Honda is one of the most prestigious brands in motorcycle circles. Not only is it the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer, but its bikes have dominated the highest levels of motorsports. With a reputation like that, it's easy to forget Honda's humble beginnings. But long before it was big enough for the average motorcycle shopper to stop and ask, "What's a good Honda motorcycle dealer near me?" Honda was barely getting by in the early days of the motorcycle manufacturing business, building small components for other top brands. But we'll get to that in a second. This little walk down memory lane will give you an idea of what the early days of Honda's rise to prominence were like and how it has managed to maintain its edge in a business that's constantly evolving and growing into something unique and new with each passing year.
Building Motorized Bicycles in 1946
Honda was founded by Soichiro Honda. He got his start in the industry when he was still a child, helping his father repair bicycles. When he grew up, he began working on cars and eventually opened a garage of his own. However, Soichiro Honda didn't just want to work on and repair vehicles; he wanted to design them. For this endeavor, he opened Tokai Seiki, a machining company. Even though it seemed like things were looking up when Honda's Tokai Seiki landed a contract with Toyota to make piston rings, the quality was not up to par, and the contract was voided.
This sent Soichiro Honda back to the drawing board to improve his craft and eventually prove to Toyota that his company, Tokai Seiki, could produce high-quality parts. And it did. The partnership with Toyota lasted until the end of World War II when Honda sold Tokai Seiki to Toyota. He then founded the Honda Technical Research Institute shortly thereafter. This is where things really began to take shape, as he used the money from Tokai Seiki to hire a dozen mechanics and started building motorized bicycles in 1946.
The popularity of these 50cc bikes opened the door for Soichiro Honda to form partnerships with other engineers and eventually start building his very own motorcycles from scratch in 1948, when the Honda Motor Company was officially formed. This resulted in multiple iterations and the evolution of the motorized bicycle with the A-Type, B-Type, and C-Type. However, it was with the D-Type Dream in 1949 that everything would change. The D-Type was the very first Honda motorcycle where the engine and frame were both designed by Honda.
The 1950s: Four-Strokes and Motorsports
The D-Type was a turning point for Soichiro Honda and the Honda Motor Company. It was the first proper motorcycle that was all Honda. An engine it built, a design it came up with, and a dream that came true. However, this was just the start. The E-Type is where history would be made with the first-ever Honda four-stroke engine.
The 1950s were mostly focused on building general-purpose vehicles, including the F-Type Cub and J-Type Benly. This was because Soichiro Honda spent the early 1950s traveling the world, learning about American and European manufacturing and ordering tools to improve his company's machining and manufacturing processes to build better motorcycles. His journey began after the D-Type Dream took part in the Sao Paulo City race in 1954 but failed to keep up with the European and American-made motorcycles.
Soichiro Honda was also determined to participate in the Isle of Man TT challenge and knew he would need a much more powerful motorcycle to do so. He also believed that in order to improve the quality of the motorcycles Honda designed, he would need to test them properly, and this meant building a test track for the designs. This would eventually become the legendary Suzuka Circuit, which would be used to test new prototypes and changes to the Honda designs.
However, the Isle of Man TT would have to wait as Honda realized its motorcycles weren't fast enough. Not only were they slower than the European models, but Honda's 125cc and 250cc bikes failed to grab first place in the 1955 and 1957 Asama Races that took place in Japan, losing out to Yamaha. This led to the development of Honda's first dedicated racing bikes, like the 125cc RC142 and the 250cc RC160.
The 1960s-1970s: R&D for Changing Times
After competing and coming up short in its very first Isle of Man TT race in 1959 with the RC142, Honda learned a lot about racing, performance parts, and how to improve its bikes both for the road and competition. Enter the 1960s, and Honda began building more powerful motorcycles. By 1961, Honda had begun winning Grand Prix championships and finishing in the top places in Isle of Man TT races.
The Suzuka Circuit opened in 1962, giving Honda an opportunity to test and modify its motorcycles before rolling them out to the general public. By 1964 Honda had become the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer. The company continued to push forward, introducing its first CB750 superbike in 1969 with an I-4 engine and disc brakes. Honda didn't rest on its laurels, though, because in 1973, it opened up a research and development center chiefly aimed at improving its motorcycles and performance, both on the track and on the road. This led to advancements, experimentation, and unique designs for motorcycles like the CB200, CL200 Scrambler, and CB500 throughout the 1970s.
Honda experimented with all sorts of powerful engine combinations and larger bikes. In the meantime, Honda also continued producing mopeds, light motorcycles, and cruisers of all varieties for a large variety of different demographics. From the new CB750 to the ever-popular Honda Super Cub, Honda was broadening its line-up while introducing new technologies like dual CV carburetors, liquid-cooling, and electric ignition.
The 1980s-1990s: Motorsports Meets Road Bikes
1979 marked a huge step forward for Honda, as it opened the first manufacturing facility in the United States, preparing it to take on the American market during the 1980s. The introduction of turbocharged production bikes like the CX500TC and advancements in the off-road competition arena with newer CR models helped keep Honda competitive during this era. The brand's V4 line of bikes also began to spread throughout the market, including the Sabre, Interceptor, and Magna.
These advancements were interchanged between the road models and the race models, as Honda continued to post pole positions and maintain popularity in motorsports with highly regarded bikes like the RC30 and RC45. This was happening while other popular pastimes involving motorcycles kicked off throughout the 1980s and 1990s. We saw the XR series dirt bikes skyrocket in popularity, thanks in part to bikes like the XR80R being featured in films like Terminator 2.
The XR was a unique departure from Honda's other motorcycles, as it was designed to be a fast-accelerating, quick-handling, off-road dirt bike with reinforced forks. Thanks to the modular body for upgrades and customization, as well as tires and shocks designed to accommodate the shunts and jumps of off-road traversal, it was well-received both for motorsports and casual enthusiasts. This further solidified Honda's approach of appealing to all demographics.
Honda introduced the VTX series of cruisers at the end of the 1990s, competing with the likes of other big bikes on the road. The VTX was designed to be a luxury-oriented cruiser that had a lot of power from its large V-twin engine. The 1980s and 1990s also saw the introduction of dual-sport bikes, like the Africa Twin and Dominator, giving riders who needed something that could tackle roads and trails a nice middle-ground to indulge in.
The 2000s-2020s: A Motorcycle for Every Rider
The turn of the millennium saw Honda maintaining a lot of what helped put the brand on the map: scooters, mopeds, cruisers, road bikes, and sports bikes galore. The brand also maintained a healthy selection of race bikes and dirt bikes. Honda continued to produce high-quality motorcycles that were incrementally improved over the years, increasing and improving the quality of the suspension, engines, and handling. Each generation of its motorcycles intertwines what Honda has learned from engineering motorcycles for the track with what it provides for production bikes for average consumers.
To this day, Honda continues to pursue excellence in motorsports, with the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade superbike pushing the boundaries of performance on the track. Meanwhile, the Rebel, Shadow, and Fury represent the goal of bringing excitement, advancements, and fun to the road as consumer production bikes. As has been the ethos since the company's foundation, Honda continues to produce motorcycles for every type of rider. Whether on the road, off the road, on the track, or any pathway in between, where tires meet the ground and dreams become reality, you'll find a Honda.
