Honda’s 500 Million- Motorcycle Unit Milestone

TOKYO, JAPAN: Honda has achieved a significant milestone with its cumulative global production of engine and motor powered motorcycles reaching 500 million units. This accomplishment comes 76 years after the company initiated mass production of motorcycles in 1949, starting with the Dream D-Type.

Since its foundation in 1948, Honda has developed and offered products and services that meet the needs of customers in many countries and regions, based on its belief that “the purpose of technology is to make people’s lives easier.”

Honda began mass production of motorcycles at its first overseas production facility in Belgium in 1963, and since then, has expanded its production globally by its fundamental principle of “producing locally where there is demand.” As a result, Honda achieved its 100 million-unit milestone in 1997, its 200 million-unit milestone in 2008, and its 300 million-unit milestone in 2014. In 2018, Honda’s annual production exceeded 20 million units for the first time in its history, and cumulative global production reached 400 million units in 2019. Although the annual production of motorcycles temporarily declined due to COVID-19 in 2020, demand has steadily recovered worldwide to pre-pandemic levels since then. In addition to internal combustion engine (ICE) models, Honda positioned 2024 as its “first year of global expansion” for electric-powered two-wheelers and has started launching new models, creating a wide and diverse product lineup.

Honda now offers a broad variety of models from commuters for everyday use to larger displacement models for weekend leisure as well as electric vehicles, with an annual production capacity of more than 20 million units in 23 countries and regions and 37 production entities. The company deliver products and services to customers worldwide through a network of more than 30,000 Honda dealers.

Honda will continue its efforts to further solidify its motorcycle business, by providing attractive products and services from diversified approach, realizing the “joy and freedom of mobility” for a wider range of customers, building a highly efficient business structure, and achieving carbon neutrality, including through electrification.

Toshihiro Mibe, Director, President and Representative Executive Officer, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., said, “For Honda, the motorcycle business is our founder’s business, and will continue to be the company’s core business. In the motorcycle business, we have built the trust of our customers through our many products and services, which have enabled us to achieve a cumulative production volume of 500 million units. I would like to thank our customers and all stakeholders who were involved in achieving this milestone, from development to production, sales, and service. Honda will continue to take on the challenge of expanding the joy of our customers around the world.”

Honda’s path to 500 million-unit global motorcycle production