Honda

Serving 100 million happy customers, the Honda Cub is the first two-wheeler to cross such a mark. Now, the moped is being made at 16 plants spread across 15 countries around the world that serves customers in more than 160 countries. That is some mind-boggling numbers considering the popularity and logistics involved with the Super Cub.

Looking at the future, a Chinese custom house that goes by the name Shanghai Customs is offering their answer to the depleting dinosaur fuel and the increasing environment concerns - the eCub 2. It is a 1000 watt electric scooter that can make a swift 28-mile distance in one full charge. It also comes in a DIY kit to convert an existing Honda Cub to the eCub 2.

The Honda CB600F (known as the Hornet in Europe and Brazil) was undoubtedly one of the most influential middleweight naked motorcycles. Originally launched in 1998, it had close ties to the race-winning CBR600RR but had always presented its own unique package of sporty performance and light, user-friendly handling.

In 2014 the model received a major update and got a displacement increase of 49 cc, the new model is called CB650F, which is currently sold in the US for $ 8,249. And according to Fabrice Recoque, director of the motorcycle division of Honda France, the world is getting TWO new 650cc naked motorcycles.

Manufactured by Honda between 1978 and 1982, the CBX was a production bike that has deceiving bodywork and a massive 1047cc inline, 24-valve, 6-cylinder engine that produced 105 hp. That low-frequency rumble coming out of this at idle and the high pitch tone when revved could make the hair on the back of your neck stand.

Until now, Honda hadn’t shown much interest in recreating that magic, but fresh patent application images show the Japanese intent to bring the beauty of the six cylinders onto a café-racer of the future.

Prior to 2013, the PCX came with a 125 cc engine and a 1.6-gallon fuel tank in the US. With a make-over in 2013, the PCX125 gave way to the PCX150 and a new chapter in the globally produced Honda scooter was launched. Since then, the scooter has received periodical updates to keep things fresh in the segment.

Now, Honda Japan is launching a new PCX carrying the same old 125cc mill but this time, they have a new trick up its sleeve. Launching a couple of months from now, the new PCX 125 will carry a hybrid powertrain. Doing so, Honda Motor will become the first manufacturer to launch a production hybrid scooter and it was first showcased at the previous Tokyo Auto Show.

Motorcycle theft is a growing criminal activity in certain parts of the world. Things in London, however, is in a different level altogether. There were over 14,000 motorcycle thefts reported in London the last year, and 23,430 crimes were committed using motorcycles that were stolen of course.

On an average, 65 bikes are stolen per day and to crack this atrocity, London Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke about manufacturers incorporating better anti-theft measures into their products to make it difficult for people just to whisk away bike without authorization. And the first signs of this effort has been shown by Honda UK who has committed to fit all their new products with tracking equipment free-of-charge.

One of the largest motorcycle manufacturer, Honda, is in full gear and firing on all pistons and doing tremendously well in pioneering many great technology and features onto the world streets. The most recent being the development of hydrogen fuel based engines and self-balancing motorcycles.

Now, they are getting busy in a run to stay as the world leaders by developing a supercharged V-Twin motorcycle. As seen on a MoreBikes post, “Honda is planning a new, supercharged motorcycle that will have the power-boosting unit mounted on the left-hand side of the engine. And the new kit will power a host of new motorcycles over the next few years.”

With the V4 architecture being the flavor of choices, manufacturers are pumping in all their resources to develop a new segment of sportsbike. After the Aprilia RSV4s’ and the latest Ducati V4s’, it looks like it’s going to be Honda’s next move for a new checkmate to be showcased at the 2018 EICMA.

It won’t be a VFR1200 copy, nor a watered down RC213V-S but will create a whole new platform for the Japanese manufacturer. We can see new plans of Honda that might radically rejuvenate the mighty V4s’ that made debut with the VFR750 in 1995, a bike still termed as the ‘best road bike ever built’.

Honda Motor Europe offers 40 riders the opportunity to ride the CRF1000L Africa Twin, and its new-for-2018 “Adventure Sports” variant, on a road trip to the southern tip of the African continent in March 2019.

Continue reading for more on the Adventure Roads trip.

The motorcycle market is shrinking and if left unchecked, could diminish into nothing. Manufacturers are scrambling for new riders and the push is on for attracting young people into a mode of transportation that they previously shunned. Ad campaigns are out there advertising what could be premium-priced bikes for under $12k and the push is on for more new-rider training. Manufacturers are moving away from their traditional looks and styles in an effort to attract new buyers. What spawned this shift? The motorcycle industry — at least in the North American market where motorcycles are considered a luxury, not a necessity — is dying. Yes, the statistics show it is true.

Continue reading for more on the shift in the motorcycle market.

After much speculation and anticipation, Honda has finally announced that the all-new Super Cub C125 ABS will be hitting U.S. dealerships in January 2019. This iconic ride brings the same 124.9 cc powerplant that drives the popular Grom coupled with a semi-automatic, clutchless shifter and four-speed gearbox that delivers the same ease of operation that helped to make the original such a hit. A disc front brake and ABS help bring the classic design up to modern standards, but the looks are straight outta’ the ’50s for a genuinely dated vibe that is impossible to imitate. Entry-level pricing provides the icing for this charming little cake in order to endear itself to that critical market segment, but I’d argue that this ride is good for more than just as a trainer. Don’t believe me? Read on.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Super Cub C125.

Honda gives its CRF1000L “Africa Twin” a complete overhaul for the 2018 model year, a rebuild so complete that the new version shares not a single part with the old, according to the factory. Engine improvements include both hardware and software that starts with a Throttle-by-Wire system that enables even more electronic wizardry under the hood, as it were. The improvements make their way into the gearboxes on both the manual tranny and the optional, auto-shifting DCT. Safety gets a buff as well with a handful of new features such as the Emergency Stop Signal feature that flashes the hazards during hard braking actions. There’s plenty more packed in there, so let’s go ahead and get into the details.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Africa Twin.

Just announced, Honda is bringing their iconic Monkey and Super Cub C125 to the U.S. market for the 2019 model year. Both bikes have deep roots in Honda history and both were unveiled as concept models at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show.

Continue reading for more on the Monkey and Super Cub.

William Shakespeare wrote, “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” for a little play called Romeo and Juliet, maybe you’ve heard of it, but I would submit that the nicknames earned by motorcycles and manufacturers have much more in the way of a meaningful meaning than the simple labels we use every day. We just can’t help but come up with nicknames, sometimes for the manufacturer, sometimes for the bikes, and sometimes it applies to both. I want to take a look at some of the names that stand out among the detritus of history and try to shed some light on their origins. Just think of it as a bit of a semantic scavenger hunt. Some are pretty obvious to those in the know; this is for everyone else.

Continue reading for my exploration of manufacturers’ nicknames.

Honda puts out a lot of fun products, it’s true, but few machines can match the level of whimsy one gets from the Honda Monkey. That’s right folks, the iconic “Monkey Bike” that served as a mini self-Uber in Japanese amusement parks back in the ’60s is back with a new look and powerplant for what the factory surely hopes is a new era of monkey madness. The 2019 version of this little pocket bike bears the genetic markers of the original without being a slave to it with a 9.25-horsepower modern powerplant, larger wheels (thank goodness) and disc brakes. Join me whilst I take a trip down memory lane and take a look at this pint-sized icon destined to hit showroom floors this year.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Monkey.

Honda improves its Integra lineup yet again ahead of the 2018 model year. The Red Riders added two Special Edition paint schemes for this year, but it’s the Honda Selectable Torque Control that steals the show. Traction control is a rarity amongst scooters, but this isn’t your average scooter; in fact, it’s not even really a scooter in the traditional sense at all. A 745 cc, twin-cylinder engine delivers 40.3 kW — far beyond the vast majority of rides that identify as scooters — and Honda’s Dual Clutch Transmission provides the same twist-and-go operation you’d expect from a scooter, but with some very important differences. Yeah, it’s an unusual combination of platform and features to say the least, so let’s dig in and see what all the Integra has going on over there.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Integra.

Honda blurs the line between the scooter and motorcycle worlds with its genre-bending X-ADV model. The X-ADV brings a scooter-like body together with a proper motorcycle drivetrain that delivers twist-and-forget operation not unlike a CVT-equipped, swingmount scooter. The Red Riders further confuse the issue with dual-purpose tires meant to turn in a decent performance on soft surfaces while maintaining a certain amount of roadworthiness for your urban commute. Chuck in the 745 cc powerplant and you’ve got one confused ride. Perhaps the confusion is all on my end? Let’s dive in and find out.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda X-ADV.

Much like Honda’s mid-size Forza125 got some love ahead of the 2018 model year with new body shapes paired with features that fans of the family will readily recognize. An all-new foundation supports the PCX125 from the wheels up through the suspension and frame with ABS as the icing on the cake. A more powerful, 12-horsepower engine drives the 2018 model that targets that hotly-contested, and all-important, entry-level market. Will it be enough to compete in this field? Let’s dig right in and see how it stacks up against the most likely contenders.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda PCX125.

Honda looks to cash in on the resurgent interest in café racers with its all-new “Neo-Sports Café” design family that includes the entry-level CB125R at the very bottom of the totem pole. The CB125R packs big-bike features into a decidedly small-bike package with many of the same details as its slightly bigger brother, the CB300R. It comes with its performance restricted to 9.8 kW (13 hp) in order to meet licensing requirements across the European Union and serve to bait the table to draw in and indoctrinate new riders at the earliest opportunity. Did they hit the mark? Let’s dig in and find out.

Continue reading for my look at the Honda CB125R.

The Forza family moves into its 18th year with the refurbished Forza 300 that brings revised dimensions and updated looks together for an overall sportier package. Pilot comfort gets a boost from the new, electrically-adjustable windshield, and safety got a buff as well with the addition of the Honda Selectable Torque Control. That’s right folks; this here is the first scooter to be blessed thusly by the factory, and that makes this ride very special indeed. Throw the 25-horsepower engine into the mix and it becomes apparent that the new Forza is both a worthy successor to the previous generation and a very definite threat to the rest of the mid-displacement scooter field.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Forza.