10 Honda Motorcycles with a Reputation for Legendary Longevity

Over the years, Honda has built a reputation for building some of the most reliable motorcycles in the industry. It’s a brand known for selling motorcycles that last, thanks to a combination of excellent build quality and, in most cases, underpowered drivetrains. In addition, there is an extensive dealer network that helps keep these bicycles on the road.

The kind of peace of mind that comes with owning a Honda is hard to appreciate, and it’s very easy to see why the brand has such a huge following. Sure, there have been a few flops, but they are few and far between. The bikes on this list all have proven track records and are known for their longevity.

C100 Supercub from 1965

Price range: $1,000 – $3,000

“You meet the nicest people on a Honda.” This will go down in history as one of the most famous marketing campaigns, and it introduced millions of people to motorcycles who might otherwise never have considered riding one. More importantly, it helped mobilize developing countries. Providing low-income people with affordable and reliable transportation.

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CB750 from 1970

Price range: $5,000 – $7,000

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After other brands didn’t initially see Honda as much of a threat because the Super Cub occupied a part of the market they didn’t compete in, the CB750 made everyone stand up and take notice. It proved that a powerful motorcycle can actually be affordable and reliable. The CB750 is widely regarded as the first UJM, and along with the UJMs of the other three major Japanese brands, effectively killed the British motorcycle industry.

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Gold Wing GL1200 from 1985

Price range: $1,000 – $3,000

Honda

Honda moved production of the Gold Wing to the US in the early 1980s and the GL1200 quickly became one of the country’s most popular motorcycles. Its reliable (not to mention smooth) flat-four won over many fans, but most consumers were more interested in the luxury features. It was one of the first motorcycles to come with a full touring fairing as standard, adding to its already famous long-distance comfort.

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CBR1100XX from 1997

Price range: $2,000 – $4,000

Honda

Until the mid-1990s, Kawasaki had the fastest production motorcycle in the form of the Ninja ZX-11. But in 1997 the Blackbird swooped in and claimed the title for Honda. Not only is it fast, but it has also proven to be one of the most durable superbikes over the years. Enthusiasts around the world today use these old speed queens mainly as sports touring bikes and have logged hundreds of thousands of kilometers on their motorcycles.

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Gold Wing GL1800 from 2005

Price range: $8,000 – $10,000

Honda

While the latest generation Gold Wing may be notable by its absence, it offers a whole host of new technology and has been recalled a few times now. All that added technology also creates points of failure, and it’s no coincidence that simpler motorcycles tend to last longer. We feel that these mid-00s bikes provide the ideal balance between comfort and longevity, even though the flat-six can be a bit tricky to work on once something goes wrong.

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2008 VFR800 interceptor

Price range: $4,000 – $6,000

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By the time this came out, the VFR had become one of the very best sports tourers money could buy. This generation also came with VTEC, which was a first for a motorcycle sold outside Japan. It may have been big and heavy, but the V4 engine is a real point of difference, offering plenty of torque and almost metronomic reliability.

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VFR1200F from 2010

Price range: $5,000 – $7,000

Honda

Although the VFR1200F is even heavier, the extra displacement increased the power to a whopping 170 hp. Even by modern standards, this is an insanely fast motorcycle, one that could give some modern liter bikes a clean pair of heels. Decades of R&D have gone into the V4, and it’s incredibly reliable. Unfortunately, because it had racing roots, fuel economy was never really a big priority.

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Africa Twin 2017

Price range: $7,000 – $9,000

Honda

Considering how many other adventure bikes were already on the market by the time the Africa Twin came out, Honda was certainly pretty late to the party. But the Unicam engine was indeed worth the wait. Since its introduction, Honda has put this powertrain in several other models, all equally reliable. For an adventure bike, especially one used for exploration, reliability is an underrated attribute.

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2020 Rebel 500 ABS

Price range: $3,000 – $5,000

Honda

This multi-platform parallel twin could have been developed as an entry-level model, making it A2 compatible across Europe. The Rebel 500 has proven to be much more than the average beginner’s bike. It may be a little tight for taller riders, but other than that it’s a very hard bike to fault, with impeccable build quality and an even better track record of reliability.

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2021 CRF300L

Price range: $2,000 – $4,000

Honda

Since Honda updated the venerable 250 dual-sport, it has skyrocketed in popularity and has proven to be one of the favorite entry points into the ADV world. People have taken this little bike around the world and back, proving that you simply don’t need one of the larger, more expensive adventure bikes to get out and explore. Being a single, it is quite easy and affordable to maintain, especially for those who tend to get their hands dirty.

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