Honda
Brand DNA
Reliability, universality, and engineering excellence. Honda is the manufacturer that put the entire world on two wheels. From the Super Cub — over 100 million sold — to the track-bred Fireblade, the philosophy remains constant: build exceptional engines and make them accessible to as many riders as possible. No other brand produces 20 million bikes a year while covering every market segment, from a 50cc urban scooter to a 1,800cc six-cylinder tourer. The dealer network is the largest on the planet, spare parts are available virtually anywhere, and resale values hold strong year after year. Honda doesn't promise the most exotic character or the most head-turning design, but one thing is certain: when you turn the key, it starts. Every single time.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pros
- Legendary reliability: Honda engines are renowned for their longevity and low failure rates
- Broadest lineup on the market: from 50cc to 1,800cc, urban scooters to luxury tourers
- Unmatched global dealer and parts network (over 30,000 locations worldwide)
- Constant technological innovation: DCT, VTEC, motorcycle airbag, Honda Selectable Torque Control
- Record-breaking competition pedigree: 310+ wins and 25 constructors’ titles in MotoGP/500cc
- Excellent value for money across most of the range
- Strong resale values backed by the brand’s reliability reputation
Cons
- Engine character sometimes criticized as too smooth or “sanitized” compared to European rivals
- Often conservative styling, lacking the boldness of brands like Ducati or KTM
- Fit and finish can feel underwhelming on entry-level and mid-range models
- Pricing has risen in recent years, narrowing the historic cost advantage over European competitors
- MotoGP results in sharp decline since 2020, with a widening gap to Ducati
History
Honda is the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. Since 1948, the Japanese brand has produced over 500 million powered two-wheelers — a figure no competitor has ever come close to matching. From humble commuter bikes to luxurious touring flagships, Honda covers every segment with a simple philosophy: engineering reliability for the greatest number of riders.
How did Honda begin?
Soichiro Honda was born in 1906 in rural Komyo, Japan. Obsessed with engines from childhood, he dropped out of school to become an apprentice mechanic in a Tokyo garage. In 1937, he founded Tokai Seiki, a piston ring manufacturing company. After initial rejections from Toyota over quality issues, he eventually secured major contracts.
World War II destroyed his factories — an American bombing raid leveled one, and a 1945 earthquake finished off the other. Soichiro sold the remains to Toyota and started over. In 1946, he established the Honda Technical Research Institute and began strapping surplus military engines onto bicycle frames. This clever improvisation, the “Type A,” sold briskly in a post-war Japan desperate for affordable transportation.
On September 24, 1948, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. was officially incorporated in Hamamatsu. The following year, Takeo Fujisawa joined as business manager. The duo complemented each other perfectly: Soichiro was the visionary engineer, Fujisawa the commercial strategist. Together, they released the Dream D-Type in 1949, Honda’s first true motorcycle, powered by a 98cc two-stroke engine.
The meteoric rise of the 1950s and 1960s
In 1953, Honda introduced the Dream E-Type, its first four-stroke motorcycle (a type of engine that is quieter and more fuel-efficient than a two-stroke). Soichiro Honda firmly believed that four-stroke technology was the future, even as the rest of the industry bet heavily on two-strokes. This conviction would shape the brand’s DNA forever.
In 1958, Honda launched the Super Cub C100 — a small, step-through two-wheeler halfway between a scooter and a motorcycle. Simple, reliable, affordable, and easy to ride thanks to its semi-automatic clutch, the Super Cub became a global phenomenon. It remains the most produced motor vehicle in history, with over 100 million units sold across all markets.
By 1959, Honda was already the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. That same year, the company opened its first overseas subsidiary in Los Angeles: American Honda Motor Co. The legendary “You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda” advertising campaign shattered the outlaw biker image that dominated American motorcycle culture. Suddenly, motorcycling wasn’t just for leather-clad rebels — it was for everyone.
Racing: an unmatched record
Soichiro Honda believed passionately that racing improves production bikes. In 1959, Honda entered five machines at the Isle of Man TT (then the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world). By 1961, Mike Hailwood delivered Honda’s first Grand Prix victories in the 125cc and 250cc classes. Throughout the 1960s, Honda amassed 34 world titles and 138 GP wins — numbers rivals could only dream of.
After withdrawing from racing between 1968 and 1978 to focus on road bikes and cars, Honda returned to Grand Prix competition with the NR500, a revolutionary four-stroke with oval pistons. The machine failed competitively but served as a technology lab. Honda then adopted two-stroke power with the NS500 and the legendary NSR500. The result: Freddie Spencer clinched Honda’s first 500cc title in 1983, followed by Mick Doohan’s five consecutive championships from 1994 to 1998.
In the modern MotoGP era (four-strokes, from 2002 onward), the RC211V and RC213V carried Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden, Casey Stoner, and especially Marc Marquez (six MotoGP titles) to continued glory. In total, Honda holds 25 premier-class constructors’ championships and over 310 victories — the all-time record, far ahead of Yamaha and Ducati.
Honda today: the giant reinventing itself
With 37 factories across 23 countries, annual production capacity exceeding 20 million motorcycles, and a dealer network of over 30,000 locations worldwide, Honda remains the undisputed global leader. The brand commands roughly 40% of the world motorcycle market.
The lineup is unmatched in breadth: from the still-in-production Super Cub to the touring Gold Wing, the adventure-ready Africa Twin, the track-focused CBR Fireblade, and the everyday CB range. Honda builds bikes for every budget, every purpose, and every skill level.
The current challenge is electrification. Honda designated 2024 as its “first year of global expansion” for electric two-wheelers, targeting 30 electric models by 2030 and 4 million electric units sold annually. The EV Fun and EV Urban concepts, unveiled at EICMA 2024, signal the direction ahead.
In MotoGP, recent years have been tougher. Marc Marquez’s injuries and Ducati’s surge left Honda struggling for competitiveness. The manufacturer is investing heavily to regain its edge on track, staying true to its founder’s racing philosophy.
In summary
Honda represents the democratization of motorcycling on a global scale. Legendary reliability, the broadest lineup on the market, and an unrivaled competition record. If you’re looking for a brand that offers a motorcycle for every need, every budget, and every experience level, Honda is the obvious answer. The character may be less flamboyant than some European rivals, but the engineering quality is unwavering. As Soichiro Honda once said: “Success is 99% failure.” With 500 million motorcycles produced, that remaining 1% has worked out rather well.
Iconic models
Super Cub (1958)
The most produced motor vehicle in history, period — over 100 million units sold since 1958. With its fuel-efficient four-stroke engine, semi-automatic clutch, and low step-through design, the Super Cub brought motorized mobility within reach of billions worldwide. Across Japan, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America, it transformed daily life for entire populations. It remains in production today and stands as a universal symbol of Honda’s mission to bring mobility to all.
CB750 (1969)
Widely regarded as the world’s first “superbike,” the CB750 revolutionized the market with its inline four-cylinder engine, overhead camshaft, and front disc brake — technologies borrowed from racing but offered at a mainstream price point. Before the CB750, production bikes were mostly singles or twins. It literally redefined what a production motorcycle could be, and launched the era of Japanese superbikes that would sweep away British dominance.
Gold Wing (1975)
The ultimate touring motorcycle. Launched with a 1,000cc flat-four engine, the Gold Wing has evolved over generations into the undisputed benchmark for two-wheeled grand touring. The current model features a 1,833cc flat-six, DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission), an airbag — a first in the motorcycle world — and an integrated audio system. It is the rolling luxury lounge built to devour miles in supreme comfort.
CBR900RR Fireblade (1992)
Designed by engineer Tadao Baba, the Fireblade disrupted the sportbike segment by packaging 900cc power into a chassis as light and compact as a 600. The “performance through lightness” philosophy changed how the entire industry approached sportbike design. Each subsequent generation pushed the boundaries further, and the CBR1000RR lineage carries this legacy forward today, both on the road and in World Superbike competition.
Africa Twin (1988)
Directly inspired by Honda’s Paris-Dakar winning machines (notably the NXR750, which won four consecutive Dakars from 1986 to 1989), the Africa Twin became the adventure-touring icon. Relaunched in 2016 with a 1,000cc parallel twin and available with DCT, it remains one of the world’s most popular adventure motorcycles, equally at home on long-distance journeys and daily commutes.
NSR500 (1984–2001)
The most successful Grand Prix machine of the two-stroke 500cc era. Ridden by Freddie Spencer, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, and Valentino Rossi, the NSR500 claimed numerous world championships and hundreds of victories. Its V4 two-stroke engine with “big bang” firing order (a configuration that delivers power in a more manageable, rider-friendly way) revolutionized how racing engines were designed and tuned.