Honda has been the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959.
Honda began as a small Japanese motorcycle maker founded by Soichiro Honda in 1946. It expanded rapidly through practical, affordable machines and began exporting motorcycles to the United States during the 1960s. By 1959, its production scale had made it the global leader, a position associated with Honda’s long-running manufacturing reach.
The company’s growth was helped by models such as the Super Cub, introduced in 1958. Its step-through design, simple operation and reliability made it useful to a broad audience, helping Honda build strong sales in Japan and international markets.
The date refers to Honda’s standing in motorcycle manufacturing, not to the founding of Honda itself or the beginning of its car production. Honda was founded in 1946, started motorcycle production in 1949, and entered automobile production in the 1960s. It also remains important to distinguish motorcycle leadership from car-manufacturer rankings, which use different measures and competitors.