Honda celebrates production of its 300 millionth motorcycle
The motorcycle division of Honda broke through the 300 million mark during September this year and held a small ceremony this week to mark the milestone.
The company believes that the 300 millionth bike was a Gold Wing 40th Anniversary Edition (above). It slipped down the line at Honda's main Japanese motorbike factory in Kumamoto, on the southern island of Kyushu, sometime during September.
Weighing in at up to 423kg, the Gold Wing is powered by a 1.8-litre six-cylinder boxer engine with 87kW of power and 167Nm of torque.
In addition to a clutch of 40th anniversary badging, the special edition of the Gold Wing features a revised body for better wind protection. Available features include tyre pressure monitoring, ABS, heated seats and grips, an airbag, a lockable glovebox, satellite navigation, iPod connectivity and, in North America, satellite radio.
Honda began mass production of motorcycles in 1949 with the Dream Type-D (above), which was a rather more modest vehicle than the Gold Wing that breached the 300 million mark.
Tipping the scales at 80kg, the Dream Type-D was motivated by a 98cc two-stroke single-cylinder engine that generated a smidge over 2kW of power.
After opening its first overseas plant in Belgium in 1963, the company now makes motorbikes at 33 facilities across 22 countries.
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