The Honda Motor Company, a versatile powerhouse in the automotive industry, has produced quality automobiles for over 75 years. However, it's not as well known that the Honda Motor Company's first original product was a motorcycle. Company founder Soichiro Honda recognized a need for reliable and cheap transportation in Japan during the post-World War II fuel and material shortage, so in November 1947 Honda unveiled a motorized bicycle known as the A-type.
With a teardrop gas tank and a diminutive two-stroke engine, the A-type was barely the same species as the beefy Harley-Davidsons, Nortons, Indians, and Triumphs thundering overseas. While its status as a proper motorcycle may be debated, one thing is undeniable: The A-type was the spark that ignited the Honda flame. Over the next three-quarters of a century, the Honda Motor Company would build some of the best-selling, best-performing, and most impactful motorcycles the world has ever seen.
Whether screaming around a MotoGP track, cruising down a lonely highway, or shifting the paradigm of what a motorcyclist could be, it's been a successful ride for Honda. Success is subjective. When it comes to auto manufacturers, it can come in the board room, on the racetrack, or in the cultural zeitgeist.
Let's look at some of the most successful Honda motorcycles in history, whether measured by sales numbers, race podiums, sheer reliability, or cultural impact. What better way to start a list of successful motorcycles than with the b.