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Japanese motorcycle companies have an illustrious and surprisingly similar history. Post-war Japan was an impoverished, shattered country. It was in this environment that Soichiro Honda founded his eponymous company to produce an affordable means of transportation to help get the country back on its feet. The very first Honda was simple a bicycle with an engine bolted onto it, but it was ideal for the time.

At the same time Suzuki was producing a more advanced machine on the same principle. Once again using a bicycle the Suzuki version included an innovative gear system which allowed the rider to pedal the bicycle conventionally, pedal with assistance from the engine or use just the engine to provide power. The Japanese government was so impressed that they gave the company a subsidy to carry out further research.

Unlike Soichiro Honda's company, the other three big Japanese motorcycle makers have a much longer history. The oldest, Yamaha, was founded as far back as 1887. Before motorcycles they produced pianos and organs, which is why the Yamaha badge shows three tuning forks on it. Kawasaki came into existence in 1896 and, before commencing motorcycle production, had acquired valuable experience manufacturing aero engines. Suzuki was founded in 1909 and began by manufacturing weaving looms.

Japanese motorcycles have long been admired for their reliability. In the 1950s a Kawasaki ran continuously for 50,000 km without breaking down, providing valuable publicity for the company. Initially the Japanese manufacturers concentrated on building small capacity engines and provided seemingly little threat to the established European and American manufacturers. By the end of the 1950s Japanese motorcycles had begun to appear in America, most notably the 1959 Honda C100 Super Cub. It was a model which went on to sell more than 50 million examples throughout the world.

At around the same time tentative steps were being made in the international motorcycle racing world. Within ten years Japanese companies had established themselves as world beaters. In 1961 Mike Hailwood won for Honda at the prestigious Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races. The team also dominated both the 125cc and 250cc World Championships. Honda have continued to be a major force in the racing world, winning races and championships in many different categories of the sport.

The other Japanese companies also have proud racing pedigrees. Kawasaki has won numerous World Championships, being particularly successful in endurance racing. Suzuki and Yamaha also boast long traditions of racing excellence. They realized early the value of on-track success, both in generating favorable publicity and pushing forward the rate of development which could be transferred to their road bikes.

Innovation is a word often associated with Japanese manufacturers. In 1968 Yamaha became the first company to produce a motorcycle for use both on and off road. The DT-1 Enduro was an instant success, particularly in America. A more recent innovation came from Honda in 2006 when their Gold Wing model became the first motorcycle to be equipped with an airbag.

The incredibly successful story of Japan's motorcycle companies currently shows no signs of letting up. They continue to produce high quality, innovative machines which sell in huge quantities the world over. Their commitment to motorcycle racing is reflected in the fact that, for the 2008 season, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha are all competing in the MotoGP World Championship, motorcycle racing's elite class. Japanese motorcycles will be around for a very long time to come.