Honda motorbike insurance

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Reviewed 01 September 2021

The information on this page was last reviewed on 01 September 2021

Honda motorbike insurance

Honda builds motorbikes to suit most riders’ needs. Whichever Honda floats your boat (or bike?), you should be able to find a motorbike insurance policy tailored to suit.

And the better you ride your motorcycle, the more affordable your Honda insurance premiums are likely to be.

Insurance premiums will vary depending on factors including your riding history, your age and the value and engine size of your motorbike. So, for instance, Honda Goldwing motorcycle insurance will likely be different from another model with a very different specification and insurance group category.

It is good practice to understand at the outset when you are looking to purchase a motorbike what your premiums might cost.

If your Honda motorbike has a very powerful engine and is capable of high speeds, there could be an increased chance of having an accident. An insurance provider may take this into account when calculating your premium.

Honda history and facts

Unlike BMW and Harley-Davidson, which increased their profiles during the Second World War, by making motorbikes for the military, Honda did not exist until the late 1940s.

As Japan struggled to rebuild following the end of the war, company founder Soichiro Honda (who had previously manufactured piston rings which he supplied to Toyota) turned his attention to inexpensive motorcycles.

With co-founder Takeo Fujisawa in 1949 in the city of Hamamatsu, Honda introduced his first original designed and engineered two-wheeler, named the ‘Dream’ D-type motorcycle.

Despite the breakthrough that the D-type represented, Honda disliked the noise and fumes from the two-stroke engine so in 1951 the company launched its first four-stroke motorcycle, the Dream E (146cc).

In 1958, the Super Cub known simply as ‘the Honda 50’ was unveiled. With a 50cc four-stroke engine, the Cub remains one of the most popular motorcycles ever built. Over the years it has been adapted with 70cc and 90cc motors.

The following year was another momentous one for Honda. First, the company fulfilled its founder’s dream of becoming a serious competitor on the racetrack. Honda entered the famous Isle of Man TT for the first time. And in 1959, Honda established its first overseas subsidiary when American Honda Motor Co opened in Los Angeles, California.

With racing still very much a passion for Honda designers, in 1964 Honda produced a six-cylinder 250cc model, the Honda 3RC164. The motorcycle took the racing world by storm, and in 1966 and 1967 Mike Hailwood won the 250cc World Championship.

If there were ever any doubts about Honda’s success as a global mass-market motorbike supplier, in 1968 Honda produced its 10 millionth motorcycle. That was just 19 years after the company’s first motorbike rolled out of its Hamamatsu factory.

At the tail end of the 60s, Honda launched the CB750 – the impact of this bike was enormous as it was the first mass-market motorbike to come with a disc brake.

Honda has continued to innovate over the years – in 1974, Honda produced its first Gold Wing, the GL1000. The Gold Wing was the first Japanese-produced four-stroke to be water-cooled and one of the first production motorcycles to be fitted with a fuel pump.

Other examples of Honda’s pioneering spirit include a prototype motorcycle powered by a fuel cell in 2004, and air-bag crash protection, which Honda introduced in 2007. It was the first motorbike manufacturer to do so.

Though Honda may not be as conspicuous on the silver screen as Harley-Davidson, it still has its moments. Next time you watch the opening scene of the James Bond film Skyfall, look out for Daniel Craig’s bike as he chases a villain over the rooftops of Istanbul. He is riding a Honda CRF250Rs, which is now on display at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, Hampshire.

The leading Honda motorbikes

Let’s look at some Honda motorbikes – past and present – that have caught the eye over the years.

Honda Super Cub

The Honda Super Cub debuted in 1958, though the concept for a small mass-market motorbike ideal for getting around in a busy city began in 1956. Soichiro Honda wanted an affordable, practical motorbike that appealed to everyone.

During a trip to Europe he witnessed first-hand the popularity of mopeds and lightweight motorcycles, which provided food for thought. The result was a scooter with a new lightweight chassis and clutch-less design that made riding hassle-free.

Rider-friendly for both women and men, the Super Cub was a massive hit and has since become the most produced motor vehicle in history. It is still produced today – the most recent version, the 2021 Super Cub C125, retains the classic look of the original Super Cub but with plenty of modern features.

Not only is the small-engine Super Cub inexpensive to run, in a low insurance group, your Honda insurance premium is likely to be kind to your wallet, too.

Honda Gold Wing

It's not just Harley-Davidson that can build great tourers. The Gold Wing, introduced in 1975, proved that Honda could, too – and at a lower price. This is the motorcycle that Honda described as the “King of Kings” motorcycles, the CB750 having already been given the title of “King of Motorcycles”.

The Gold Wing built on the success of the CB750. Named after the Honda gold wings logo, the first model to come off the production line included some groundbreaking innovations, such as a fuel tank mounted below the seat which improved the motorcycle’s already low centre of gravity. It also made handling of the bike’s 295kg weight more manageable. (What looked like the fuel tank was actually a glove box.)

By 1979, rival Japanese manufacturers including Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki were launching motorbikes to compete head-on with Honda. The response from Honda was to increase the capacity of the original GL1000 engine to 1,182cc – creating the Gold Wing GL1200 which was unveiled at the 1984 Milan motorcycle show.

Over the years, Honda engineers have tried to stay true to the original concept of the Gold Wing while making subtle improvements. Honda believes its 2021 model is a perfect example of that. “Refinements abound, but the best parts remain the same,” it proclaims.

You still have your choice of manual transmission or Gold Wing’s exclusive automatic DCT transmission, but the current model has more road-trip storage and the passenger seating on the Tour models have been improved.

Premiums on your Honda Gold Wing motorcycle insurance might be quite steep, since new motorbikes are quite expensive (higher-spec Gold Wings are priced at more than £30,000). Also, as a motorcycle with a powerful engine, it pays to shop around for Gold Wing insurance.

Honda CBR 1000 RRR Fireblade SP

If riding your motorbike is more about adrenalin and less about just getting from A to B, the Honda Fireblade could be just the ride to set your pulse racing.

Honda claims this to be the best open-class sports bike it has ever built under the CBR banner. It refers to the Fireblade as being “street legal but track ready”, offering a degree of performance and refinement you’ve likely never experienced before.

The CBR900RR made its debut in 1992. The thinking at Honda at the time was that street bikes were fast but they never turned like race bikes did. Honda wanted a motorbike that would be good into the corners, with good power and good brakes.

Originally the Fireblade was going to be 750cc but Honda felt this could affect sales of its existing 750cc sports and sports-touring bikes. The designers found that an 893cc motor would just fit between the frame rails, so the CBR900RR was born. The motorbike became one of the leading large-capacity sports bikes for years to come.

Honda continued to build on the success of the original Fireblade. In 2004 there was the release of an all-new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade and 2014 saw further additions, including the unveiling of an SP (Sports Production) variant of the Fireblade which had increased power of 178bhp.

The manufacturer has continued to tweak and upgrade the Fireblade to the point that the current model offers riders 215bhp at a dizzying 14,500rpm – certainly not for the faint-hearted!

Honda NT1100

For those that are looking for a quality all-rounder, the Honda NT1100 could be for you. Launched in 2021, the versatile NT1100 is marketed by Honda as being perfect for commuting, sports and touring.

With its suspension and handling, the Honda NT1100 is well-suited for city commuters who need to zip about. But it also boasts a powerful twin-cylinder engine and comfortable pillion seating - perfect for longer touring trips.

Retailing around the £12,000 mark, it has a large, 5-way adjustable screen and upper/lower deflectors for wind protection, but is still compact enough for city riding.

It lacks the punch of similar tourers at 101 bhp, but what it lacks in power it makes up for with a respectable fuel economy of 56 mpg.

The Honda NT1100 is based on the adventure tourer Africa Twin, but swapped out some adventure for commuter comfort. This includes heated grips and USB chargers and added stability for a smoother ride.

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