Honda Motorcycles

About Honda

Honda is the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Japan and has been since it started production in 1955. At its peak in 1982, Honda manufactured almost three million motorcycles annually. By 2006 this figure had reduced to around 550,000 but was still higher than its three domestic competitors.

Soichiro Honda began producing motorcycles in 1946 to satisfy a thirst for cheap transportation in war devastated Japan. Honda began his effort by installing military surplus engines in bicycles. As Honda became more prosperous, he designed his own 50cc engine for the bicycles. The first motorcycle that featured a completely Honda designed motor and frame was produced in 1949. It was called the Model D for Dream. Soon Model J Benly appeared.

Honda wanted to sell a more powerful motorcycle that led to the 146cc over head valve four-stroke E-Type Dream with a top speed of 50mph. The motorcycle featured Honda's own designed frame and suspension on both wheels.

In 1952 Honda began producing the Cub with two-stroke engine. Its big sales became basis for future development.

In 1953 Honda began producing a four-stroke single powered motorcycle featuring more engineering sophistication. This small motorcycle was also called a Benly and featured a three-speed gearbox, pressed steel Frame, rear suspension with the engine and swinging arm on a sprung pivot, and telescopic front suspension and produced 3.8bhp.

A revolution in the motorcycle industry began in 1958 when Honda brought the C100 Super Club to the American market. It was the first Honda motorcycle sold in the U.S. The small step through design was easy to ride reliable bike. It was featured in the famous “you meet the nicest people on a Honda” marketing campaign that eventually made the C100 motorcycle the best selling motorcycle of all times. Eventually more than 30 million would be built.

CB models included the CA72 (250cc) and followed by the CA77 (305cc). The parallel twin engines proved very reliable, however their stamped steel welded frames handled poorly at higher speeds.

Performance and handling improved when the company bolted the little parallel twin engines to a steel tubular frame and added twin carburetors for more power. The motorcycles were known as the CB 72 and 77 super hawk models and gained a reputation of reliability.

The first commercially successful large motorcycle was the CB450, brought out in 1965 and called the black bomber. This innovative engine featured torsion bar valve springs that allowed high rpm and was the first serious effort by Honda to challenge English dominance in the American marketplace.

This was followed in 1969 with the Honda CB750 four. A powerful and reliable motorcycle that dominated the motorcycle market. The success of the CB 750 4 cylinder Honda led to a series of smaller Honda motorcycles with 350, 400, 550 cc motors and ushered in the era of the universal Japanese motorcycle.

This design would reach its fruition when it morphed into the cult classic inline 6 cylinder CBX in 1978.

The reliability and power of the four cylinder Honda 750 soon led to a new kind of motorcyclist, the long distance touring rider. Craig Vetter designed a full fairing for the motorcycle called a Windjammer. Before long thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts were touring the countryside on their motorcycles behind a Windjammer.

In 1974 Honda brought out the GL1000 Gold Wing. The motorcycle featured a flat four cylinder 999cc a water cooled engine with power delivered through a driveshaft. It proved to be as reliable as the cars of the day. Soon thousands of Goldwings were bought up and converted to touring motorcycles by their new owners.

With interest running so high for touring models, Honda brought out the Interstate model in 1980. This was the first Japanese produced motorcycle to roll off the assembly line as a complete touring motorcycle. The motorcycle featured a full fairing, trunk and saddlebags.

In addition to touring motorcycles, Honda began developing a series of V-four engines in the 1970s. This led to the production of the Honda Sabre and Magna in 1980. These two models led to a whole series of VF designated high performance motorcycles ranging between 400cc and 1000cc. But due to mechanical problems the VF line was unable to sustain itself.

Following the VF was the new VFR series of motorcycles. The VFR 750R was a sport touring motorcycle with lots of power, good balance and reliability. In 1996 Honda produced the fastest motorcycle in production with the CBR1100XX Super Blackbird (1137cc). The motorcycle became popular with the long range high speed touring crowd.

Soichiro Honda died on August 5, 1991 of liver failure.

Honda's entry into the U.S. motorcycle market during the 1960s is used as a case study for teaching introductory strategy at business schools worldwide. There are a few theories explaining their great success.

Moto blog

Marvel at the beautiful Honda RC30

The Honda RC30 is without a doubt the most beautiful bike ever conceived, and this promotional video solidifies the motorcycle artwork with the technical process it takes to build the VFR750R. The slow motion footage of the road machine alongside its HRC race counterpart further portrays the beauty of the RC30. Watch in awe as the Honda engineer pieces the components together to create a motorcycle masterpiece.

NR750 owners should require approval

Words can't express the absolute disbelief of this strangely attired guy trying to ride one of the rarest motorcycles every to grace tarmac. But this clip descends in to absurdity when the rider fumbles setting off on the Honda NR750 and drops the oval-pistoned beauty on its side. Did he stall it or is there a disc lock hidden within the pixilated video?

Honda Personal Mobility Concept U3-X [video]

Using technology derived from the ASIMO bi-pedal humanoid robot, Honda has developed a new personal mobility concept called the U3-X. If this proves successful, owners may never have to walk again. Check out a video of the U3-X in action below the jump.

Not Even Death Can Stop Him From Riding

How much do you love riding? Probably not as much as this guy did. David Morales Colon, 22, was shot to death April 22 in Puerto Rico.

Is this Valentino Rossi's missing NSR500?

CHECK THIS: the poster of this video on YouTube is asking if the machine in the clip is an ex-Valentino Rossi Honda NSR500 GP racer. Although, the bike looks the part, we doubt it's a 'missing' Valentino two-stroker. We weren't even aware the nine-time world champ had lost one!

See Britain's land speed record hopeful at Race Retro 2010

SEE THE MACHINE that could propel Britain to a new motorcycle land speed world record at The Race Retro 2010 show, held at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry from 12th to 14th March. Almost a year has passed since Visordown broke the news of the planned UK assault on the land speed record - this coming August the Angelic Bulldog team travels to Bonneville, where it is hoping to smash the 400mph barrier and bring the motorcycle Land Speed Record back to the UK for the first time since 1937. The current record stands at 360.913mph over a kilometre.

Dealer Expo 2010: Yoshimura R-77 Slip-On Exhaust

Yoshimura is playing to the green movement with its new R-77 slip-on canister with integral catalytic converter. The version ready for the 2008-09 Honda CBR1000RR is claimed to be three pounds lighter than stock and offers a big bump in midrange power. Most importantly to the greenies, however, is that it produces fewer emissions than other performance mufflers.

NEW: Yoshimura ends cans for Honda CB1000R

LEGENDARY JAPANESE tuning house Yoshimura has designed a series of slip-on performance end cans for Honda’s naked CB1000R.The brand new EEC-approved cans bolt straight onto the bike's exiting pipework and feature a stainless steel end cone and integral lower Yoshimura logoed cat-converter heat shield. Even with the dB-Killer baffle in place peak power is improved, as is mid-range torque with further performance gains available if the baffle is removed.A full race mid-pipe, extracting yet more power is on the way and will be available later in the year. The Yoshimura CB1000R Slip-On, including the supplied heat shield, is over 4kgs lighter than the OE item, the Carbon sleeve, even more so at just 4.65kg.Part Number/Sleeve Type/Weight/RRP including VAT1A0-480-5B50         Stainless Steel           2.61kg                       £712.711A0-480-5B80          Titanium                    2.45kg                        £770.181A0-480-5B80B         Titan Blue                 2.45kg                        £850.651A0-480-5B90          Carbon                      2.35kg                        £896.631A0-480-5B20          Metal Magic               2.61kg                        £793.17         Noise Output (decibels)Standard end can: 94dB    @ 5,000rpmYoshimura EEC Slip-On:  94.5dB @ 5,000rpm(with db-killer in place)

First Look: Marotti Honda-engined trike

TAKE A HONDA VFR750 engine, a reverse trike chassis and some Batman-style aerodynamic bodywork and this is the result. Polish company Marotti have built this 100bhp prototype model using a 750cc Honda motorcycle engine. The company is now planning to frighten potential customers witless with a new 1.4 litre engine machine that will deliver a claimed power ratio of 397bhp/tonne.Oooh, yer bugger...

AUDIO: Hailwood Honda Six on full song

DUKE Marketing have released an audio CD of the historic Diamond Jubilee 1966 Isle of Man TT, capturing the action, atmosphere and magic of this unique event - and here's a clip of the disc.Listen to Mike Hailwood roar away from the line on his deafening Honda 250cc six, as Mike's father is interviewed by one of the radio presenters. It's classic stuff.The full CD has interviews with Mike Hailwood, Phil Read, Stuart Graham, Freddie Frith and Stanley Woods - plus Agostini being grilled by Hailwood.