20 Iconic Motorcycles at the New American Honda Collection Hall

September 13, 2023 editor 2024, Honda 7 min read

There are 20 iconic Honda motorcycles on display at the American Honda Collection Hall in Torrance, California.

We were honored to attend the grand opening of the American Honda Collection Hall, a 20,000-square-foot museum dedicated to Honda’s rich history in the United States. It is serves as an extension of the massive, multistory Honda Collection Hall located on the grounds of the Twin Ring Motegi racetrack in Tochigi, Japan. American Honda’s press release below provides more details, including how the public can visit the museum. Scroll down to see photos of all 20 iconic motorcycles currently on display in the hall. –Ed.

The American Honda Collection Hall is located off the main lobby in Honda’s U.S. headquarters in Torrance, California.

The new American Honda Collection Hall officially opened its doors on Sept. 12, 2023, in Southern California. The hall offers visitors a glimpse of more than 60 historic and significant Honda and Acura automobiles, motorcycles, power equipment, race machines, engines, and concept models, as well as images, graphics, and video presentations. The products on display represent the more than six decades since American Honda Motor Co., Inc. was established in 1959 as the first Honda company outside of Japan.

“Always make your products customer friendly. When you are making something, think about the person who’ll be spending the most time with it.” – Soichiro Honda, co-founder, Honda Motor Company Ltd.

Community leaders joined Honda officials, associates, and retirees for the grand opening, celebrating the new 20,000-square-foot display connected to the main lobby of American Honda headquarters in Torrance, California.

Noriya Kaihara, President & CEO and director of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., and chief officer of Regional Operations (North America), speaking at the grand opening of the American Honda Collection Hall.

“Our new American Honda Collection Hall reflects the important connection between the dreams and passion of Honda associates and the joy experienced by customers who love their Honda products and racing fans thrilled by our checkered flag successes,” said Noriya Kaihara, President & CEO and director of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., and chief officer of Regional Operations (North America). “Everyone at Honda is honored to share the expressions of our history in America that are on display in the form of products and technology that have helped move people and society forward.”

1962 Honda C102 Super Cub

Open to the public free of charge during scheduled public “Cars, Bikes & Coffee” events, the American Honda Collection Hall pays tribute to Honda’s unique contributions to American’s lives and highlights significant milestones in the history of Honda in the U.S.

Some examples of products currently on display:

Motorcycles at American Honda Collection Hall:

1962 Honda 50/Super Cub – One of the first three models Honda sold in the U.S. The Super Cub is now the overall bestselling vehicle globally with over 100 million sold to date.

1970 Honda CB750. In the background is a poster from Honda’s wildly successful “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” ad campaign from the 1960s.

1970 Honda CB750 – Widely considered the first superbike and called “the Motorcycle of the Century” by Motorcyclist magazine.

1973 Honda CR250 Elsinore – Honda’s first production motocross motorcycle and the first product Honda manufactured in the U.S., named after the famous Elsinore Grand Prix.

1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing – Redefined long distance touring motorcycles with a revolutionary horizontally opposed 4-cylinder engine.

1976 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing

1981 Honda CBX1000 Super Sport – Honda’s first motorcycle with over 100 hp, powered by a 1000cc 6-cylinder engine.

1983 Honda VF750F – The revolutionary VF750F used a liquid-cooled DOHC V4 engine and a stiff square-tube frame that also helped it dominate superbike racing in the mid ‘80s.

1990 Honda VFR750R/RC30 – A homologation special created for competition in the World Superbike Championship.

1992 Honda NR750 – The most technically advanced motorcycle at the time, iconic for its oval-piston engine design and other innovations.

2004 Honda RVT1000R/RC51 – A street version of Honda’s championship winning V-twin superbike.

1992 Honda NR750. The only motorcycle ever made that used oval-shaped pistons.

(Scroll down to see more motorcycles in the American Honda Collection Hall.)

Cars:

1965 Honda N600 Coupe – The first Honda automobile sold in the U.S. used an air-cooled 600cc 2-cylinder engine and retailed for just $1,395.

1965 Honda S600

1975 Honda Civic CVCC Hatchback – The first car to meet the emissions standards of the 1970 U.S. Clean Air Act without the need for a catalytic converter.

1979 Honda Accord CVCC Hatchback – The first Accord debuted in 1976 as a three-door hatchback powered by Honda’s revolutionary Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion (CVCC) 4-cylinder engine.

1985 Honda CRX Si – The first performance Honda Si model sold in America, a sporty 2-seat coupe with Honda’s advanced PGM-FI fuel injection.

1986 Acura Legend – The performance luxury touring sedan that launched the Acura brand alongside the Integra.

1991 Acura NSX supercar – The revolutionary hand-built, exotic mid-engine sports car that showcased Honda’s technical prowess.

1997 Honda CR-V – Honda’s first in-house SUV helped establish a new breed of compact sport utility vehicle with car-like ride and handling.

2006 Honda Insight – Introduced in 2000, Insight was the first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid passenger vehicle sold in the U.S.

1960s-era Honda Cuby engine

Power Equipment:

1964 Honda CB30 Marine Outboard Engine – Honda’s first outboard marine engine featured a revolutionary four-stroke design.

1965 Honda E300 Generator – The first generator to combine 300-watt output with quiet and easy-to-use operation in a compact enclosure that could be carried with one hand.

2023 Honda GF5 Marine Outboard Engine – Compact and lightweight portable outboard engine provides a complete performance package for small boats and dinghies.

Three racebikes (front to back): 1970 Honda CR750, 1997 Honda CBR600F, 2000 Honda XR650 Baja Racer

Racecars:

1992 Acura Spice GTP-Lights – Powered by a modified Acura NSX V6 engine, carried veteran driver Parker Johnstone to the Drivers’ championship in the IMSA Camel GT Lights series.

1996 Reynard 961-031 Indy Car – Honda/Reynard driven by Indy Car Drivers’ Champion Jimmy Vasser and Rookie of the Year Alex Zanardi.

1997 Acura Integra Realtime – RealTime Racing and the Acura Integra Type R forged a race-winning record that remained unbroken after nearly two decades.

1966 Honda CL77 Scrambler

The display at the American Honda Collection Hall will be updated several times a year to showcase different products and themes.

The Collection will serve as an educational and cultural hub for the Southern California community. Honda will begin hosting regular “Cars, Bikes & Coffee” events at its Torrance campus on the third Saturday of every other month, with attendees welcome to tour the American Honda Collection Hall.

The American Honda Collection Hall includes a reproduction of the sign on American Honda’s first location in Los Angeles, which opened in 1959.

Honda’s U.S. operations began in 1959 at a modest storefront on West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. (Photo courtesy Honda)

The inaugural event will take place Saturday, October 21, and will include special activities, such as giveaways, special displays, vendors, food trucks, music and more. All interesting automobiles and motorcycles from all manufacturers and eras are welcome for attendees to display. To learn more about the Collection Hall and event information, visit HondaCollectionHall.com.