The Remarkable History of Honda

Inspiration is important to make you do a certain thing you are aiming for. It is good for taking a start. However, if you want to make something big and successful, it takes perspiration, hard work, dedication, and out-of-the-box strategy. Honda is a perfect case study if you want to learn successful business and marketing strategies.

Honda is one of the top four Japanese motorcycle brands well-known for reliability and innovation. The company has surpassed several giant motorcycle manufacturers in the world on its way to becoming the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer and seller. Honda is one of those motorcycle manufacturers that witnessed massive success in less time. The successful business and marketing strategies and the production of motorcycles in large numbers have helped Honda become a household brand worldwide. The zeal to improve its processes, strategies, and growth is evident from its continuous recent efforts to produce vehicles powered by clean energy. Honda has one of the most zealous R&D departments which has helped the company enter the aerospace, robotics, luxury vehicles, motorcycles, electric generators, and lawn mower markets. Honda made a simple start by producing piston rings and today, it contributes to almost every sector of the automotive industry. Read this article to learn about the remarkable history of Honda.

Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda, had always been an automobile geek. The passion came from his experience as a mechanic at the Art Shokai Garage. He used to prepare cars for racing by modifying them.

From the experience he gained from working at the Art Shokai Garage, he decided to establish a company, Tōkai Seiki (Eastern Sea Precision Machine Company), to produce piston rings for automobiles while taking financial assistance from an associate, Kato Shichirō.

Honda got the chance to win a contract for designing piston rings for Toyota. Unfortunately, piston rings were rejected at the trials due to not meeting the quality standards.

Soichiro Honda was eager to work with Toyota and, therefore, decided to improve his skills by gaining more first-hand experience. Toyota had one of the strictest quality control tests, known as the Five Whys. To pass these tests, Soichiro Honda attended an engineering institute and visited several manufacturing facilities to learn about the quality control processes. After several attempts, Soichiro Honda finally won the contract of producing piston rings for Toyota. Honda was successful in developing an automated system to produce these rings to produce them in large numbers.

After World War II started, the government took control of Tōkai Seiki. The company was moved under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, which became the Ministry of Munitions due to war. Toyota became the owner of 40% shares of the company and as a result, Soichiro Honda lost his position as the president of the company and was only given the charge of senior managing director.

Honda pioneered the automation processes at that time and contributed to the war efforts by assisting Japanese automotive manufacturers, including Imperial Japanese Navy, Nakajima Aircraft Company, and Toyota in manufacturing propellers for military aircraft. The association with these companies helped Soichiro Honda build a good reputation.

In 1944, Tōkai Seiki’s Yamashita plant was destroyed as a result of bombardment by US fighter jets.

In 1945, the Tōkai Seiki’s Iwata plant also collapsed due to the Mikawa earthquake.

In 1946, Soichiro Honda used the money received from Toyota to establish the Honda Institute for Technical Research to continue its engineering and manufacturing legacy where it left off.

At that time, bicycles were the most common and widely used transportation mode for most people. To start from somewhere, Honda decided to power these bicycles with small engines. The company received 500 units of 50 cc two-stroke engines from war surplus that were used by the military to power the wireless radios during the war times. Honda used these 50 cc engines to produce motorized bicycles which became instantly popular and their demand grew exponentially.

Due to the increase in demand for Honda’s motorized bicycles, Honda developed its own engine, called the A-Type engine for customers to attach to their bicycles. These A-Type engines became commonly known as Bata Bata due to the sound they produced.

In 1949, the Honda Institute for Technical Research was sold for ¥1,000,000 and Soichiro Honda invested this money to establish Honda Motor Co. Ltd. to embark on the journey of producing top-class automobiles and becoming one of the largest automobile producers in the world.

In the same year, Soichiro Honda met with Takeo Fujisawa, who was a Japanese businessman and had expertise in marketing and business growth. Fujisawa joined Honda as the co-founder of the company.

Later, Kihachiro Kawashima, a professional engineer, was hired by Honda to assist the company’s technical department. Kawashima later became the advisor of Honda Motor Co. and the founder of the American Honda Motor Co.

In the same year, Honda manufactured its first-ever complete motorcycle, called the Honda D-Type, and later became popular with the name Dream. This was the first time that a complete motorcycle, including the engine and frame, was designed and manufactured by Honda. At the heart of the Honda D-Type was a 98 cc two-stroke, single-cylinder engine capable of delivering a horsepower of 3 hp and a torque of 4.27 Nm. It was a two-speed semi-automatic motorcycle with a kickstart mechanism and rigid rear frame.

In 1951, Honda produced a four-stroke model, the Honda Dream E, to introduce a motorcycle with low noise and capable of producing fewer fumes. It received an innovatively-designed overhead-valve (OHV) engine that allowed the motorcycle to run at a higher rpm as the engine design ensured better airflow The 1951 Honda Dream E was powered by a 146 cc engine capable of producing a horsepower of 5.5 hp. This motorcycle showed an impressive fuel economy of 220 mpg. The first test ride of the Honda Dream E was done in the Hakone Mountains, and it could easily climb the hills with an average speed of 45 mph.

In 1952, Honda started producing clip-on 50 cc two-stroke engines, called the Honda Cub F that could be easily mounted on bicycles.

In 1958, Honda introduced one of the most successful models, the Honda Super Cub, which was a low-powered entry-level, scooter-style motorcycle. It became the most-produced motorcycle in the history of the motorcycling world. The Honda Super Cub has the longest production run since 1958 without any discontinuity. The production units of the Honda Super Cub reached a total of 60 million in 2008. The production count reached a total of 87 million in 2014. The Honda Super Cub attained the milestone of 100 million production units in 2017.

The Honda Super Cub is produced with four-stroke single-cylinder engines ranging from 49 to 124 cc. This motorcycle played a huge role in the success of Honda Motors in the U.S. motorcycle market in the 1960s. The Honda Super Cub was the hallmark of the successful advertising campaign launched by Honda in the U.S. in the 1960s.

In 1959, Honda participated in the Isle of Man TT season to compete with the world’s greatest motorcycle manufacturers in the 125 cc category. Honda managed to finish in sixth place in the race.

In the early 1960s, Honda decided to expand to the U.S. market by exporting its motorcycles. However, it was only a small motorcycle manufacturer in the local market. The decision to expand to the U.S. market turned out to be revolutionary for Honda. After being associated with a notable advertising agency, Grey Advertising, the sales flourished thanks to the implementation of a successful marketing and branding strategy. The slogan became widely popular and common among motorcycle enthusiasts all over the world, which said:

In the early 1960s, the perception of motorcyclists in America was negatively portrayed by the One Percenters (1 %ers), which proved to be detrimental for Harley Davidson. The successful marketing strategy made it clear that Honda motorcycles were not designed for a particular class or market segment, they were designed for everybody.

Despite the powerful engines, Honda was not able to secure a win at the Grand Prix World Championship for two years. However, in 1961, Mike Hailwood, a professional British motorcycle racer, made Honda secure its first Grand Prix victory in the 125 and 250 cc categories. Honda secured the top five positions in both the 125 cc and 250 cc categories. This remarkable victory in 1961, immortalized Honda in history as this motorcycle manufacturer had started only 12 years earlier in a war-stricken country and still managed to dominate the world of motorcycle racing.

The first Honda Z series motorcycle was the Honda Z100 which was a prototype minibike designed for children to ride at the Tama Tech amusement park in Japan. It became famous as the “Monkey Bike” due to its unusual look.

The slogan and the marketing strategy earned a huge appreciation and within three years, Honda was successful in selling more than 90,000 motorcycles in the U.S. The success of a small Japanese manufacturer in a completely new, one of the most important motorcycle markets (the U.S.) and globally was exemplary and out of the blue.

In 1963, Honda ventured into automobile manufacturing and introduced the Honda T360, its first mini pickup truck. The Honda T360 was fitted with a 356 cc inline four-cylinder gasoline engine. It was placed under the keir car category due to being a small-sized and low-powered road-legal passenger car.

In the same year, Honda introduced its second car and the first sports car, called the Honda S500, which was a sports-style roadster with two doors. It was powered by a large 531 cc inline four-cylinder engine with a manual four-speed gearbox and a rear-wheel drive system.

In 1964, Honda became the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. Garnering massive success in such a short time was impressive and exemplary for most motorcycle manufacturers worldwide.

While most motorcycle manufacturers in the world continued to build two-stroke motorcycles to compete in sports racing, Honda was eagerly working to produce four-cylinder engines, calling them the technology of the future. In 1964, Honda introduced the RC164, a motorcycle with a 250 cc inline six-cylinder four-stroke engine. Due to a completely new concept, the Honda RC164 did not turn out to be an immediate success.

Owing to the popularity of the Honda Z100 prototype minibike for children, Honda started producing the Honda Z50M, also known as the Monkey Bike, in 1964. This mini bike was powered by a 50 cc air-cooled, four-stroke engine with three-speed semi-automatic transmission.

The Honda RC164 gained immense popularity after Mike Hailwood won the Grand Prix World Championships in the 250 cc category for two years in a row in 1966 and 1967 while riding this motorcycle.

In 1968, Honda manufactured its 10 millionth motorcycle.

In the late 1960s the motorcycle world was dominated by Harley Davidson and notable British motorcycle brands, including BSA and Triumph, when it came to powerful motorcycles with large engines. However, the advent of the Honda CB750 proved to be a turning point for Honda. This motorcycle became immediately popular due to its high power-to-weight ratio, low weight, and unmatched reliability. The Honda CB750 was the first motorcycle ever produced with a front disc brake. It was a standard motorcycle with a 736 cc air-cooled, inline four-cylinder engine capable of a horsepower of 68 hp and a torque of 60 Nm. The Honda CB750 could hit a top speed of 200 km/h. It became the pioneer model to inspire the future of Japanese motorcycles. The Japanese motorcycles of the 1970s were largely inspired by the Honda CB750 and used the same styling and frame due to which they were named Universal Japanese Motorcycles (UJM). The Honda CB750 became the best-selling motorcycle of its time and gave tough competition to the biggest names in the motorcycling industry, including Triumph, BSA, and Harley Davidson by introducing several Honda CB models with various displacement sizes.

Introduced in 1973, the Honda CR350 immediately became successful shortly after its launch when Gary Jones, a professional American dirt bike racer, won the AMA motocross championship while riding this motorcycle. It became the best dirt bike of the 1970s thanks to its lightweight design and unmatched performance.

Introduced in 1974, the Gold Wing is Honda’s one of the most popular motorcycles of all time. It is a sports-style luxury touring bike with several modern features to ensure a safe and comfortable touring experience. The Honda Gold Wing has constantly been upgraded in terms of styling and power since 1974. This motorcycle was one of its kind and introduced a trend of modern sports touring bikes.

The research work started in 1972 to design a flagship model for all riders who were keen to travel on their motorcycles. Shoichiro Irimajiri was heading the R&D team that was tasked to design a multi-cylinder motorcycle. After constant efforts put in by Honda engineers and the design team, the 1974 Honda Gold Wing was introduced with a flat four-cylinder engine and shaft drive. The Honda Gold Wing became the first Japanese motorcycle to receive a liquid-cooled four-stroke engine.

The 1974 Honda Gold Wing was fitted with a 999 cc flat-four engine capable of a horsepower of 80 hp and a torque of 81.4 Nm. It was a heavyweight motorcycle with a dry weight of 265 kg (584 lbs).

The first explanation as to why a small-sized manufacturing company in the 1960s, Honda became a massive success in the American market was provided by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in 1975. BCG was commissioned by the British government to find out why the British motorcycle manufacturers failed to make a mark in the global market, like Japanese motorcycle manufacturers. The report found out that the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers, particularly Honda, benefited from large-scale manufacturing which reduced the cost of repetitive manufacturing cycles and labor. Also, Honda penetrated the U.S. motorcycle market by introducing low-cost affordable models. The reason why British motorcycle manufacturers failed in the motorcycle market was due to the lack of investment and the inability to benefit from large-scale production.

The successful entry of Honda into the U.S. market in the 1960s is included as a case study in several courses taught in business schools around the world.

Honda was eager to continue with its four-stroke engine technology and designed a new sports-racing motorcycle, called the Honda NR500, with a monocoque frame to make a comeback at the Grand Prix in 1979. However, the experiment failed as the four-stroke Honda N500 could not beat the two-stroke motorcycles at the Grand Prix racing.

Due to an increase in the demand for motorcycles in the early 1980s and improved production capacity, Honda reached the production capability of more than three million motorcycles per year.

After the failed experiment of using a four-stroke motorcycle in the Grand Prix racing, Honda worked on its two-stroke engine technology and developed a racing motorcycle, called the Honda NS500, powered by a two-stroke engine. This time, the experiment was successful as Honda secured the first position at the Grand Prix World Championship in the 500 cc category thanks to Freddie Spencer (also known as Fast Spencer), a famous American motorcycle racer. Since this victory, Honda has become a top contender at the Grand Prix MotoGP events and has won several Grand Prix titles while collaborating with the world’s top motorcycle racers, including Valentino Rossi and Mick Doohan.

In another effort to explain Honda’s massive success in the U.S. market, Richard Pascale, who interviewed senior managers and executives at Honda, found out that there was sheer dedication and hard work. The low-cost motorcycles and large-scale production were not the only reasons; it was Honda’s adaptability, flexibility, and hardworking staff. Honda initially targeted the high-powered motorcycle market in the U.S. However, after a short time, the motorcycles were reported to show several rideability and reliability issues, especially during long-distance rides.

On the contrary, Honda scooters turned out to be successful initially and received a good response from customers. This led Honda to go with the production of the Honda Super Cub in large numbers.

Honda continued working on expanding its automotive products and bringing innovation and technology to its automobile lineup. To get hold of the luxury car market, particularly in the U.S., Honda introduced “Acura” in 1986.

In 1986, Honda introduced one of its iconic motorcycles, called the Honda VFR750F. The Honda VFR750F was powered by a 750 cc V4 engine capable of a horsepower of 106 hp and a torque of 66 Nm. It was a sports touring motorcycle with an improved sports racing performance thanks to its six-speed transmission, shorter wheelbase, lower center of gravity, and low weight. The Honda VFR750F could attain a top speed of 237 km/h (147 mph).

In 1988, Honda manufactured its most popular and highly versatile dual-sports adventure bike, the Honda Africa Twin. This motorcycle initially came with a 650 cc V-Twin engine, which was upgraded to 1,000 cc in 2020.

In another recent explanation provided by Gary Hamel, an American management expert, and C.K. Prahalad, an Indian-American author and entrepreneur, the reason behind Honda’s success in the U.S. motorcycle market was the focus on producing the best-quality internal combustion engines and the exceptional power-to-weight ratio of its motorcycles.

In 1990, Nobuhiko Kawamoto became the new CEO of Honda by replacing Tadashi Kume.

In 1991, the founder of Honda Motor Co., Soichiro Honda, died which turned out to be a major setback to the company.

In 1992, Shoichiro Irimajiri, who had successfully supervised the establishment of Honda of America Manufacturing Co. and played a huge role in the success of the company, resigned from his post.

Honda lost track after the departure of Soichiro Honda and Irimajiri’s resignation. The company failed to bring versatility to its product range and as a result, other notable Japanese automobile manufacturers, including Mitsubishi, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki took over the market and outperformed Honda. Honda was unsuccessful in taking advantage of the boom in the sport utility vehicle and truck market in the 1990s. Due to not meeting the demand, Honda lost its hold on the market and experienced great losses.

Honda continued to improve its inline four-cylinder engine technology, along with the V4 engine. In 1992, the company introduced another iconic sports bike, called the Honda CBR 900RR Fireblade, the start of the impressive CBR series. The first generation Honda CBR900RR Fireblade was powered by an 893 cc inline four-cylinder engine capable of a horsepower of 122 hp and a torque of 88 Nm. This motorcycle could attain a top speed of 264 km/h (164 mph). The Honda CBR900RR Fireblade became a flagship Honda model, which raised the performance bar high for future sports bikes. Over the years, this motorcycle was constantly upgraded with better suspensions, lightweight bodywork, and more aggressive styling.

In 1993, Honda was on the verge of experiencing the acquisition by Mitsubishi Motors, which was a successful automobile manufacturer with a larger market share at that time. Mitsubishi was making huge profits with its successful Mitsubishi Pajero and Mitsubishi Diamante cars.

Nobuhiko Kawamoto quickly came to action and took several revolutionary decisions to bring the company back to its original status and worth. The corporate culture and production strategies were immediately changed to include the products that are popular among buyers. Two new vehicles were introduced, including the Honda CR-V and the Honda Odyssey. The company decided to introduce automobiles that are more environmentally friendly to improve its image. Kawamoto also ended Honda’s participation in the Formula One racing season, citing high costs as one of the major reasons.

In 1996, Honda introduced one of the fastest production motorcycles of its time, the Honda CBR1100XX, to compete with the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11. This motorcycle was also known as the Super Blackbird. It was a sports touring bike with the largest engine of 1,137 cc in the Honda CBR series. The 1,137 cc inline four-cylinder engine was capable of a horsepower of 164 hp and a torque of 126 Nm. The Honda Super Blackbird beat the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11 with a top speed of 285 km/h (177 mph). It maintained the title of the fastest production motorcycle for three years until the Suzuki Hayabusa arrived in 1999 with a top speed of 312 km/h (194 mph).

Honda has been involved in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) since 1986. After several experiments and research sessions, the company released its first high-end humanoid robot, ASIMO, in 2000. ASIMO is an abbreviation of Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility.

The iconic dual-sports and dirt bike series, the Honda CRF, was introduced in 2000. These motorcycles are simple, lightweight, and highly maneuverable dual sports bikes with better off-road capabilities. The Honda CRF series may not be the most advanced dual-sport dirt bikes, but they are the most reliable and sturdy motorcycles in the market. Due to these characteristics, the Honda CRF, along with the Honda XR dirt bike lineup rules the global dirt bike and dual sports bike markets.

The Honda CRF series was powered by a four-stroke, single-cylinder engine with a displacement size ranging from 149 cc to 449 cc. The largest Honda CRF is the Honda CRF450R, which is powered by a 450 cc engine with the capability to produce a horsepower of 52.5 hp and a torque of 47.6 Nm.

In 2001, Valentino Rossi won the MotoGP Championship for Honda in the 500 cc category with its two-stroke Honda motorcycle.

Valentino Rossi did it again for Honda and secured the first win in the MotoGP World Championship 990 cc four-stroke category in 2002.

In 2004, Honda stepped into the world of aerospace by establishing the GE Honda Aero Engines.

In 2005, Honda established a new division to produce and sell its aircraft, called the Honda Aircraft Company.

Honda’s production capacity reached around 550,000 motorcycles per year, which was considerably lower than its previous records. However, it was still higher than its closest Japanese competitors, including Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki.

The 5th generation Honda Gold Wing introduced in 2006 became the first-ever motorcycle to receive the airbag for improved safety in case of a motorcycle crash.

In 2009, Honda manufactured the first ever factory-made chopper with a lightweight design and streamlined bodywork. Being a chopper, this motorcycle has a raked-out front end, ensuring a long wheelbase and a low center of gravity. The Honda Fury is powered by a 1,312 cc 52° V-Twin engine capable of a horsepower of 57.3 hp at the rear wheel and a torque of 107 Nm. It was also the first-ever chopper that came with a standard anti-lock braking system. The Honda Fury is also the only factory-made chopper manufactured by a notable motorcycle manufacturer.

In 2010, Honda became the first motorcycle manufacturer to introduce the iconic dual-clutch transmission (DCT) technology in its motorcycles. As of today, there are several models in the Honda lineup that are equipped with this remarkable technology. The DCT technology allows riders to enjoy uninterrupted riding and ensures smooth acceleration and throttle response. Both the clutch engagement and gear shifting are automated in the DCT transmission.

The most impressive characteristic of the Honda DCT technology is its capability to switch between automatic and manual modes. The rider can select the manual transmission mode to enjoy the conventional riding experience by shifting gears manually using hand-operated upward and downward shifters.

In 2012, Honda introduced the NC700 with the iconic DCT technology. This motorcycle falls under the category of a standard motorcycle with styling elements borrowed from several categories, including the naked bike, roadster, and sports-touring bike. This motorcycle had several unique features. The fuel tank was placed under the seat and there was a built-in storage space installed in place of the gas tank. The Honda NC700 was available in several variants, including the Honda NC700SA, the Honda NC700SD, and the Honda NC700X. The NC700SA came with the standard ABS, the NC700SD was equipped with the DCT technology, and the NC700X was the dual-sports version.

The Honda NC700 was powered by the 670 cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine capable of a horsepower of 54 hp and a torque of 87.1 Nm.

In 2012, Honda manufactured its first Jet aircraft, called the Honda HA-420 HondaJet. It is a six-seat aircraft powered by two GE Honda HF120 turbofan engines capable of cruising at a speed of 780 km/h and has a range of 2,600 km.

Honda started working on this aircraft in 1997 and the design was completed in 1999. After the first successful test flight in 2003, the Honda HA-420 HondaJet received the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) license in 2015. More than 200 HA-420 HondaJet have been produced till 2021.

Honda is one of those automobile manufacturers that strongly believes in investing a considerable amount of its profits in research and development. The company spent around $6.8 billion in the R&D field in 2013.

In the same year, Honda became one of the largest automobile exporters to the U.S., exporting more than 108,705 automobile units.

The Honda Grom debuted in 2014 and was a small-sized standard motorcycle in the miniMOTO lineup. This was not the first mini-motorcycle produced by Honda. The mini-motorcycle term was first coined in 1961 by Honda when it first introduced the Honda Z series. However, the Honda Grom became the pioneer of modern mini moto technology, and it started a new trend.

The Honda Grom was powered by a 124.9 cc air-cooled, four-stroke engine capable of a horsepower of 9.7 hp and a torque of 10.44 Nm. This motorcycle won the U.S. Motorcycle of the Year award in the same year it debuted. The Honda Grom had an impressive fuel economy of 134 mpg and could reach a top speed of 117 km/h (73 mph).

In 2015, Takanobu Ito, the president and CEO of Honda was replaced by Takahiro Hachigo. In the same year, several other replacements were made in the senior managerial posts.

The relationship with India was strengthened due to the huge success of Honda scooters in the Indian market with an overall market share of around 59%. As a result, India became Honda’s largest motorcycle market in 2017.

After several continuous upgrades since its introduction in 1974, the 6th generation Honda Gold Wing was introduced with several advanced features, including a double-wishbone front suspension, hill start assist (HSA), traction control, throttle by wire, and four ride modes. This motorcycle also received Honda’s trademark dual-clutch transmission (DCT) technology with automatic gear shifts and clutch engagement. The latest Honda Gold Wing is powered by a 1,833 cc liquid-cooled, flat-six engine capable of a horsepower of 125 hp and a torque of 170 Nm. This motorcycle is also equipped with a programmed fuel injection (PGM-FI) system.

After the discontinuation of the Honda Z50 series in 2017, Honda introduced the Money in 2018, based on the very popular Honda Grom. This motorcycle came with a 125 cc engine capable of producing a horsepower of 9.7 hp and a torque of 10.98 Nm. The bodywork and styling, including the red and white paint job, single-piece saddle, and round headlamp were inspired by the old Honda Z series.

In 2019, Honda allied with Hitachi Group, one of the biggest multinational electronics companies in Japan, to manufacture car parts and components.

In 2020, Honda withdrew all of its employees working in Wuhan, China after the Covid-19 outbreak in the city.

In March 2020, the company also put a stop to its production in all of its U.S. factories. The production at the U.S. factories resumed in May 2020.

In the same year, Honda also partnered with General Motors, U.S. to develop a range of vehicles together, along with shared research, development, and sales services.

The latest Honda Africa Twin is a dual-purpose adventure touring bike, designed to compete with the Triumph Tiger Explorer, the Ducati Multistrada, and the BMW R1200GS. It is powered by a 1,084 cc parallel-twin engine capable of a horsepower of 101 hp and a torque of 104.94 Nm. To improve the versatile performance, the 2023 Honda Africa Twin comes with an optional DCT feature, Honda selectable torque control (HSTC), six riding modes, wheelie control, and a 6.5-inch TFT screen.

Being one of the most innovative automobile manufacturers, Honda announced the production of an automated and self-driving car with level 3 technology.

In 2022, Honda also announced the production of electric-powered vehicles while working with Sony Group, a telecom and engineering corporation. Sony will provide its expertise in the manufacturing of electrical technologies, including network, sensing, and imaging, while Honda will deal with the mechanical work and vehicle designs. The release of the innovative vehicles is scheduled to launch in 2025.

The ASIMO robot made its last appearance in March 2022 as the company wanted to emphasize more on producing avatar-style, remote-controlled robots.

In 2023, Honda and General Motors have decided to work collaboratively to produce hydrogen fuel-powered cars. Along with the hydrogen-powered vehicles, both companies will also work together on manufacturing power stations, construction machinery and equipment, and trucks.

• Honda has been the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959.
• Honda is also the world’s largest internal combustion engine manufacturer.
• Honda successfully reached the 400 million motorcycles production mark in 2019.
• Honda successfully produces over 14 million internal combustion engines per year.
• Honda became the eighth-largest automobile manufacturer worldwide in 2015.
• In 2001, Honda became the second-largest automobile manufacturer in Japan.
• In 1986, Honda became the first automobile manufacturer in Japan to launch a luxury vehicle brand, Acura.
• Honda has the most number of wins at the Isle of Man TT, with 227 victories in the Sidecar TT racing and solo category.
• Honda has won the Motocross World Championship six times.
• Honda is an eight-time winner of the World Enduro Racing Championship.
• Honda has secured the first position three times in the World Motorcycle Trials Championship thanks to Eddy Lejeune, a Belgian rider.
• Honda became the world’s largest motorcycle seller again in 2021 by selling more than 13.8 million motorcycles in the first 11 months.
• One out of every three motorcycles and scooters that are sold around the world is a Honda.

Honda’s strategy has always been different from its competitors. It does not follow the usual trends popular among the other motorcycle manufacturers. Instead, the company follows its own footsteps, leading itself to success. Some motorcycle enthusiasts argue that Honda does not focus on producing iconic models or pose a threat to a certain motorcycle manufacturer. The business and marketing strategy of Honda can be understood by the example of its success in the American market in the 1960s where every motorcycle manufacturer was competing with Harley Davidson by producing large-displacement cruisers. Whereas, Honda got hold of the American market with its Honda Super Cub, a scooter-style motorcycle that became an iconic motorcycle in the global market. Honda is capable of analyzing the market well and knows how to do business even in challenging markets. The eagerness to be unique has made Honda the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. Apart from its business and marketing strategies, the reliability factor has also played a key role in making Honda one of the top motorcycle brands.

The simplicity of Honda motorcycles makes them easily customizable. If you own any of the latest Honda cruisers, including the Honda Rebel or the Honda Shadow, Viking Bags has specially designed saddlebags for these motorcycles to improve their touring capability. Viking Bags also offers saddlebags for old Honda cruisers, including the Honda Valkyrie models and the Honda VTX series. Further modifications can be made, including the installation of sissy bars, backrests, crash bars, and fairings to transform your motorcycle into an ideal tourer.