CultureHONDA2024
100 Million Super Cubs
Honda's own look back at the path of the Super Cub, whose cumulative global production reached 100 million units in October 2017.
日本が生んだ、二輪の革新。
Machines, engines, engineering, racing and culture — the history of Japanese motorcycles, told as they travelled the world.
04 — Opening
二つの車輪が、世界を変えた。
Two wheels. Endless possibilities.
As transport, as a working partner, as a pursuit of speed — Japanese motorcycles changed how people lived. This archive records that history, with its sources, as a digital motorcycle museum.
05 — The Collection
32 MACHINES · HOVER TO SLOW
SUZUKI · 1952 · Moped
Suzuki Power Free
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 3.0
SUZUKI · 1965 · Sports
Suzuki T20 (X-6 Hustler)
Photo: Mr.choppers / CC BY-SA 3.0
YAMAHA · 1970 · Standard
Yamaha XS-1
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 4.0
YAMAHA · 1974 · Motocross
Yamaha YZ250
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 4.0
YAMAHA · 1978 · Standard
Yamaha SR400
Photo: TTTNIS / Public domain
SUZUKI · 1981 · Sports
Suzuki GSX1100S Katana
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 3.0
YAMAHA · 1985 · Racer Replica
Yamaha TZR250
Photo: Kuro8124 / CC BY-SA 3.0
YAMAHA · 1985 · Trail
Yamaha Serow 225
Photo: Kuro8124 / CC BY-SA 3.0
SUZUKI · 1985 · Supersport
Suzuki GSX-R750 (first generation)
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 3.0
YAMAHA · 1994 · Naked
Yamaha XJR1200
Photo: Xjr1200x / CC BY-SA 4.0
SUZUKI · 1995 · Naked
Suzuki Bandit 400 / 400V
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 3.0
YAMAHA · 1998 · Supersport
Yamaha YZF-R1
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 4.0
SUZUKI · 1999 · Supersport
Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa
Photo: Yama kujira / CC0
YAMAHA · 2001 · Big Scooter
Yamaha TMAX
Photo: Shohei ninomiya / CC BY-SA 4.0
SUZUKI · 2004 · Adventure
Suzuki V-Strom 650 (DL650)
Photo: Alex McClung from Orlando, FL, USA / CC BY 2.0
YAMAHA · 1955 · Standard
Yamaha YA-1
Photo: NearEMPTiness / CC BY-SA 4.0
YAMAHA · 1968 · Trail
Yamaha DT-1
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 4.0
SUZUKI · 1971 · Standard
Suzuki GT750
Photo: Mr.choppers / CC BY-SA 3.0
SUZUKI · 1974 · Race Machine
Suzuki RG500 Grand Prix racer
Photo: Mr.choppers / CC BY-SA 3.0
YAMAHA · 1980 · Sports
Yamaha RZ250
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 4.0
SUZUKI · 1983 · Racer Replica
Suzuki RG250 Gamma
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 3.0
YAMAHA · 1985 · Sports
Yamaha FZ750
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 4.0
SUZUKI · 1985 · Racer Replica
Suzuki RG500 Gamma
Photo: Nicholas Gemini / CC BY-SA 4.0
SUZUKI · 1993 · Cruiser
Suzuki Intruder 800 (VS800)
Photo: Addvisor / CC BY-SA 3.0
YAMAHA · 1994 · Race Machine
Yamaha YZR500 (0WF9)
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 4.0
YAMAHA · 1996 · Cruiser
Yamaha Drag Star 400
Photo: Ярослав2017 / CC BY-SA 4.0
SUZUKI · 1998 · Big Scooter
Suzuki Skywave 400 (Burgman 400)
Photo: Gunnar Richter Namenlos.net / CC BY-SA 3.0
SUZUKI · 2000 · Dual Purpose
Suzuki DR-Z400S
Photo: Farwestern / Public domain
SUZUKI · 2003 · Gentsuki (50cc class)
Suzuki Choinori
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 3.0
YAMAHA · 2019 · Adventure
Yamaha Ténéré 700
Photo: Roland Niedermeier / CC BY-SA 4.0
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors — see Image Credits for each licence.
06Collection
Iconsof Japan.
Machines that came to define their time.
Not a ranking — a collection. Each machine is shown for what it brought to its era: to daily life, engineering, design or competition.
SR400
- No.
- 002
- Manufacturer
- YAMAHA
- Model
- SR400
- Year
- 1978
- Type
- Standard
- Origin
- Japan
Since its debut in March 1978, the SR400 held its following with a simple, largely unchanged style and the pulse of its kick-started, air-cooled single. For the Japanese market the line concluded with the Final Edition Limited of 2021. Specifications listed are those of the 2021 Final Edition Limited.
GSX1100S Katana
- No.
- 003
- Manufacturer
- SUZUKI
- Model
- GSX1100S Katana
- Year
- 1981
- Type
- Sports
- Origin
- Japan
The first model of the Katana series, known for styling inspired by the Japanese sword. Shown at the 1980 Cologne motorcycle show, it caused what Suzuki calls the “Cologne shock”, and production began the following year as an export model with a 1,074 cc air-cooled DOHC inline four.
07Manufacturers
TheBig Four.
Four histories. Four philosophies of engineering.
Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha — four companies with different origins, each finding its own way into the world's motorcycle markets. Shown here side by side: history, engineering, design, racing and global reach. (Listed alphabetically.)
- 01EST. 1948
HONDA
Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Established in September 1948, Honda describes its beginnings as a small town factory in Hamamatsu with 34 associates and 1 million yen in capital. The Dream D-Type of 1949 was its first full-fledged motorcycle, and the Cub F-Type bicycle auxiliary engine of 1952 expanded its sales network rapidly. The Super Cub C100 (1958) and a first Isle of Man TT entry (1959) secured its place in the motorcycle industry, and in 1969 the Dream CB750 FOUR was launched in Japan and exported to the U.S. and Canada.
- HQ
- Toranomon Alcea Tower, 2-2-3 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- IN ARCHIVE
- 0
- 02EST. 1896
KAWASAKI
Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. (Kawasaki Heavy Industries group)
Shozo Kawasaki opened the Kawasaki Tsukiji Shipyard in Tokyo in 1878, and Kawasaki Dockyard Co., Ltd. was incorporated in 1896. Its aircraft division became Kawasaki Aircraft Co., Ltd. in 1937 and, after the war, used its engine technology to enter the motorcycle business; Meguro Manufacturing, founded in 1924 and later merged into Kawasaki Aircraft, is another root of the brand. The B7, the first motorcycle to carry the Kawasaki name, was released in 1961, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries was formed by a three-company merger in 1969. In 2021 the business was spun off as Kawasaki Motors, Ltd.
- HQ
- 1-1 Kawasaki-cho, Akashi-shi, Hyogo, Japan
- IN ARCHIVE
- 0
- 03EST. 1909
SUZUKI
Suzuki Motor Corporation
Suzuki traces its origins to 1909, when Michio Suzuki founded Suzuki Loom Works in Hamamatsu. It entered the motor-vehicle field in June 1952 with the Power Free, a 36cc two-cycle auxiliary bicycle engine, and took the name Suzuki Motor Co., Ltd. in 1954. The Colleda COX 125cc four-cycle motorcycle followed in 1955, and the company won the 50cc class of the Isle of Man TT in 1962. The name Suzuki Motor Corporation was adopted in 1990.
- HQ
- 300 Takatsuka-cho, Chuo-ku, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka, Japan
- IN ARCHIVE
- 15
- 04EST. 1955
YAMAHA
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.
Yamaha Motor was founded on July 1, 1955, with Genichi Kawakami as its first president. Production of its first product, the 125cc YA-1, began that year at the Nippon Gakki Hamana Factory, and the machine took class wins at the Mount Fuji Ascent Race and the Asama Highlands Race. In 1959 came the YDS1, described by Yamaha as the first full-fledged sports motorcycle by a Japanese maker. The company won its first road race World GP manufacturer and rider titles (250cc) in 1964 and moved its headquarters to Iwata in 1972.
- HQ
- 2500 Shingai, Iwata-shi, Shizuoka-ken, Japan
- IN ARCHIVE
- 17
08Timeline
Ride throughthe Eras.
From the 1950s to today.
Machines appear under each decade according to their verified production start year.
012 MACHINES
1950s
Mobility for a New Japan
Small-displacement machines carried people and goods through the post-war years, as a new industry found its feet.
022 MACHINES
1960s
Out into the World
Business bikes changed daily life while sports models set out for export markets — the decade Japan met the world.
035 MACHINES
1970s
The Machine Arrives
Large multi-cylinder machines and potent two-strokes established Japanese big bikes on the world's roads.
0410 MACHINES
1980s
Technology Accelerates
Liquid cooling, aluminium frames and full fairings — racing technology flowed into road machines.
058 MACHINES
1990s
The Performance Era
Replicas matured, naked bikes rose, and a new idea of the lightweight superbike took shape.
064 MACHINES
2000s
The Modern Machine
Fuel injection and electronics became the norm, big scooters filled city streets and uses diversified.
071 MACHINES
2010s
Refined and Connected
Adventure bikes, neo-retros and small sports machines — heritage and new technology in one frame.
080 MACHINES
2020s
Today & Tomorrow
Amid electrification and changing regulation, the motorcycle is redefining what mobility means.
091950s / 1960s
Mobility fora New Japan.
The first machines, carrying everyday life.
In post-war Japan, two wheels spread as practical transport for people and goods: small-capacity machines, business bikes and the first sports models.
101970s / Inline Four
FourCylinders.
The inline-four and the arrival of the big machine.
Four cylinders across the frame. Smooth and free-revving, the inline-four became emblematic of large Japanese motorcycles.
SUZUKI
Suzuki GSX1100S Katana
1981
Sports
The first model of the Katana series, known for styling inspired by the Japanese sword. Shown at the 1980 Cologne motorcycle show, it caused what Suzuki calls the “Cologne shock”, and production began the following year as an export model with a 1,074 cc air-cooled DOHC inline four.
YAMAHA
Yamaha FZ750
1985
Sports
SUZUKI
Suzuki GSX-R750 (first generation)
1985
Supersport
YAMAHA
Yamaha XJR1200
1994
Naked
SUZUKI
Suzuki Bandit 400 / 400V
1995
Naked
YAMAHA
Yamaha YZF-R1
1998
Supersport
111980s / Two-Stroke
TheTwo-StrokeEra.
An era of lightness and urgency.
A power stroke every revolution: light machines, sharp acceleration — and, as emissions rules tightened, a retreat from the road. Recorded here as engineering history, not nostalgia.
Story: The Two-Stroke EraSUZUKI
Suzuki GT750
1971
StandardYAMAHA
Yamaha RZ250
1980
SportsSUZUKI
Suzuki RG250 Gamma
1983
Racer ReplicaYAMAHA
Yamaha TZR250
1985
Racer ReplicaSUZUKI
Suzuki RG500 Gamma
1985
Racer ReplicaSUZUKI
Suzuki Power Free
1952
MopedYAMAHA
Yamaha YA-1
1955
StandardSUZUKI
Suzuki T20 (X-6 Hustler)
1965
SportsYAMAHA
Yamaha DT-1
1968
Trail
121990s
ThePerformanceEra.
Replicas matured; naked bikes rose.
- Yamaha Drag Star 4001996
- Yamaha YZF-R11998
- Suzuki Skywave 400 (Burgman 400)1998
- Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa1999
13 — Ride
RideBeyond.
CITYOPEN ROAD
街
Signals, junctions, side streets — riding at the speed of the city.
14Sports / Supersport
PurePerformance.
Circuit technology, for the road.
Weight, power, chassis stiffness, aerodynamics — the supersport has concentrated the technology of each era.
15Racer Replica
BornfromRacing.
Road models and race machines, kept distinct.
Full fairings, aluminium frames, liquid-cooled engines: in the 1980s and 90s, racing machines were mirrored in road models.
SUZUKI
Suzuki RG250 Gamma
1983
Racer Replica
A 250 cc liquid-cooled two-stroke parallel-twin sports machine launched in March 1983. With a half fairing, an aluminium square-tube double-cradle frame, Full-Floater rear suspension and a 16-inch front wheel, it weighed 131 kg dry and produced 45 PS. Suzuki regards it as the pioneer of the racer-replica era.
YAMAHA
Yamaha TZR250
1985
Racer Replica
SUZUKI
Suzuki RG500 Gamma
1985
Racer Replica
SUZUKI
Suzuki GSX-R750 (first generation)
1985
Supersport
16Naked
TheNakedMachine.
Nothing between you and the engine.
No fairing: engine and frame on show, the machine's structure becoming its design.
17Cruiser
Lowand Long.
The style Japan calls “American”.
Low seats, long wheelbases and a relaxed stance. Known in Japan as “American” bikes, they are listed internationally as cruisers.
All cruisers18Off-Road
Beyondthe Asphalt.
Where the tarmac ends.
Trail, enduro, motocross, dual-purpose and adventure — machines shaped on dirt, sand and rock.
20Mini Bikes / Gentsuki
Small Machines.Big Culture.
Commutes, school runs, shopping, deliveries.
Mopeds and mini bikes have moved at the pace of Japanese life. The legal moped class has changed over time, so rules are always stated with their year and an official source.
From April 1, 2025, in addition to conventional mopeds of 50cc or less, two-wheelers of up to 125cc with a maximum output of 4.0 kW or less may be ridden on a moped (gentsuki) licence in Japan.Source: 警察庁
Story: Gentsuki cultureSUZUKI
Suzuki Power Free
1952
Moped
A 36 cc air-cooled two-stroke single designed as an auxiliary engine for bicycles. Launched in June 1952, it was built, according to Suzuki, on the premise that 36 cc was sufficient for riding. It used Suzuki's own double-sprocket wheel and a two-speed transmission, and evolved up to the E3 type of 1954.
SUZUKI
Suzuki Choinori
2003
Gentsuki (50cc class)
Jog
YAMAHA
YAMAHA
Yamaha Jog
1983
Gentsuki (50cc class)
21Scooters / Big Scooters
UrbanMobility.
From 50cc runabouts to big scooters.
The step-through body shaped urban mobility. Later, big scooters extended it into touring with comfort and storage.
Story: Big Scooter Era22Engineering Icons
TheEngines.
Layout shapes character.
From singles to multi-cylinders, two-strokes to electric: reading Japanese motorcycles through the number, arrangement and cycle of their engines.
- 01SingleOne cylinder: light, simple and characterful. Found everywhere from commuters to off-road machines and classics.9 MACHINES
- 02Parallel TwinTwo cylinders side by side — compact, tractable and versatile.7 MACHINES
- 03V-TwinTwo cylinders in a V — slim, with a distinctive pulse; used in cruisers and sports machines alike.3 MACHINES
- 04Inline ThreeThree cylinders in a row, with a character between twin and four.1 MACHINES
- 05Inline FourFour cylinders across the frame. Smooth and free-revving, it became emblematic of Japanese large-capacity motorcycles.7 MACHINES
- 06V4Four cylinders in a V — multi-cylinder performance in a narrower package.2 MACHINES
- 07Two-StrokeA power stroke every revolution: light, simple and explosive — and, as emissions rules tightened, gradually retired from road machines.12 MACHINES
- 08Four-StrokeIntake, compression, power, exhaust — the cycle behind today's combustion motorcycles.19 MACHINES
23 — Detail
MechanicalBeauty.
Every cooling fin is a design decision.
Engine, tank, instruments, exhaust, wheel — forms that exist for function, and stand as industrial design in their own right.
24 — Motorsport
RacingHeritage.
Where competition tempered technology.
Road racing, Grand Prix, endurance, motocross and trials. Competition machines are recorded separately from road models, and results are published only where verified against official records.
- ROAD RACING
- GRAND PRIX
- ENDURANCE
- MOTOCROSS
- TRIAL
- suzuka-8-hours-first
- The first Suzuka 8 Hours was held in 1978. It was won by Cooley and Baldwin of the Yoshimura Racing Group, who completed 194 laps.
- Source: 鈴鹿サーキット（モビリティランド）
- suzuka-8-hours-2026
- The 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours, a round of the FIM Endurance World Championship, was the 47th edition, held July 3–5, 2026.
- Source: 鈴鹿サーキット（モビリティランド）
- honda-isle-of-man-1959
- Honda declared its intention to enter the Isle of Man TT in 1954, won the manufacturers’ team prize in the 125cc class on its first entry in 1959, and achieved victory in 1961.
- Source: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. / 本田技研工業株式会社
- suzuki-isle-of-man-1962
- Suzuki won the 50cc class of the Isle of Man TT in June 1962.
- Source: Suzuki Motor Corporation
Competition machines (not road models)
YAMAHA
Yamaha YZ250
1974
Motocross
SUZUKI
Suzuki RG500 Grand Prix racer
1974
Race Machine
YAMAHA
Yamaha YZR500 (0WF9)
1994
Race Machine
Videos
OnFilm.
The record, in motion.
Footage quoted from official channels of manufacturers, race organisers and other rights holders. YouTube is not loaded until you press play.
ProductionHONDA2023
This is HONDA (1962)
A rare 1962 documentary (English version) filmed mainly on the Cub production line, showing the engineering team led by Soichiro Honda and a streamlined factory floor.
HeritageHONDA2017
Dream CB750 FOUR (1969) in motion
Footage from a Honda Collection Hall running test, part of its "dynamic preservation" programme that keeps historic machines in working order. Featured: the 1969 Dream CB750 FOUR.
25 — Global
From Japanto theWorld.
One machine. Many names, many specifications.
Japanese motorcycles were often exported under different names, capacities, outputs and equipment. This archive never merges domestic and export specifications: figures such as power are recorded per market.
- JAPAN
- NORTH AMERICA
- EUROPE
- ASIA
- OCEANIA
- LATIN AMERICA
- AFRICA
Machines that are still being ridden.
28 — Details
ENGINES · TANKS · GAUGES · EXHAUSTS · WHEELS · RACING · MINI · SCOOTERS
ENGINES
Photo: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima / CC BY-SA 4.0
ENGINES
Photo: Khaosaming / CC BY-SA 3.0
Fuel tank of a 1970 Honda CB750 K1
TANKS
Photo: Cjp24 / CC BY-SA 4.0
GAUGES
Photo: RhinoKitty / CC BY-SA 2.0
GAUGES
Photo: Cjp24 / CC BY-SA 4.0
EXHAUSTS
Photo: Rene Kientopp / CC BY-SA 4.0
Cast alloy front wheel of a Kawasaki KH400
WHEELS
Photo: MAbbey / CC BY-SA 4.0
WHEELS
Photo: Pittigrilli / CC BY-SA 4.0
RACING
Photo: Sasa21 / CC BY 4.0
SCOOTERS
Photo: Derek A. / CC BY 2.0
SCOOTERS
Photo: あかれぎ / CC BY-SA 4.0
YAMAHA · 2001 · Big Scooter
Yamaha TMAX
Photo: Shohei ninomiya / CC BY-SA 4.0
ENGINES
Photo: Khaosaming / CC BY-SA 3.0
TANKS
Photo: RuinDig/Yuki Uchida / CC BY 4.0
Blue fuel tank with Honda logo on a Honda CL350
TANKS
Photo: Daniel Hartwig from San Mateo, CA, USA / CC BY 2.0
Controls and instruments of a 1961 Honda CB72
GAUGES
Photo: Maysy / CC BY 3.0
Exhaust of a Honda CB500 Four
EXHAUSTS
Photo: Contrometropoli / CC BY-SA 4.0
EXHAUSTS
Photo: Khaosaming / CC BY-SA 3.0
WHEELS
Photo: Pittigrilli / CC BY-SA 4.0
RACING
Photo: Laitche / CC BY 3.0
RACING
Photo: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima / CC BY-SA 4.0
Japan Post Honda Super Cub 110 MD (JA10) (2018)
SCOOTERS
Photo: Ypy31 / CC0
SUZUKI · 1998 · Big Scooter
Suzuki Skywave 400 (Burgman 400)
Photo: Gunnar Richter Namenlos.net / CC BY-SA 3.0
SUZUKI · 2003 · Gentsuki (50cc class)
Suzuki Choinori
Photo: Rainmaker47 / CC BY-SA 3.0
Manufacturers: HONDA, YAMAHA, SUZUKI, KAWASAKI
Model names: CB, Z, KATANA, RZ, NSR, NINJA, GSX-R, SUPER CUB, HAYABUSA, SR, TZR, GPZ
30 — Index
Explore theArchive.
32 machines catalogued · expanding