The Japanese Big Four: Honda

The story of Honda is the story of its founder, Soichiro Honda, who at the age of 31 laid the foundations of what would become a vast industrial empire. Born in a small Japanese village, his education developed in Tokyo, where he began as a mechanic’s apprentice. His determination and desire to progress led him to open his first workshop just six years after entering the trade.

That industrial workshop, Tokai Seiki, specialized in manufacturing piston rings, and became the seed and origin of the Honda Technical Research Institute.

In 1946, due to global circumstances following the end of World War II, Soichiro (along with others) realized that Japan desperately needed mobility. His idea of fitting engines onto bicycles resulted in the first Honda motorcycles. The birth of the Honda Type A marked the beginning of the first engine designed and manufactured by Honda on its assembly line.

Two years later came Honda’s first fully designed and manufactured motorcycle, the Dream (D-Type) .

But if one date truly stands out, it is 1958, the launch of the legendary Honda Super Cub . It is the best-selling motorcycle in history, with more than 90 million units sold across over 160 countries. A model instantly recognizable at first glance, it inspired almost every scooter design line seen on the streets today.

From the beginning, competition attracted every manufacturer. While Honda started locally, it soon set its sights on bigger goals. In the 1950s, the most famous race was the Isle of Man TT , where Honda debuted in 1954.

In just five years, Honda won the team classification, and by 1961 achieved its first Riders’ World Championships: 125cc with Tom Phillis and 250cc with Mike Hailwood — the beginning of a long chain of victories that continues today.

During the 1980s, racing mechanics began to influence street motorcycles, and Honda played a major role in this transition. This evolution can be clearly seen by comparing the Honda CB750F with the Honda VF750F .

Fairings appeared, clip-on handlebars, rectangular-section frames, progressive rear suspension with monoshocks, stronger front forks with anti-dive systems. Wheels went from 18 to 16 inches, and tire widths increased. In short, a motorcycle built for riders who saw themselves reflected on the asphalt of the racetrack.

This racing-to-road mimicry reached its peak in the 1980s with the iconic Honda RC30 , a race machine released onto the streets of any city.

Slightly earlier, other unforgettable models come to mind, such as the Honda CB750 Four of 1970, and the GL1000 Gold Wing of 1975.

It is nearly impossible to fit within one article all the models that defined eras and all the legendary riders associated with Honda: Mick Doohan, Álex Crivillé, Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden, Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa, Marc Márquez…

And in rally raid, who can forget Cyril Neveu, winner of the 1986 Paris-Dakar aboard a Honda NXR 750 ?

And if we venture into off-road territory, who doesn’t think of the legendary Honda Africa Twin as the ultimate desert motorcycle? But surely, that deserves another article in the future.

To learn more about Honda, we invite you to visit this link .