Honda

At Honda they produce motorcycles with passion, where the motorcyclist and the ride are central. Each motorcycle is designed based on a history of racing success and finished to perfection. That's why Honda pays attention to every detail.

In 1990, Honda wondered why motorcycles didn't have airbags. It was a simple question. After fifteen years of research and production work, the Honda Gold Wing was the very first motorcycle with an airbag.

Honda's experience on the race track inspires all kinds of new ideas and is the basis for superior technologies in all road motorcycles. Leading innovations such as the Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) and low-friction piston technology have found their way from superbike to scooter.

Honda actively develops ideas with the aim of making the world a better place. For example, a start-stop function and the programmed fuel injection is another example for engines with better performance and lower emissions.

The company was founded in Japan by Soichiro Honda, who started manufacturing motorcycles in 1946. The 50 cc Honda C100 Supercub (from 1958) became the best-selling motorcycle in the world. The 250 cc Dream models (from 1958) conquered the world in one fell swoop, supported by the racing successes of Mike Hailwood, among others. Another success was the four-cylinder CB 750 Four in 1969 and the Honda Deauville.

Today Honda is the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. In 2015, the number of motorcycles had risen to 17.8 million. There are factories in Hamamatsu, Suzuki and Kumamoto, but also in the US (where the Gold Wings are built), Italy (Honda Italia) and Spain (Montesa-Honda).