models other than North America were marketed under the CT110 name, the same as in Japan. The North American model was exported until 1986, but later was also exported to Australia and other countries.
The CT110 was adopted as the official mail delivery bike for Australia Post, and was manufactured until 2012. Australia Post currently uses new Cross Cub motorcycles.
In 2012, the Super Cub was completely revamped, and a derivative model, the Cross Cub, went on sale the following year.
The prototype was unveiled not at a motor show, but at the 2012 Cafe Cub Meeting held at the Honda Welcome Plaza Aoyama. It was a big surprise in front of a large number of Cub fans without warning, and the response was beyond expectation, with the style reminiscent of the Hunter Cub, akin to a modernized Hunter Cub. Half a century after the launch of the first-generation, the concept of the Hunter Cub and trekking bikes had become widely accepted in Japan, partly due to the diversification of leisure activities and the growing trend toward a return to nature. The name Cross Cub was chosen to represent a crossover between the personal use of the Super Cub and the element of fun.
The Cross Cub prototype was first unveiled at the Cafe Cub Meeting Aoyama in 2012. It was unusual for the prototype to be unveiled at a user meeting where Super Cub enthusiasts gathered from all over Japan, but the Cross Cub generated a lot of excitement and support, which led to the development of the CT125 Hunter Cub later that year.
The Cross Cub prototype unveiled at Cafe Cub Meeting Aoyama. The production model went on sale almost exactly as styled, available in pearl cone yellow and fighting red, on June 14 of the following year. On December 12, 2014, a new color, boss gray metallic, was added.
At the same time, a customized concept with a pipe under-guard, skid plate, upward tilting muffler, and right side foot stand was also unveiled at Cafe Cub Meeting Aoyama. It was a big hit.
At the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show, the Hunter Cub with an upward tilting muffler and cover inspired by the CT90 was exhibited as a reference model. It was later released by Honda Access as a parts kit.
In 2017, 60 years after the first generation model, the Super Cub was completely revamped, and the following year, so was the Cross Cub. The new model was designed to retain the atmosphere of the first-generation model, but with a new, nostalgic design inspired by the CT110, and was welcomed by a wider range of customers with the new 110 and 50 models.
February 23, 2018Cross Cub 50 / 110
In addition to the Cross Cub 110 (left), the Cross Cub 50 (center) was also launched. The Cross Cub 110 comes in pearl shining yellow, magna red, and camouflage green. The Cross Cub 50 comes in a variety of colors, including magna red and classical white. On June 21, 2019, the 50 / 110 body colors were changed to camouflage green and classical white, while pearl shining yellow was added exclusively for the 110. The Cross Cub 50 and Cross Cub 110 Kumamon version (right) are also available in graphite black with a footprint-like design inspired by the Kumamon character, red piping seat, emblems with Kumamon illustrations, and special keys.
Encouraged by the popularity of the Cross Cub, Honda exhibited the CT125 prototype, based on the Super Cub C125, a higher-end model in the Super Cub series, at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show as a successor to the first-generation Hunter Cub. It attracted the attention, and expectations of release, from outdoor enthusiasts, in addition to Cub fans.
On March 20, 2020, the CT125 / Hunter Cub was unveiled in Japan ahead of the rest of the world. The Hunter Cub, revived in the modern age, will be a partner for many riders who are living a new motorcycle life.
CT125 Hunter Cub (concept model), first unveiled as a planned production model at the 46th Tokyo Motor Show