Unassumingly tucked away on the (gigantic) Honda stand at EICMA 2021, we found a lovely little custom Supercub; reimagined for pure off-road riding, a custom off-road C125 Cub was built and dubbed the Honda Supercub X by Motocicli Audaci.
Initial thoughts upon finding the little off-roader were if we were about to witness an audacious limited-run by the Japanese Big Red Wing - reality, unfortunately, doesn’t always work out like that.
It turns out the Honda Italia division reached out to custom bike builders Motocicli Audaci, giving them ‘carte blanche’ to re-imagine the 125 Cub into Supercub X you see here. The only condition was it needed to feature two seats!
Though many Supercubs spent their days off-road as ‘chicken chasers’, this one is purpose-built by the ‘MAAN - Motocicli Audaci - Audacious Motorcycles’ team from Cagliari Italy.
As the founder of ‘Dust ’n Sardinia’, an annual 3-day 300+ mile off-road trek across Southern Sardinia to raise money for charity, Nicola Manca and the team wanted to keep the DNA the same, but tweak a few parts for more elegance and off-road poise.
Fitted with knobblies, Öhlins rear shock, grippy pegs, and a ‘Duster Mode’ for pure off-roading, the Supercub X is not only a looker, it’s well set for a stint off the beaten path.
Honda Supercub X - video from Honda Italia
Keeping the frame and engine intact, CAD and 3D printing were used to craft parts that attach to the OEM attachment points, like the composite carbon side panels and custom high-mount exhaust integrated into the side panel fairing.
The cut-down front end is a tribute to the enduro days, with a disc brake cover and single-piece headlight placed lower, with number plate holder above, giving it a sharp enduro edge for bombing down trails.
The ducktail rear is inspired by the Porsche RS, apparently, with the paintwork and pin-striping also paying homage to the German manufacturer.
The result is a fantastic bit of engineering that looks like a ton of fun. Rumour has it the MAAN team is working on a follow-up project.
More info, including an interview with the builder, is found on the BikeBound site.
