Honda Announces production of its 300 - millionth motorcycle

Warren

2
Joined
Dec 13, 2010
Messages
2,334
Location
O'Fallon, MO
Bike
2019 Yamaha XMAX
Honda Announces Production of its 300 - Millionth Motorcycle

MARKHAM, Ontario--(Business Wire)--Achieving a milestone more than 65 years in the making, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced production of its 300-millionth motorcycle. The milestone bike is a Honda Gold Wing produced at the company?s Kumamoto Factory in Japan. Honda will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the iconic Gold Wing in 2015.

The Honda Gold Wing marks its 40th anniversary and the 2015 model has the honour of being the 300M model to be produced.
Honda began mass production of motorcycles in Japan in 1949 when it built the Honda 98cc Dream Type-D. Today, Honda produces motorcycles, ATV?s and side-by-sides at 32 plants in 22 countries, including two plants in North America.

?This incredible milestone is the result of the millions of customers who have placed their trust in Honda and we would like to thank all of our customers, associates, dealers and community partners in North America for helping make it possible,? said Jerry Chenkin, President and CEO of Honda Canada Inc. ?Now, we are focused on the future and the ways that we can harness the challenging spirit of Honda associates to create new joy for Honda customers.?

In 1958, Honda introduced the Honda 50, known globally as the Super Cub, which would go on to revolutionize the industry. This iconic bike paved the way for Honda?s expansion into the U.S. in 1959 and Canada in 1969. The Super Cub, which has sold nearly 90 million units globally since its inception, was the focus of a mid-1960s advertising campaign, ?You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda,? that played a major role in the transformation and growth of the U.S. motorcycle market.

In the 1960s, Honda became the best-selling motorcycle brand in the U.S. and the world, leading to the establishment of Honda of America Mfg. and the company?s first U.S. production facility, the Marysville Motorcycle Plant. The plant, which opened on September 10, 1979, in Marysville, Ohio, produced both motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) until 2009. Production of ATVs has since shifted to Honda of South Carolina Mfg. (HSC) in Timmonsville, South Carolina.

Since the start of production in 1979, Honda has manufactured more than five million power sports products in North America using global and domestically sourced parts. Today, HSC manufactures FourTrax ATVs and Pioneer side-by-sides and engines, while the Honda plant in El Salto, Jalisco, Mexico, produces motorcycles.

Furthermore, the research and development of Honda ATVs and side-by-side vehicles for both local and global markets is now being led by a team of engineers at Honda R&D Americas ? with Powersports R&D operations in Los Angeles, Ohio and South Carolina.

The successful startup of motorcycle production at Honda of America Mfg. in 1979 was soon followed by the auto production at the Marysville Auto Plant in 1982. Motorcycle production continued in Ohio until 2009 and planted the seeds of manufacturing expertise that has led to many Honda facilities across North America. Today, Honda operates 16 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda and Acura automobiles, automobile engines and transmissions, Honda all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides, power equipment products and the HondaJet light jet.

About Honda in North America
Honda now employs more than 39,000 associates in its North American sales, R&D and manufacturing operations with the capacity to produce upwards of 4 million Honda products each year, including two Powersports plants producing motorcycles, ATVs and side-by-sides each year. In 2013, 94 percent of the Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. were produced in North America. Those plants manufacture 11 different models, including four passenger cars and seven light trucks.

Honda also operates major research and development centers in the U.S. that fully design, develop and engineer many of the products Honda produces in North America.
 
Last edited:
And I have owned two of those 300 million - besides my NT, I owned this Honda Super Dream underbone a few years ago.

motorbike_mine.jpg
 
Re: Honda Announces Production of its 300 - Millionth Motorcycle

Out of the 18 bikes that I have owned 11 have been Honda. Unless Honda get their head out of their back pocket, I most likely won't have another one.
 
Last edited:
The first bike I ever rode was a brand-new CB750. The next one was a Valkryie Tourer, followed by the one I really learned to ride on -- my now-ex-wife's current partner's Sabre 600. When the two of them moved in together, I decided I didn't need to keep riding Connie's bike and bought my first bike, an '83 GL650i Silverwing Interstate. Before I got the Silverwing, there were fairly frequent rides on my Associate Pastor's GL1100.

I rode the Silverwing for nearly 20,000 miles in 13 months and moved up to my 1st Kawasaki. After my 2nd Concours, I moved back to Dudley, my NT. I'm getting close to equaling my Kawasaki mileage with my Honda mileage.

Kawasakis @ 165,000 miles vs Hondas @ 135,000.
 
Let's see, I've owned six Hondas; 2 S65s, 2 CB450s, the NT and a CRF250L. I still own three of those. I've also owned five BMWs and still own three of those. I've also owned a Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki. I still own the Kawasaki. I need to unload a couple of bikes.:doh1:
 
Ok let's see... a S90, CB305, CL125, then went Yamaha for a while,Shadow 1100 cruiser, threw in a Concours, then ST1100, ST13, NT700 so I have contributed a little
 
Only one Honda so far...unless you count my lawn mower. :eek1: ;) The CB1100 Deluxe could change that if I could find a reasonably priced one locally...:rolleyes1:
 
Ten of the fourteen bikes I have owned or currently own have been Honda's, but with the current lineup from Honda my next bike will probably not be a Honda.
 
I'm on my 5th bike all Honda's. Never had one let me down. Stopped at the local honda shop the other day and saw a 40th anniversary Goldwing. Red on top black on the bottom with a brushed silver stripe in the middle. Looked good.
 
That's nice but was hoping they'd announce the replacement for the ST 1300. Oh well. :shrug2:
 
Yeah ... but it's NOT a Honda. (Dedicated Honda fan)

So was I for the last 30 +years. Owned a V45 Sabre for 16 years, a ST1100 for 10years. and a ST1300 for 12 years, consecutively, and a bunch of other Honda in between. But they are not producing any thing that blows my skirt up:) so I was forced to change. Keeping with my bike ownership trend, the FJR should take me well into my 70's, then maybe I will go smaller and lighter. Maybe a new V-STrom 650.
 
And I know I've mentioned the F800GT before, but in looking at their forum, I've convinced myself it isn't worth even taking a test ride. Frame sliders are a couple hundred. A hugger is needed. The rear looks "pretty", but isn't functional at all unless you live in Nevada or like mud thrown up everywhere. A centerstand is optional. The windshield sucks and most riders can't find a good fix for it, even after trying every third party alternative around. And the fix for the service reminder is to take your GT to the BMW dealer for service, buy an expensive tester to reset the indicator, or use duct tape to cover the light on the dash. Oh, and the BMW panniers are only about 23 liters..smaller than I have with the larger lids for the NT. There are just so many good things about this bike, in comparison to anything else out there. Honda built a bike that may not be the best at any one thing, but is very liveable to get on each day and ride wherever...

Frame sliders appear to be a waste of money on that bike. At our club Oktoberfest, one of the women dumped hers and, despite the frame sliders, broke the fairing all the way around. Repair cost caused the ins co to total the bike. It was a low speed dump and she wasn't injured.

I agree that fender protection is poor, as it is on most bikes nowadays. The bike is oriented more toward the sport side of sport touring, with the expected ergonomics. The seat, handlebar, windshield relationships can be reconfigured to make the bike better for touring. There are several aftermarket windshields that work very well. But, the same is true for the NT. I changed seat, handlebar, and windshield on my F800ST to make it work better and did the same on my NT. I also put a fender extender on each bike and a flap to protect the rear shock. It's power, weight and handling make the F800 more fun to ride than the NT. It's a great bike to ride, not so much to own. BMWs have too many reliability issues, a thin dealer network and uncertain parts availability. Sure, you can eventually get parts, but it may be a long wait. If you're out touring, those things can be a real problem and that's the main reason to scratch the F800 off your list.

I can quibble about the expensive tester. I'm guessing that the reference is to the GS-911. First, it isn't that expensive at around 300 bucks. Second, it's available, unlike anything for the Honda, unless you're a dealer. And third, it provides a wealth of information about the bike that's invaluable when there's a problem. The few riders who've had trouble with their NTs could likely have dealt with them easily if there were a similar tester available.

While I think that the NT is heavy, slow and not a great handler, I can't argue with the main premise of the post which is that the NT is an easy bike to live with on a daily basis. It's not very exciting, but it will get you where you want to go with a minimum of fuss. I place enough value on that Honda reliability that I expect to be riding one for a long time and don't expect ever to buy a new BMW.
 
Back
Top Bottom