TopSpeed 2020 Honda Buying Guide

Honda History

The Honda Motor Company, Ltd. got its first break in 1941 when it started making piston rings for Toyota under the banner of the Tokai Seiki (Eastern Sea Precision Machine Company), and from that humble beginning a dynasty was built. Being a Japanese firm, it was pressed into service in WWII as an aircraft-parts manufacturer. After the war, Mr. Soichiro Honda started building powered bicycles with surplus radio-generator engines and he rolled out his first ground-up built motorcycle, the D-Type, in 1949.

Honda expanded into the U.S. market in the late fifties and provided an alternative to the tough, gritty, and morally flexible image of the American-made scene. This would prove to be a wise move as the marque had moved a staggering 90,000 units in just the first three years of the U.S. sales effort. After some early growing pains in the quality-control department, Honda became the most prolific motorcycle manufacturer in the world. Part of that market saturation comes from a rather large scooter base in the Asian market where Honda is, by far, the dominant producer of two-wheeled transportation.

Pressure from the other three major domestic competitors under the Big Four umbrella, and competition from abroad drives the Honda Motor Company not only in the motorcycle market, but also the automotive, marine, and aviation sectors, as well.

Honda Terminology

Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT): Honda’s proprietary transmission that uses an electronically-controlled clutch pack on each of two transmission shafts in lieu of a manual clutch and shifter. The computer control extends into the shifter mechanism and actuates dog-ring sliders that engage with the various gear clusters for seamless, automatic-like shifts. This system turns full-sized motorcycles into machines that are more scooter-like due to their convenient, twist-and-go operation.

Honda Selectable Torque Control: A variable-torque system that reduces rear-wheel slip through the ride-by-wire throttle control. It sports a total of seven power-delivery profiles, plus “Off”, so you can dial in the engine’s personality to suit the prevalent riding conditions.

Riding Modes: This feature bundles control of all of the ride-control electronics together. It comes with four preset factory profiles for quick personality changes plus two user-programmable profiles that you can dial in for yourself.

Unicam Cylinder Head: This design uses a single cam to actuate all four valves in each combustion chamber to lighten the valve train and lower the rotating mass in the top end. The cam mounts directly over the intake valve similar to a OHC system, but the same cam also actuates rocker arms that reach over to control the exhaust poppets.

SFF-BP: (Single Function Fork – Big Piston) Built by Showa, these forks split the spring and damping equipment between the two forks. This allows for a “Big Piston” format that provides greater damping control on both the compression and rebound strokes.

Walking Mode: This mode comes standard on all DCT-equipped Gold Wing models. It lets you creep forward with your feet down at a controllable pace.

Home Link: This option lets you integrate your bike with your home electronics.

Apple CarPlay Integration: Honda equips its Gold Wings with the CarPlay app that provides Apple Music and Apple Maps connectivity through your iPhone device. If you spring for a wireless headset you can take advantage of the Bluetooth connection that delivers hands-free communication and even more navigation support.

2020 Honda Models

Honda Touring

Honda’s venerable Gold Wing family adds to the 2020 lineup with five distinct models. The base Gold Wing carries itself like a boulevard bruiser with a cut-down windscreen and hard side bags, but no top case to clutter up the lines. Get this model with either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed DCT drivetrain.

For long-distance riding, the Gold Wing Tour adds a top case and tall windshield to the mix along with Honda’s top-shelf electronics and comfort features. At the head of the table is the Gold Wing Tour Airbag Automatic DCT that delivers the goods and sweetens the deal with a front-collision airbag system. It’s worth mentioning that the Gold Wing has long had a reputation as a bike that can tackle corners almost like a sport bike – in spite of its bulk and heft – and can be quite thrilling to ride.

Honda Adventure

Honda’s adventure-bike line covers a range of capabilities from enduro-like machines that are more like dirt bikes with turn signals on up to proper globetrotting bikes. At the bottom of the food chain we find the CRF250L and its Rally sibling, followed by the CRF450L and XR650L to take care of the more off-road focused riding.

If open-road riding is more your speed, the NC750X brings a street bias to the table, both of which are available with Honda’s automatic-shift DCT drivetrain. The Africa Twin serves as the platform for the top-shelf packages that include a streetwise focus in the base model and a true on/off-road ride in the Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES.

Honda Cruiser

Honda’s cruiser line follows the American style with the range that starts out with the re-imagined Rebel. The Rebel comes with either the 286 cc thumper (300) or a 471 cc (500) parallel-twin engine, and this makes an excellent staring point for entry-level riders. A relaxed attitude moves up the pecking order in the classic-looking Shadow Aero and old school-custom Shadow Phantom with their 745 cc V-Twin powerplant.

Last but not least, the Fury has oodles of custom vibes with a raked-and-stretched frame and low-slung solo saddle. The Fury engine brings the inches with a 1,312 cc, water-cooled V-Twin engine, and the overall package is very clean and tidy.

Honda Standard

The UJM of yesteryear has more or less been replaced by the standard sportbikes of today, but Honda pays homage to both eras. It starts out with a pair of very dated styles in the 125 cc Monkey pit bike and Super Cub C125, and it’s worth mentioning that the Super Cub is the most prolific motorcycle in the world with over 100 million units sold so far. Next up is the 286 cc CB300R configured as a naked-sport. Top of the standard range, the 649 cc CBR650R brings sportiness and performance to what could otherwise be a rather tame line-up.

Honda Supersport

The supersport range is small with only the CBR600RR for 2020, though for 2021, the CBR1000RR-R replaces the CBR1000RR from 2019. The CBR600RR runs with a 599 cc four-cylinder engine. Between the standard equipment and the options, you can set this bike up as a proper track machine.

Honda Sport

Honda’s sport category starts out with the plucky little 125 cc Grom that draws inspiration from the Monkey but takes it in a decidedly more modern direction. The factory gets the most out of its available engines with a pair of “300” models that include the somewhat-naked CB300R and the fully-faired CBR300R, which like the Grom comes with or without ABS.

In the mid-range we find the CBR500R, available with or without ABS, along with the CB650R and the supersport sibling, the CBR650R. All Honda’s sport bikes come with a double-dose of fun, sporty handling, and performance that won’t disappoint.

Honda Neo-Sport Café

The Neo-Sport Café line is populated by bikes that fit nicely into the above categories but deserve special mention for the café-tastic vibes they bring to the table. They cover a range of capabilities with the CB300R ABS for the entry-level market, and the CB650R in the midrange. The customary café elements are missing, but the overall styling still manages to give that café-racer feel.

Honda Mini-Moto

The miniMOTO range all run on 125 cc powerplants, and like the Neo-Sport Café line, all of the models fall into other categories. MiniMOTO includess the Monkey, Super Cub C125 ABS, and Grom. No, you won’t go fast, but you’ll have a blast going balls-to-the-wall on a slow bike. Let’s face it, going slow (aka the speed limit) on a fast bike is a killjoy. These bikes are all about fun, and I dare you to ride any of them without smiling.

Honda Dual Sport

Whether you want to ride to your jump-off point for an overlander trip or you like to travel on a combination of on- and off-road surfaces, the dual-sport class has you covered. The 644 cc XR650L takes the top slot with the 449 cc CRF450L in the middle slot. At the bottom, the 249.6 cc CRF250L and CRF250L Rally take care of business. No matter which you choose, you can expect a bike with clear motocross DNA in both the looks department and the handling.

Honda Scooter

Honda designed the 149 cc PCX150 with the urban commuter and student in mind. It boasts the largest scooter engine of the available options and sports an elegant body shape that is thoroughly modern along with modest protection for the rider.

In the 49 cc bracket, the Ruckus runs on a pipe frame and little else – not an ounce is wasted on body panels – and the Metropolitan toes the classic line with a timeless Italian panache. All too small for highway travel, the scooters are economical transportation for an urban or local suburban commute.

Further Reading

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