Which 1949 motorcycle was Honda's first fully fledged motorcycle?

The 1949 Honda D-Type was Honda’s first fully fledged motorcycle.

Before the D-Type, Honda mainly fitted small engines to bicycle-based machines, including the A-Type and C-Type. The D-Type marked a major step toward a complete motorcycle: it had a purpose-built pressed-steel frame, telescopic front forks, full lighting, a rear luggage rack, and no bicycle pedals. Honda also gave it a two-speed semi-automatic transmission and chain drive.

The motorcycle was produced at Honda’s Hamamatsu factory from 1949 to 1951 and was also called the Model D or Dream Type D. “Dream” became the name of a long-running Honda motorcycle family, although the exact origin of the name is often told as an employee’s spontaneous remark at the bike’s completion.

A common mix-up is the C-Type, which came before it, and the E-Type, which followed it in 1951. Honda’s own production milestones generally begin with the D-Type.