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[[Honda]] became a classic American success story in the '60s. In this single, crucial decade, Honda transformed itself from a domestic supplier to an international corporation, and planted a firm foothold on American soil. Honda began the '60s with 50cc step- | [[Honda]] became a classic American success story in the '60s. In this single, crucial decade, Honda transformed itself from a domestic supplier to an international corporation, and planted a firm foothold on American soil. Honda began the '60s with 50cc [[step-through]]s, and created a displacement escalator that carried the [[motorcycle]] market up to the incredible [[Honda CB750K|CB750 four]] by 1969. U.S. sales skyrocketed from a mere 3200 units in 1960 to an amazing 345,000 units by the end of the decade--more than 50 percent of the U.S. motorcycle market. | ||
Having established itself with a sizable market share, a full line of machines, and a clean-cut image that bucked the hell-raiser Hollywood stereotype, Honda entered the '70s prepared to flex its creative muscle and take off in directions no one else could. | Having established itself with a sizable market share, a full line of machines, and a clean-cut image that bucked the hell-raiser Hollywood stereotype, Honda entered the '70s prepared to flex its creative muscle and take off in directions no one else could. | ||
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Honda was at the same time expanding its automotive efforts, and exploring the idea of producing some of its products in the United States. What's more, a fascinating struggle began to take shape within the company, one that would redirect design and unlock new possibilities for a long time to come. Mr. Honda strongly believed innovative engineering could produce air-cooled auto engines as good as or better than the liquid-cooled competition, so 1960s Honda cars as well as bikes were air-cooled. But Honda's younger engineers strongly favored liquid cooling, both for performance and market appeal. Mr. Honda initially resisted, but after a showdown with company vice president Takeo Fujisawa, he eventually accepted [[liquid cooling]] as the key to future development. | Honda was at the same time expanding its automotive efforts, and exploring the idea of producing some of its products in the United States. What's more, a fascinating struggle began to take shape within the company, one that would redirect design and unlock new possibilities for a long time to come. Mr. Honda strongly believed innovative engineering could produce air-cooled auto engines as good as or better than the liquid-cooled competition, so 1960s Honda cars as well as bikes were air-cooled. But Honda's younger engineers strongly favored liquid cooling, both for performance and market appeal. Mr. Honda initially resisted, but after a showdown with company vice president Takeo Fujisawa, he eventually accepted [[liquid cooling]] as the key to future development. | ||
Honda's new liquid-cooled direction led first to the CVCC clean-burn auto engine, introduced at the 1972 Tokyo show. This was the first production auto engine to meet the 1975 EPA standard without a catalytic converter, and it demonstrated Honda's research capability to the world. The '''Honda Civic''' auto, with this and other liquid-cooled engines, immediately became popular in the U.S. | Honda's new liquid-cooled direction led first to the CVCC clean-burn auto engine, introduced at the 1972 Tokyo show. This was the first production auto engine to meet the 1975 EPA standard without a [[catalytic converter]], and it demonstrated Honda's research capability to the world. The '''Honda Civic''' auto, with this and other liquid-cooled engines, immediately became popular in the U.S. | ||
Such thinking and research led to the creation of yet another new market segment--though not even Honda knew it at the time. The 1975 [[Honda GL1000|GL™1000 Gold Wing®]] was Honda's first thorough synthesis of automotive and motorcycle technologies. The temperature stability of liquid cooling allowed the GL to develop high power, yet lose none of Honda's customary reliability. [[:Category:Honda GL series|Gold Wing]] engineers had envisioned it as the ultimate performance bike, combining 1000cc power with flat-four smoothness and liquid-cooled silence. Indeed, the Gold Wing posted the quickest quarter-mile of its day, but buyers saw its greatest value as a long-distance machine. In a unique partnership with Gold Wing owners, the GL created a whole new category of motorcycle: the dedicated touring bike. Its evolution continues to this day. | Such thinking and research led to the creation of yet another new market segment--though not even Honda knew it at the time. The 1975 [[Honda GL1000|GL™1000 Gold Wing®]] was Honda's first thorough synthesis of automotive and motorcycle technologies. The temperature stability of liquid cooling allowed the GL to develop high power, yet lose none of Honda's customary reliability. [[:Category:Honda GL series|Gold Wing]] engineers had envisioned it as the ultimate performance bike, combining 1000cc power with flat-four smoothness and liquid-cooled silence. Indeed, the Gold Wing posted the quickest quarter-mile of its day, but buyers saw its greatest value as a long-distance machine. In a unique partnership with Gold Wing owners, the GL created a whole new category of motorcycle: the dedicated touring bike. Its evolution continues to this day. | ||
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However, not all of Honda's innovations gained widespread acceptance. [[Hondamatic]]™--a torque-converter-based automatic transmission for motorcycles--was a successful technology that didn't catch the public's fancy. Electric starting had brought a lot of people to motorcycling, and Honda wondered: Would an automatic do the same? The [[Honda CB750A|1976 CB750 Automatic]] and [[Honda CB400A|1977 CB400A]] were remarkable machines, but riders chose high-performance over this convenience. Honda also launched two other wildly diverse products in 1977--the [[Honda NC50|NC50 no-ped]], an ultralight, minimalist motorbike, and the FL250 Odyssey® four-wheeler, a natural evolution of the ATC90. | However, not all of Honda's innovations gained widespread acceptance. [[Hondamatic]]™--a torque-converter-based automatic transmission for motorcycles--was a successful technology that didn't catch the public's fancy. Electric starting had brought a lot of people to motorcycling, and Honda wondered: Would an automatic do the same? The [[Honda CB750A|1976 CB750 Automatic]] and [[Honda CB400A|1977 CB400A]] were remarkable machines, but riders chose high-performance over this convenience. Honda also launched two other wildly diverse products in 1977--the [[Honda NC50|NC50 no-ped]], an ultralight, minimalist motorbike, and the FL250 Odyssey® four-wheeler, a natural evolution of the ATC90. | ||
By 1978, Honda had prepared to close the decade with a barrage of innovative machines. The first shot came in the form of the [[Honda CX500|CX500]]. A significant new direction in engine design was packaged into the unusual CX500, whose liquid-cooled [[V-twin]] [[engine]] was set sideways in the chassis. With four valves in each cylinder, the CX500 was a high-performance pushrod V-twin in a sea of overhead-cam inline-fours. Its radically oversquare bore and stroke of 78mm by 52mm made it the forerunner of all modern short-stroke, big-bore sport bike engines. | By 1978, Honda had prepared to close the decade with a barrage of innovative machines. The first shot came in the form of the [[Honda CX500|CX500]]. A significant new direction in engine design was packaged into the unusual CX500, whose liquid-cooled [[V-twin]] [[engine]] was set sideways in the chassis. With four valves in each cylinder, the CX500 was a high-performance pushrod V-twin in a sea of overhead-cam inline-fours. Its radically [[oversquare]] bore and stroke of 78mm by 52mm made it the forerunner of all modern short-stroke, big-bore sport bike engines. | ||
Air cooling wasn't finished yet, though. Two stunning new machines used it to probe the future of sports motorcycling in 1979: the 16-valve, twin cam, transistor-sparked [[Honda CB750F|CB750F]], and the technologically astounding [[Honda CBX|1047cc six-cylinder CBX]]. The 750F was a production outgrowth of Honda's successful twin-cam endurance racer, and beckoned the company deeper into sport bike territory. As the first CB750 had realized the legend of Honda's racing fours in the showroom, so the six-cylinder CBX grew naturally from the heritage of [[Mike Hailwood]] and the 250cc and 297cc six-cylinder racers of 1964 through 1967. The 1979 CBX became an exotic signpost to the future. | Air cooling wasn't finished yet, though. Two stunning new machines used it to probe the future of sports motorcycling in 1979: the 16-valve, twin cam, transistor-sparked [[Honda CB750F|CB750F]], and the technologically astounding [[Honda CBX|1047cc six-cylinder CBX]]. The 750F was a production outgrowth of Honda's successful twin-cam endurance racer, and beckoned the company deeper into sport bike territory. As the first CB750 had realized the legend of Honda's racing fours in the showroom, so the six-cylinder CBX grew naturally from the heritage of [[Mike Hailwood]] and the 250cc and 297cc six-cylinder racers of 1964 through 1967. The 1979 CBX became an exotic signpost to the future. |
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