10 Honda Motorcycles That Quietly Became Legends

6 minutes reading

Saturday, 18 Jul 2026 11:31 0 4 autotech

As a motorcycle manufacturer, Honda is generally pigeonholed as deeply conservative. While this might be true for some commercially successful models, the brand has a proud history of innovation. Particularly when it comes to different engine configurations. We are quick to forget that Honda gave us a series of firsts in this department. The race division in particular tried pretty much every engine configuration under the sun to get an edge on the track, and functioned as a laboratory of sorts. It allowed a level of experimentation you are simply not afforded in the real world, and many of these experiments helped refine production motorcycles. From the first liquid-cooled four-stroke to a pseudo V8, these bikes have all quietly gone on to become legends of the industry.

1963 C100 Super Cub

Price Range: $1,000 – $3,000

If ever there was an unexpected legend, this has to be it. This humble little scooter provided basic transportation to millions of people all over the developing world, then made a rather unexpected transition into the US market. The “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” marketing campaign proved that this was not a conventional motorcycle, and would appeal to a far broader audience. Suffice to say, Honda delivered exactly what was promised.

1975 Honda Gold Wing GL1000

Price Range: $3,000 – $5,000

On the back of the massive success of the CB750, Honda gave us the very first liquid-cooled four-stroke motorcycle. This marked a big step in the evolution of the motorcycle; everything about the Gold Wing was bigger and better. It had a more robust frame, a powerful (for the time) 1,000cc flat-four, a longer chassis, and prioritized comfort over sporting potential. It quickly became one of the most popular touring models on the market, and would go on to become one of the most successful model lines in motorcycling history.

1988 NSR250R

Price Range: $8,000 – $10,000

Historically, Honda never liked two-stroke technology, but for the purposes of racing, the brand was forced into developing two-stroke powertrains. While the famed NSR500 was strictly a race bike, its baby sister was made streetable and sold in some parts of the world. It is important not to let the displacement fool you, though, because this was a literal race bike with lights. Its 60 horsepower (once derestricted) would come at you all at once, and for those skilled enough to keep it “on the pipe,” it was, and still is, as exhilarating to ride as any modern supersport.

1992 NR750

Price Range: $90,000 – $100,000

The NR750 was never meant to be a commercial success. Honda simply needed a means to justify running an oval-piston V4 in a race bike. This pseudo-V8 engine made the production bike relatively heavy, and if it were not for its futuristic design, it may have turned into another forgotten homologation special. But it was the bike that Massimo Tamburini drew inspiration from when he penned his masterpiece, the Ducati 916. This fact, along with its unusual engine, has made it a highly sought-after bike today.

2008 VFR800 Interceptor

Price Range: $5,000 – $7,000

All the way through the 80s and 90s, Honda was absolutely obsessed with the V4 engine configuration. We had both this bigger 750 and a smaller 400cc version, and both were truly exquisite engines. Sadly, this model would mark the end of the line for the 750/800, and at this price point, these bikes represent tremendous value today.

2013 CBR600RR

Price Range: $7,000 – $9,000

The supersport class hit its performance heights back in the 00s, but Honda saw fit to give the platform a pretty significant update in 2013. This would turn out to be the last meaningful update the platform would get for another decade. Although an updated global version of the supersport has made a triumphant return to other markets, the US is still essentially selling the 2013 model. For those looking for a reliable track bike, you can’t really go wrong with this legendary sport bike.