Underbone
Encyclopedia
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
built on a frame consisting mostly of one large diameter tubular component.
The stylistic difference between a motorcycle and an underbone is considerable and they are sometimes known as "step-throughs" or even marketed as scooters in the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
.
The fuel tank
Fuel tank
A fuel tank is safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propelled or released into an engine...
position and the open-frame design, along with the splash guards often fitted, give the underbone an appearance similar to a scooter
Scooter (motorcycle)
A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
, however the wheels, engine position, and power transmission are based on the design of conventional motorcycles.
Underbones are popular worldwide, but in East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n and South East Asian countries in particular they dominate the low cost market segment with their scooter-like ease of use, their appeal to both sexes, and their motorcycle-like dependable handling properties.
Design
Chain drive
Chain drive is a way of transmitting mechanical power from one place to another. It is often used to convey power to the wheels of a vehicle, particularly bicycles and motorcycles...
. Styling considerations only mean that the chain driven nature of the machine tends to be concealed under sheet-metal covers to a greater extent than that of motorcycles.
In only one significant respect does the underbone differ from the conventional motorcycle - there is no frame member or fuel tank between the seat base and the headstock. The underbone arrangement improves ease of mounting and dismounting and contributes to the cross-gender appeal of the layout as an around-town shopping and commuter vehicle. The engine size of a typical underbone is generally between 50 cc and up to about 150 cc, though much bigger ones are possible.
Historically, underbones led the way in automatic transmissions and indicator systems. In other respects, the technical sophistication of underbones has tended to lag those of larger motorcycles, but they increasingly have similar electronic ignition, fuel injection etc.
Underbones have spoked wheels which are spindle mounted, similar to those of conventional motorcycles - this provides much better road-holding and braking than scooters, though it does make the (increasingly rare) punctures more difficult to repair.
Origins
Moped
Mopeds are a type of low-powered motorcycle designed to provide economical and relatively safe transport with minimal licensing requirements.Mopeds were once all equipped with bicycle-like pedals , but moped has been increasingly applied by governments to vehicles without pedals, based on their...
s of the early 1950s, including the NSU Quickly
NSU Quickly
-External links:****...
and the Heinkel Perle. The spine-framed, plastic-faired Honda 50 is the best-selling powered vehicle of all time. Production of the Super Cub began in 1958 and was still in production in April 2008 when the 60 millionth was built.
Other names and derivations
In Malaysia and SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
this vehicle is commonly known as Kapcai or Kapchai, a slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
word derived from Cantonese, being a combination of the word "Cub" from the word Honda Cub and "仔" in Chinese. In Cantonese, "仔" means "little" (or its derivatives, e.g. "small", "mini", etc.). Therefore,"Kapcai" literally means a "Little Cub". With Honda being a very popular brand in Malaysia, all underbone motorbikes have come to be called "kapchai". In Indonesia, it is called "motor bebek" (from the Indonesian word for duck).
A variation on the underbone concept known as the "maxi-scooter" or "touring scooter" is popular in the West. These are much larger than the underbones known to the Asian market and vary in size from the early Honda Helix
Honda CN250
The Honda CN250 is a scooter introduced by Honda to the United States market in 1986. It was marketed in the U.S. as the Helix and in other parts of the world as the Fusion or Spazio...
with 250 cc to the 850 cc Gilera GP800. Many current versions are between 400 cc and 650 cc, including the Honda Silver Wing
Honda Silver Wing (scooter)
The Honda Silver Wing and Honda Silver Wing ABS are scooters designed and manufactured by Honda.The name SilverWing was also used for an earlier motorcycle series including the GL500 and GL650. In 2001, Honda resurrected the Silver Wing brand, this time in the form of a , 582 cc maxi-scooter....
with 582 cc, the Suzuki Burgman with 400 cc or 638 cc), the Yamaha Majesty 400 with 395 cc, and the Yamaha T-Max 500 with 499 cc.
Underbones of conventional size are popular in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
and marketed alongside conventional scooters. They are sometimes referred to as scooters, despite the design difference between underbones and conventional scooters.
Storage on underbones
Underbone motorcycles often come with storage, and this may vary between markets, eg in Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
there is commonly a steel basket provided. Some underbones have lockable storage compartment under the seat. Some have a hook in the area between the riders knees for a shopping bag. Other storage capacity may be provided in a top box, detachable in some cases.
Underbone manufacturers
The market for underbone motorcycles is dominated by JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese manufacturers, though many of them are built in factories elsewhere, including China and Taiwan. In other cases, manufacturers have violated copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
and illegally copied the models of Japanese manufacturers. The Honda Cub, Honda Wave series
Honda Wave series
Honda Wave series, also known as Honda NF series, Honda Innova , and Honda Supra is a series of small motorcycles the underbone type, manufactured by Honda Motor Co. Ltd as a successor of the Honda Cub series. It debuted in 1995 especially for Asian and European market...
and Yamaha Lagenda series
Yamaha Lagenda series
Yamaha Lagenda is a series of underbone motorcycle produced by Yamaha for the Malaysian market.-Overview:The Yamaha Lagenda series consists 5 models:# SR Lagenda 100cc - The SR Lagenda is the first model of the Lagenda series...
are amongst the most copied.
MZ Motorrad
MZ Motorrad- und Zweiradwerk
MZ Motorrad- und Zweiradwerk GmbH is a motorcycle manufacturer located in Zschopau, Germany. MZ an acronym, stands for Motorradwerk Zschopau in the Erzgebirge region of Saxony...
currently produces underbone models in Malaysia by their main share holder, Hong Leong Group
Hong Leong Group
Hong Leong Group is a conglomerate based in Malaysia. Founded as a trading company in 1963 by Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan, the company controls 14 listed companies involved in the financial services, manufacturing, distribution, property and infrastructure development...
which is also the sole distributor of Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
motorcycle in Malaysia and Singapore.
The major underbone manufacturers are as follows:-
- China: Haojue, ZongshenZongshenZongshen is a Chinese company producing motorcycles, quad bikes, generators and engines, based in Chongqing, China. It claims to have a yearly output of over 1,000,000 motorcycles....
, LifanLifanLifan Group, or Lifan Industry Company is a privately owned Chinese motorcycle and automobile manufacturer. Automobile manufacture only began in 2005, with license built microvans and a small sedan developed by Lifan themselves....
, LUOJIA - Malaysia: ModenasModenasSyarikat Motosikal dan Enjin Nasional Sdn. Bhd , or known as Modenas for short is a Malaysian national motorcycle company producing various small motorcycle models below 200 cc targeted for local market and export...
, Momos Motor (rebadge of CagivaCagivaCagiva is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It was founded in 1950 by Giovanni Castiglioni in Varese, originally producing small metal components. It went into the motorcycle industry in 1978. The name is a portmanteau derived from the founder and the founding location, i.e. CAstiglioni GIovanni...
), Naza BikersNazaNaza Group of Companies is a Malaysian business conglomerate associated with motor trading, automotive franchises and property development, which began operations in 1974...
rebadge of Zongshen and other China brand. - Germany: MZ MotorradMZ Motorrad- und ZweiradwerkMZ Motorrad- und Zweiradwerk GmbH is a motorcycle manufacturer located in Zschopau, Germany. MZ an acronym, stands for Motorradwerk Zschopau in the Erzgebirge region of Saxony...
- India: TVS MotorsTVS MotorsTVS Motor Company is the third largest two-wheeler manufacturer in India.It is the flagship company of the parent TVS Group employing over 40,000 people with an estimated 15 million customers. It manufactures motorcycles, scooters, mopeds and auto rickshaws...
(underbone versions are available in Indonesia and the Philippines) - Indonesia: Kanzen, SuzukiSuzukiis a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
, YamahaYamahaYamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
, HondaHondais a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
, BinterBinterBinter was the name of two airlines, both subsidiaries of Iberia LAE, both airlines flew CN-235's :* Binter Canarias* Binter Mediterraneo - acquired by Air Nostrum, another Iberia subsidiary, in 1998 and absorbed its operations. It replaced the remaining CN-235's with ATR-72's....
rebadge of Kawasaki - Italy: CagivaCagivaCagiva is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It was founded in 1950 by Giovanni Castiglioni in Varese, originally producing small metal components. It went into the motorcycle industry in 1978. The name is a portmanteau derived from the founder and the founding location, i.e. CAstiglioni GIovanni...
, PiaggioPiaggioPiaggio based in Pontedera, Italy encompasses seven brands of scooters, motorcycles and compact commercial vehicles. As the fourth largest producer of scooters and motorcycles in the world, Piaggio produces more than 600,000 vehicles annually, with five research and development centers, more than... - Japan: Honda, YamahaYamaha Motor Company, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
, SuzukiSuzukiis a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
, KawasakiKawasaki Heavy Industriesis an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa.... - Philippines MCX Motor (Phils.), Blaze Motortech, RUSI, Sunriser
- Taiwan KymcoKymcoKYMCO KYMCO KYMCO (trade name for the Kwang Yang Motor Co, Ltd is a Taiwanese company that manufactures motor scooters, motorcycles, and ATVs for worldwide distribution. Founded in 1963, the company originally made parts for Honda. The company built its first complete scooter in 1970 and began...
, SYM MotorsSYM MotorsSYM Sanyang Industry Co., Ltd. was founded in Taipei in 1954 by Huang Ji-Jun. The company's headquarters is established in Hsinchu, Taiwan and SYM's three major production bases are in Taiwan, China and Vietnam. The company manufactures and sells scooters, motorcycles and ATVs under the SYM brand... - Thailand: Tiger Motor Co. Ltd
Underbone culture
Underbones are very popular in South East Asia. There is a demand for aftermarket and tunerCar tuning
Car tuning is both an industry and a hobby, in which an automobile is modified in order to improve its performance, handling and appearance. As most vehicles leave the factory set up for average driver expectations and average conditions, tuning has become a way to personalize the characteristics...
parts. Many enthusiasts modify their underbones either for show (such as installing small sound systems, neon
Neon
Neon is the chemical element that has the symbol Ne and an atomic number of 10. Although a very common element in the universe, it is rare on Earth. A colorless, inert noble gas under standard conditions, neon gives a distinct reddish-orange glow when used in either low-voltage neon glow lamps or...
lights and custom paint jobs) or for performance (like increasing the engine power
Engine tuning
Engine tuning is the adjustment, modification or design of internal combustion engines to yield optimal performance, to increase an engine's power output, economy, or durability....
and fine tuning the suspension). Riding gear may not even extend to wearing shoes and long pants for safety. Illegal underbone drag racing
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
has become popular in countries such as the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Malaysia, and poses safety issues for the commuting public as well as the riders themselves, as underbones offer little protection in the event of crashes. The most popular underbone for these purposes is the Honda XRM
Honda XRM
The Honda XRM is an underbone-style motorbike that is produced and sold in the Philippines. It is called Nice in Thailand but not an Off-Road type. Since 2001, the Honda XRM has been released with a 110 cc engine, but 2007 has seen the release of the Honda XRM 125 cc which uses the engine from the...
and the Honda Wave, although similar models from Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
and Yamaha are also frequently used.
In Singapore and Malaysia, it is not uncommon to see old bicycles customized with parts found on an underbone motorcycle, a growing trend popular with the youth.