Motorcycles
The Dream: Enable accessible mobility for people everywhere.
"If we aren't number one in the world, we won't be number one in Japan."
-Soichiro Honda, Founder of Honda.
From an engine strapped to a bicycle, to the most successful motorcycle company in the world--and beyond--Honda's success stems from our focus on designing the right kind of vehicle at the right time. Enabling accessible mobility for people everywhere is and always has been our mission.
THE INSPIRATION
It was 1945, and World War II had left Japan in ruins. Transportation systems were hit hard and people were left with no choice but to walk or ride bicycles to get around. Soichiro Honda visited a friend's house, where he happened upon a small engine. Mr. Honda became inspired and said, "Let's use this to power a bicycle." Several generations of this bicycle-plus-motor creation followed, leading up to the legendary Honda Dream D-Type.
THE DREAM
No longer merely a souped-up bike, the Dream D-Type had evolved into the graceful form of Honda's very first real motorcycle. In true Honda fashion, this vehicle stood apart from the crowd. Where most motorcycles at that time were black, Honda chose an eye-catching maroon color to paint the Dream. And while steel tube frames were the norm for the era's motorcycles, the Dream D-Type used a channel frame made of pressed steel plate.
Legend has it that the motorcycle got its name when one of the Honda employees came across the new bike at a company celebration and exclaimed, "It's like a dream!" More than just a moniker, however, dreams have become part of Honda's very DNA.
SUCCESS
Introduced in 1958, the Honda Super Cub is now regarded as the most successful motorcycle ever built, and it certainly secured Honda's rightful place as motorcycle supplier to the world.
In developing this revolutionary machine, Mr. Honda's directive to his team was, "Make it something that fits in your hand." With this he instilled in them a sense of the motorcycle as a tool of sorts--enjoyable and easy for anyone to use without a lot of effort.
Newcomer Joaburo Kimura was tapped as design lead, and he was immediately taken with the process. "Everyone was crackling with energy as they worked. I felt as though I wanted to dive right into it." The team was so dynamic, in fact, that the usual way of working took a back seat to creative inspiration. The bike's skeleton was actually constructed before formal specifications were ever written down.
The end result was an affordable, practical bike that riders from beginning to advanced could use and enjoy. In total, over 30 million of these user-friendly vehicles were sold.
AMERICAN DREAM
By 1959, Honda was ready to bring these popular bikes to the American market, and American Honda was established with a tiny staff of eight. The Dream and the Super Cub were among the company's flagship products.
TODAY'S DREAM
Honda has come a long way since our initial dream of offering affordable mobility. The American Honda Powersports product line now encompasses more than 50 models. And while our vehicles are still about mobility, they have taken on an emotional resonance that few machines can claim by offering freedom of expression in addition to freedom of movement.
Honda recently announced our 2008 Powersports lineup. From our first entry in the side-by-side MUV (multi-purpose utility vehicle) market--the 2009 Big Red--to the affordable, highly versatile, dual-sport bike, the CRF230L, Honda continues to put the needs and desires of the consumer front and center--right where they belong.