Honda is the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Japan and has been since it started production in 1955. At its peak in 1982, Honda manufactured almost 3 million motorcycles annually. By 2006 this figure had reduced to around 550,000 but was still higher than its three domestic competitors.
History
During the 1960s, when it was a small manufacturer, Honda broke out of the Japanese motorcycle market and began exporting to the U.S. Working with the advertising agency Grey Advertising, Honda created an innovative marketing campaign, using the slogan "You meet the nicest people on a Honda." In contrast to the prevailing negative stereotypes of motorcyclists in America as tough, antisocial rebels, this campaign suggested that Honda motorcycles were made for the everyman. The campaign was hugely successful; the ads ran for three years, and by the end of 1963 alone, Honda had sold 90,000 motorcycles.
Honda's succes
Taking Honda’s story as an archetype of the smaller manufacturer entering a new market already occupied by highly dominant competitors, the story of their market entry, and their subsequent huge success in the U.S. and around the world, has been the subject of some academic controversy. Competing explanations have been advanced to explain Honda’s strategy and the reasons for their success.
High scale of production
The first of these explanations was put forward when, in 1975, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) was commissioned by the UK government to write a report explaining why and how the British motorcycle industry had been out-competed by its Japanese competitors. The report concluded that the Japanese firms, including Honda, had sought a very high scale of production (they had made a large number of motorbikes) in order to benefit from economies of scale and learning curve effects. It blamed the decline of the British motorcycle industry on the failure of British managers to invest enough in their businesses to profit from economies of scale and scope.
Hard work
The second explanation was offered in 1984 by Richard Pascale, who had interviewed the Honda executives responsible for the firm’s entry into the U.S. market. As opposed to the tightly focused strategy of low cost and high scale that BCG accredited to Honda, Pascale found that their entry into the U.S. market was a story of “miscalculation, serendipity, and organizational learning” – in other words, Honda’s success was due to the adaptability and hard work of its staff, rather than any long term strategy. For example, Honda’s initial plan on entering the U.S. was to compete in large motorcycles, around 300 cc. It was only when the team found that the scooters they were using to get themselves around their U.S. base of San Francisco attracted positive interest from consumers that they came up with the idea of selling the Super Cub.
Leadership in technology
The most recent school of thought on Honda’s strategy was put forward by Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad in 1989. Creating the concept of core competencies with Honda as an example, they argued that Honda’s success was due to its focus on leadership in the technology of internal combustion engines. For example, the high power-to-weight ratio engines Honda produced for its racing bikes provided technology and expertise which was transferable into mopeds. Honda's entry into the U.S. motorcycle market during the 1960s is used as a case study for teaching introductory strategy at business schools worldwide.
Wiki
| Super Cub C100, C102, C110, C111. C110D, C114, C50, Super Cub 50 |
49 |
| Beat (FC50) |
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| CB50 |
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| Dio |
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| Elite E (SB50) |
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| Elsinore (MR50) |
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| Express (NC50) |
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| Hunter Cub (CT50) |
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| MB5, MB50 |
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| Metropolitan Jazz (CHF 50) |
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| Metropolitan II (CHF50P) |
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| Motra (CT50) |
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| MT5, MT50 |
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| NCZ50 also known as Motocompo |
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| Spree (NQ50) |
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| Mini Trail (Z50A) |
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| Mini Trail (Z50M) |
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| Mini Trail (Z50R) |
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| Mini Trail (Z50J) |
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| Moped (P50) |
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| Moped (PA50) |
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| Moped (PC50) |
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| Ruckus (NPS50) |
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| Honda SS50 |
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| ZB50 |
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| Zoomer |
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| Trail (C105T) |
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| 70, CD70 |
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| Super Cub S65, CL65, C65, C70, Passport |
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| Mini Trail (CT70) |
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| Motosport (SL70) |
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| Scrambler (CL70) |
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| Aero 80 (NH80) |
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| XR80 |
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| CR85RB (CR85R Expert) |
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| Motosport (SL90) |
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| Sport 90 (S90) |
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| Trail (CT90) |
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| Bravo |
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| Scrambler (CL100) |
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| H100S Super |
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| Bali also known as SJ 100 |
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| Super Cub C100EX |
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| Activa |
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| Aviator |
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| CB Twister |
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| Dio |
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| Dream yuga |
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| Trail (CT110) |
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| XRM |
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| Super Cub 110 |
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| Aero & Lead (NH125) |
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| CBR125 |
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| CB125 |
125 |
| CG125 |
125 |
| Atlas Honda CG125 |
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| CLR125 "CityFly" |
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| CM125 |
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| CR125M |
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| Dylan 125 |
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| Innova (ANF125) |
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| Juno M80 |
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| MT125 |
125 |
| Pantheon FES125 |
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| PCX |
125 |
| RC143 |
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| Rebel |
125 |
| Scrambler (CL125) |
125 |
| Shine 125 |
125 |
| Sonic |
125 |
| Super Sport (CB125) |
125 |
| Super Sport (SS125) |
125 |
| Super Sport (CG125) |
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| Honda NSR125 |
125 |
| Varadero (XL125V) |
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| CBR150 |
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| CRF150R Expert |
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| CRF150R |
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| CRF150F |
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| SH150, SH150i |
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| Unicorn |
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| CBR150R |
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| TMX |
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| Pantheon FES150 |
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| NSR150 |
150 |
| Juno M85 |
170 |
| CB175 |
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| CD175 |
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| Super Sport (CB175) |
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| XL175 |
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| Juno K |
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| Fatcat (TR200) |
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| Phantom (TA200) |
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| Reflex (TLR200) |
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| Roadmaster (CD200) |
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| Scrambler (CL200) |
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| Sport (CB200) |
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| Honda TLR200 |
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| Juno K |
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| Dream (C71, CA71, CE71, C72, CA72) |
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| Honda C71, C76, C72, C77 Dream |
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| Hawk (CB72) |
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| CJ250T |
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| Nighthawk (CB250) |
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| Sport (CB250) |
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| CD250U |
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| Helix (CN250) |
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| CBF250 |
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| Hornet (CB250F) |
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| CB250 G5 |
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| CBR250 |
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| CBR250R |
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| CB250RS |
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| Rebel (CMX250C, CMX250CD) |
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| Elsinore (CR250M) |
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| CR250R |
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| MVX250F |
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| NSR250R (MC16, MC18, MC28) |
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| Reflex (NSS250) |
250 |
| NX250 |
250 |
| Big Ruckus 250 (PS250) |
250 |
| VT250-FII (VT250F) |
250 |
| Spada (VT250L) |
250 |
| VTR250 (Interceptor and MC33) |
250 |
| XL250 |
250 |
| XR250R |
250 |
| XRE300 |
300 |
| Dream (C76, C77) |
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| Honda C71, C76, C72, C77 Dream |
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| Scrambler (CL77) |
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| Super Hawk (CB77) |
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| CB350 K4 SOHC vertical twin, twin CV carbs (Green only, UK) |
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| Four (CB350F) |
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| Sport (CB350) |
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| XL350R |
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| Scrambler (CL360) |
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| Sport (CB360, CJ360T) |
360 |
| CB-1 (NC27) |
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| Honda CB400F |
400 |
| Hawk (CB400T, CB400T II) |
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| CB400N |
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| CBR400RR (NC23, NC29) |
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| CBX400 |
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| CL400 |
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| Custom (CM400) |
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| NS400R |
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| Honda Bros NT400 |
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| RVF400 |
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| VF400F |
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| VFR400 |
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| Four (CB400F) |
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| CB450DX (CB450N/PC14) |
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| CRF450R |
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| Hondamatic (CM450A) |
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| Nighthawk (CB450SC) |
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| Rebel (CMX450C) |
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| Scrambler (CL450) |
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| Sport (CB450) |
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| Ascot (FT500) |
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| Ascot (VT500, VT500FT) |
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| CX500 |
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| Four (CB500) |
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| Interceptor (VF500F) |
500 |
| Magna V30 (VF500C) |
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| NSR500 |
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| Silver Wing (GL500) |
500 |
| Sport (CB500 twin) |
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| Tourist Trophy (GB500) |
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| Turbo (CX500) |
500 |
| XBR500 |
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| Four (CB550F) |
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| Nighthawk (CB550SC) |
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| 599 |
600 |
| CB600F also known as Hornet, and 599 |
600 |
| CBF600N |
600 |
| CBF600S |
600 |
| Hurricane (CBR600F) |
600 |
| Honda CBR600F2 |
600 |
| Honda CBR600F3 |
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| CBR600F4i |
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| CBR600RR |
600 |
| Shadow (VT600C VLX) |
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| Transalp (XL600V) |
600 |
| XR600R (offroad) |
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| Deauville (NT650V) |
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| Four (CB650) |
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| CBX650 |
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| Bros/HawkGT (NT650) |
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| NTV/Revere (NTV650) |
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| Nighthawk (CB650SC) |
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| Silver Wing (GL650) |
650 |
| Transalp (XL650V) |
650 |
| Turbo (CX650T) |
650 |
| XR650L |
650 |
| Nighthawk (CB700SC) |
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| Honda DN-01 |
700 |
| Deauville (NT700V) |
700 |
| Transalp (XL700V) |
700 |
| Honda NC700D Integra |
700 |
| Africa Twin (RD07) |
750 |
| Four (CB750K) |
750 |
| Hondamatic (CB750A) |
750 |
| CBX750 |
750 |
| Interceptor (VF750F, VFR750) |
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| Magna (VF750C V45) |
750 |
| Magna Deluxe (VF750CD) |
750 |
| Nighthawk (CB750, CB750SC) |
750 |
| VFR750R RC30 |
750 |
| RVF750 RC45 |
750 |
| NR |
750 |
| XLV750R |
750 |
| RC212V |
800 |
| Interceptor (VFR800FI) |
800 |
| Pacific Coast (PC800) |
800 |
| Crossrunner |
800 |
| CBR900RR including CBR954RR |
900 |
| Custom (CB900C) |
900 |
| Super Sport (CB900F) aka 919 |
900 |
| RC211V |
990 |
| CB1000 |
1000 |
| CB1000R |
1000 |
| CBF1000 |
1000 |
| CBR1000RR |
1000 |
| Custom (CB1000C) |
1000 |
| CBX1000 |
1000 |
| Firestorm (VTR1000) |
1000 |
| Gold Wing (GL1000) |
1000 |
| Hurricane (CBR1000F) |
1000 |
| RC51 (RVT1000R) |
1000 |
| Honda VTR1000f (aka Super Hawk aka Firestorm) |
1000 |
| Super Sport (CBX) |
1000 |
| VTR1000R (RVT1000) SP1 & SP2 RC51 |
1000 |
| XL1000V Varadero |
1000 |
| CBR1100XX |
1100 |
| Gold Wing (GL1100) |
1100 |
| Magna (VF1100C V65) |
1100 |
| Pan-European (ST1100) |
1100 |
| Super Sport (CB1100F) |
1100 |
| Racing Modified CB1100F (CB1100R) |
1100 |
| X11 |
1100 |
| Gold Wing (GL1200) |
1200 |
| VFR1200F |
1200 |
| CB1300 |
1300 |
| Pan-European (ST1300) |
1300 |
| Gold Wing (GL1500) |
1500 |
| Valkyrie (GL1500C) |
1500 |
| Gold Wing (GL1800) |
1800 |
