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National motorcycle museum factoid

if/else

Veteran Member
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Jul 2, 2020
Total Posts
108
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Location
SE SC
I recently read an article by the National Motorcycle Museum where Honda relatively recently stated that they have sold over four hundred million motorcycles. I knew it was a lot but 400 million? Wow. I have only owned 6. The fact that fifty years later or more many are still running is amazing. This forum deserves a bit of credit for that fact I would think.
 
Was astounded to read that Thailand production commenced in 1967. That was a giant leap for a company still in relative infancy. Sure, Belgium was 1963, but we then tended (and still do to a certain degree) to see some Asian markets as producers of 'inferior' product. To be fair though, I had a 2019 CBR500R and could offer no complaint about quality.

I think many of us will be old enough to remember our parents 'complaining' about the influx of Japanese radios and TVs in the late 50s to early 60s. Today, Japanese product of any type rates among the highest in the quality stakes. I think Germany did hold the perceived top ranking for some time, BUT, there are many BMW owners of cars and bikes who might contest that!
 
I think around a quarter of that number is just the Super Cub (or one of its siblings), pretty amazing bike. The number I've heard for this one is 100 million. The engines used in these bikes are incredible and still being made today, they definitely got their R&D money's worth out of it.
 
Was astounded to read that Thailand production commenced in 1967. That was a giant leap for a company still in relative infancy. Sure, Belgium was 1963, but we then tended (and still do to a certain degree) to see some Asian markets as producers of 'inferior' product. To be fair though, I had a 2019 CBR500R and could offer no complaint about quality.

I think many of us will be old enough to remember our parents 'complaining' about the influx of Japanese radios and TVs in the late 50s to early 60s. Today, Japanese product of any type rates among the highest in the quality stakes. I think Germany did hold the perceived top ranking for some time, BUT, there are many BMW owners of cars and bikes who might contest that!

I watched a video not that long ago where a newer BMW would not run and could not be fixed by the dealer so it went to an aftermarket shop where the tech discovered that the entire can bus was down and the many modules could not communicate with each other to allow the car to start. Turns out the door handle (outside) was faulty bringing down the whole network. Many people think newer vehicles are over-engineered and I agree. I had a '94 325IC (convertible) which was fine but newer VW products IMO are just money pits that do not hold their value at all. My buddy and I used to laugh about Taiwanese (Japan-Taiwan) tool quality but looking back they all worked well compared to a lot of stuff produced recently.
 
I think around a quarter of that number is just the Super Cub . . . The engines used in these bikes are incredible and still being made today, they definitely got their R&D money's worth out of it.

Yep, and I have one in my collection, although the motors are now fuel injected:
XAqt3te.jpg
 
Yep, and I have one in my collection, although the motors are now fuel injected:
XAqt3te.jpg

Beautiful, very jealous. For some reason they haven't brought them out in Canada. Same with the new Hunter Cub as well. Was really hoping they would since I had a CT90 as a kid and fancied getting one of the newer ones.
 
. . . For some reason they haven't brought them out in Canada. Same with the new Hunter Cub as well. . .

Weird. Must be that research has shown there'd be little demand for them. Surprising, if that's the case. There must be a sizeable scooter/moped market?
 
Weird. Must be that research has shown there'd be little demand for them. Surprising, if that's the case. There must be a sizeable scooter/moped market?

Not in my area, seeing a scooter is a rare sight around here, and moped are even rarer. Not sure what other areas of the country are like but doubt they are overly popular here. Yeah, I'm sure they did their research and it mustn't have been worthwhile but I really thought they'd bring the CT125 though since it would be perfect for our country.
 
Blasphemy! Nothing so simple as one of those little carburetors... (I know, emissions blah blah blah) :dizzy:

I know what you’re talking about. Took me a while to bridge into fuel injection and the misc other sensors. Pretty much enjoy working on both carburetors and injected engines.
 
I know what you’re talking about. Took me a while to bridge into fuel injection and the misc other sensors. Pretty much enjoy working on both carburetors and injected engines.

When I think about the trapping for fuel injection, it must speak to a very improved electrical and charging system on that bike to support the needs of the injection. They had such a weenie 6v electrical in their original configuration, headlight dependent on higher rpm for even marginal brightness.
 
When they say 'manufactured in Thailand', for example, do they really mean 'assembled', using a kit of parts manufactured in Japan ?

On the other hand, BMW and many other car / bike makers use parts made in China, 'to European quality standards', whatever that means ..
 
On the other hand, BMW and many other car / bike makers use parts made in China, 'to European quality standards', whatever that means ..

Wow! I hope they don't write that because it immediately conjures the impression that if NOT of 'European Standard' the parts would be inferior! Not that I'm in the market for a Bee Em, but I'll be looking out for that!:eek:

Back to the question, I think this is complex because it encroaches on the percentage of parts that may be allowed in a product before it becomes ineligible for the 'made in' label. Honda though, might steer clear of the definition because its bikes don't carry a definitive 'made in' label. Pic here is of my former CBR500R:
20200131_095146.jpg
 
Thinking back to the days when Honda collaborated with BL at Longbridge and Cowley. Triumph in this instance being a car model name, rather than the motorcycle brand, which I think was extinct at the time in question.

Unlike previous Triumphs, the Acclaim was assembled at the Pressed Steel Fisher Plant at Cowley, Oxford, taking over the withdrawn Austin Maxi production lines. BL invested £80 million in new production facilities at Cowley, with a new press line and paint shop installed specifically for the Acclaim. Whilst major parts such as the powertrain, chassis components, dashboard assembly and much of the electrical systems were imported from Honda's factories in Japan, the amount of British-sourced content within the Acclaim gradually increased over its production life.

I had a later Rover 420 Gsi Tourer, and the British manufactured content was truly appalling....
 
I know where at least 7 hondas live at the moment.
 

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