While cruising the Illinois Tollway yesterday en route to pick up my latest project, Patti and I came upon this impressive rig. Proudly flying the Honda winged foot and signature company color, the young driver was pegged right at the speed limit and there was not a finger smudge to be seen on the transport, not even on the mirrored stainless edges of the trailer loading ramp.
This pristine symbol of Honda Motor Company reminded me of what Honda represents in the manufacturing world. Just last week I'd read something Editor Mark Hoyer of Cycle World magazine had written in a review of the new Africa Twin (September 2016). He wrote:
"Honda's systemic approach to the motorcycle has always been impressive. It's like its engineers spend an inordinate amount of time focusing on how the whole motorcycle works between each and every component, with "balance" only ever outshined by "polish."
How true. My first motorcycle was a new 1971 Honda 500-4, a jewel of a machine if ever there was, and part of the modern motorcycle revolution led by Honda. Soichiro Honda was a visionary, a marketer, a leader, and even a racer. He was all of this, but at his core he was an engineer. He never let go his passion for innovation and production based on leading-edge engineering. Like Apple, Honda is an engineering company first and a manufacturer second. And, like Apple, successful products are borne of innovative engineering. Both companies have had their failures along the way but only due to their drive to exercise their technical chops and show the world what might be. From the 3RC-164 inline 6-cylinder of 1964 to the present day RC213V V4, and everything in-between, Honda Motor Company has always helped show the way.
You'll note that the beautiful rig we came upon yesterday only displays the Honda logo and name — no other marketing. And for those of us who have ridden and wrenched on these machines, there's none required.
This pristine symbol of Honda Motor Company reminded me of what Honda represents in the manufacturing world. Just last week I'd read something Editor Mark Hoyer of Cycle World magazine had written in a review of the new Africa Twin (September 2016). He wrote:
"Honda's systemic approach to the motorcycle has always been impressive. It's like its engineers spend an inordinate amount of time focusing on how the whole motorcycle works between each and every component, with "balance" only ever outshined by "polish."
How true. My first motorcycle was a new 1971 Honda 500-4, a jewel of a machine if ever there was, and part of the modern motorcycle revolution led by Honda. Soichiro Honda was a visionary, a marketer, a leader, and even a racer. He was all of this, but at his core he was an engineer. He never let go his passion for innovation and production based on leading-edge engineering. Like Apple, Honda is an engineering company first and a manufacturer second. And, like Apple, successful products are borne of innovative engineering. Both companies have had their failures along the way but only due to their drive to exercise their technical chops and show the world what might be. From the 3RC-164 inline 6-cylinder of 1964 to the present day RC213V V4, and everything in-between, Honda Motor Company has always helped show the way.
You'll note that the beautiful rig we came upon yesterday only displays the Honda logo and name — no other marketing. And for those of us who have ridden and wrenched on these machines, there's none required.
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