10 Honda Motorcycles With Near-Perfect Reliability Records

Honda motorcycles are known to be among the most reliable in the industry. A combination of above-average build quality and relatively underpowered engines is to thank for this hard-earned reputation. When you buy a Honda, you get peace of mind built into the deal.

This reputation for reliability can be traced all the way back to the Super Cub scooters, bikes that were indeed marketed to non-motorcyclists. The “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” marketing campaign successfully grabbed attention, but that historic campaign would have meant little if the bikes were poorly made. Honda delivered on this promise with a really good product, and since then we’ve gotten one impressive motorcycle after another from the brand.

In order to provide you with the most current and accurate information, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources including KBB. Buying a used motorcycle always comes with some risk, so do your research and proceed with caution. The motorcycles on this list go from oldest to newest.

C100 Supercub from 1963

Price range: $1,000 – $3,000

The Super Cub and its many derivatives introduced millions of people to motorcycles they otherwise would not have purchased. It played a major role in mobilizing the developing world, giving low-income families access to affordable, reliable transportation. Although a vintage bicycle today, it is by no means rare and continues to provide people with simple, affordable transportation all these years later.

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CB750 from 1970

Price range: $5,000 – $7,000

The release of the CB750 marked a turning point within the motorcycle industry. Widely regarded as the first ‘universal Japanese motorcycle’ – or UJM for short – it proved that a powerful motorcycle could also be reliable. Soon, similarly powerful UJMs from the other major Japanese manufacturers arrived, and this influx of fast, reliable bikes all but killed the British motorcycle industry, which had once dominated this segment.

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Gold Wing GL1200 from 1985

Price range: $1,000 – $3,000

In the early 1980s, the GL1200 was produced exclusively in the US. The smooth-running flat-four won over many fans and proved exceptionally reliable, with many of these bikes covering over 100,000 miles. But the main point of difference had nothing to do with the engine. It was the first motorcycle to feature a full touring fairing as standard, complementing its already famous long-distance comfort.

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CBR1100XX from 1998

Price range: $3,000 – $5,000

In the 1990s, Honda had well and truly caught the speed bug. But as it should be: the CBR1100XX Blackbird was not only fast, but also metronomically reliable. Although this was a true superbike in the 90s, today most owners use these bikes as sport touring bikes. They’re surprisingly comfortable and as long as you don’t try to run at top speed every time you ride, they’ll last forever.

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Gold Wing GL1800 from 2005

Price range: $7,000 – $9,000

The new Gold Wing may be notable by its absence from this particular list, but the current flat six is ​​simply an evolution of the bike that came out at the turn of the century. Although it is now twenty years old, it has proven to be metronomically reliable compared to the new bike, which has already been recalled a few times. Largely this is because the old model is much simpler. Honda is now packing the modern Gold Wing with all kinds of innovative technical features that add luxury, but do not always improve overall reliability.

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2008 VFR800 interceptor

Price range: $5,000 – $7,000

The VFR was not without problems. In the 1980s, the VFR750 sports bike was at the center of the ‘chocolate cams’ fiasco. Honda quickly fixed the problem, and by the time the 800 hit the market in the 1990s, it had evolved into a beautiful sports tourer. These V4 engines are incredible, and it’s a shame Honda no longer produces them.

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2016 VFR1200X DCT

Price range: $6,000 – $8,000

This represents the latest iteration of the beefy 1200 V4. The crossover was still a relatively new concept ten years ago and adding DCT to it was an ambitious move by Honda. This didn’t make it a particularly successful model, but these beefy V4s are exceptional and, at this price, a bargain, as long as the previous owner or owners kept up with basic maintenance.

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2021 CB500X

Price range: $3,000 – $5,000

With the ADV craze well underway by the time this came out, it served the entry-level market exceptionally well throughout its production life. The new bike – now the NX500 – is still relatively affordable and certainly an option. This 471cc chunk comes in a wide variety of flavors, from sport bike to cruiser, so Honda has you covered no matter what kind of bike you like.

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2021 Rebels 1100

Price range: $5,000 – $7,000

Like the aforementioned 500, the 1100 Unicam engine has also proven to be as reliable as any Honda motorcycle. The tune is optimized for torque delivery here in the cruiser, but the Africa Twin and the new NT1100 are just as reliable, even if they have a little more top end power. You can have all of these models with DCT too, and that adds an extra layer of convenience to an incredibly competent platform.

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2023 Honda CRF300L Rally

Price range: $4,000 – $6,000

Many adventure riders see the benefits of owning a lighter, more off-road capable dual-sport like this. Being a single it’s certainly not the most comfortable bike on the highway, but if you’re willing to compromise it can do everything a bigger middleweight can do, just cheaper. This has become the bike of choice for new explorers, thanks in large part to how easy it is to ride and how affordable it is to run.

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