nell
01-08-2009, 06:54 AM
An engineering enthusiast from Japan, Soichiro Honda was a man of vision, determination and resilience. After gaining experience with tuning championship-winning race car engines, Soichiro started making piston rings which later led him to manufacturing small engines to be used in motorized cycles. With his work gaining prominence, he established a firm that would manufacture complete motorcycles and not just engines. Thus was born one of the most successful motor companies ever, the Honda Motor Company Limited.
Established in the Jleptember of 1948, the company focused on manufacturing low capacity motorcycld that would aid mobility for industrial workers. In the quest of producing better vehicles, Soichiro concentrated on the engineering division while the managerial work was left to his good friend and partner, Takeo Fujisawa. They successfully launched their first model, the Dream and received a good market response. But in the years that followed, Honda's financial graph saw a rollercoaster ride as the company got perilously close to bankruptcy several times. Wise management from the top honchos saw the firm make it through the storm. A blessing in disguise came in the form of motorsports. Honda's participation at the 1959 Isle Of Man Tourist Trophy (the most prestigious form of motorcycle racing then) was a move that would make the company a well-known international bike manufacturer.
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By 1961, Honda registered their first TT victory with Mike Hailwood aboard a 250CC taking the title and Tom Phillis and Jim Redman finishing second and third. The domination by Honda established the brand as a performance icon and laid the foundation for the successful racing heritage that the company boasts of today. During the same time, Honda launched its first street motorcycle in the big bore cruiser dominated United States of.America. An advertising campaign stating, You meet the nicest people on a Honda' attracted customers across various age groups and helped erase the notoriety associated with the biking community in that era. The phenomenal success of this campaign and the brilliant product were the reasons that led to the bankruptcy of the Harley Davidson brand in the early 60s.
Honda's product lineup, based primarily on market research and customer needs kept growing steadily. Larger capacity motorcycles were constantly developed with engineering inputs from Soichiro and Honda's racers. In 198z, the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) was formed and ever since it has been breeding great racers like Freddy Spencer, Mick Doohan and eight time world champion, Valentino Rossi. By the late eighties, Honda's GP technology started trickling down to their street bikes as well. Tadeo Baba, one of the best motorbike developers the world has ever witnessed, designed and unveiled the first Fireblade in 1992 - giving the masses access to MotoGP technology with a production bike. By the end of the 20th century, Honda had established itself as one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world. Rock solid reliability, superlative performance and an affordable price tag have made sure that Honda motorcycles have been the most desir.e6 bikes over the last six decades. We don't expect things to change much in the future either. Let's take a look at the key motorcycles in Honda's history.
Established in the Jleptember of 1948, the company focused on manufacturing low capacity motorcycld that would aid mobility for industrial workers. In the quest of producing better vehicles, Soichiro concentrated on the engineering division while the managerial work was left to his good friend and partner, Takeo Fujisawa. They successfully launched their first model, the Dream and received a good market response. But in the years that followed, Honda's financial graph saw a rollercoaster ride as the company got perilously close to bankruptcy several times. Wise management from the top honchos saw the firm make it through the storm. A blessing in disguise came in the form of motorsports. Honda's participation at the 1959 Isle Of Man Tourist Trophy (the most prestigious form of motorcycle racing then) was a move that would make the company a well-known international bike manufacturer.
576
By 1961, Honda registered their first TT victory with Mike Hailwood aboard a 250CC taking the title and Tom Phillis and Jim Redman finishing second and third. The domination by Honda established the brand as a performance icon and laid the foundation for the successful racing heritage that the company boasts of today. During the same time, Honda launched its first street motorcycle in the big bore cruiser dominated United States of.America. An advertising campaign stating, You meet the nicest people on a Honda' attracted customers across various age groups and helped erase the notoriety associated with the biking community in that era. The phenomenal success of this campaign and the brilliant product were the reasons that led to the bankruptcy of the Harley Davidson brand in the early 60s.
Honda's product lineup, based primarily on market research and customer needs kept growing steadily. Larger capacity motorcycles were constantly developed with engineering inputs from Soichiro and Honda's racers. In 198z, the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) was formed and ever since it has been breeding great racers like Freddy Spencer, Mick Doohan and eight time world champion, Valentino Rossi. By the late eighties, Honda's GP technology started trickling down to their street bikes as well. Tadeo Baba, one of the best motorbike developers the world has ever witnessed, designed and unveiled the first Fireblade in 1992 - giving the masses access to MotoGP technology with a production bike. By the end of the 20th century, Honda had established itself as one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world. Rock solid reliability, superlative performance and an affordable price tag have made sure that Honda motorcycles have been the most desir.e6 bikes over the last six decades. We don't expect things to change much in the future either. Let's take a look at the key motorcycles in Honda's history.