5 Discontinued Honda Motorcycles We'd Like to See Again in 2025

Honda has been the world’s best-selling motorcycle manufacturer for half a century. During that time, dozens of models have been produced in everything from entry-level kids’ dirt bikes to high-performance sport-racing bikes. Some of these models didn’t work out for one reason or another and were dropped from Honda’s product lineup shortly after their launch. There are, however, several other models that Honda has discontinued that we’d like to revisit.

I’ve been a Honda rider for nearly two decades. I learned to ride on an old 1985 VF 500F Interceptor and have been a fan of the brand ever since. Looking back at Honda’s decades-old catalog, many of the bikes were products of their time. They had a place in the market when Honda first introduced them, but they’ve long since outlived their usefulness and probably wouldn’t have much appeal in a modern market. That said, there are plenty of bikes that deserve a comeback. Some of these discontinued models are timeless classics, while others might offer a more retro alternative for those who aren’t as keen on Honda’s current trend toward ultra-modern styling. With that in mind, here are five of the Honda bikes we’d like to see back in 2025.

Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird

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The CBR line has dominated Honda’s sportbike lineup for quite some time now, but there have been several iterations and design changes over the years, and some of the more interesting designs have fallen by the wayside. There’s nothing wrong with the current CBR lineup per se (I ride one myself), but they do have a certain angular aesthetic that’s very similar to designs you might see from Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki.

The Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird was a special big-engined hyperbike, designed largely to compete with Kawasaki’s ZZ-R1100. It was produced from 1996 to 2007 and was widely regarded for its power, reliability, and overall build quality. Its large frame was quite heavy, weighing in at 225 kg, which would have given riders a hard time in the corners, but its speed, stability, and comfort made it a straight-line monster that could also serve as an excellent highway commuter. In fact, the Blackbird is often considered one of the fastest motorcycles Honda ever built.

A modern redesign of the Super Blackbird could bring back the sleek, lightweight silhouette that made the Blackbird famous while mitigating some of the weaknesses of previous models by lightening the load and adding the benefits of modern suspension technology. There are still plenty of Blackbird fans who would line up for that.

Honda VF750F Interceptor

Much of what made Honda the motorcycle industry superpower it is today was due to the rise in popularity of Japanese sportbikes in the 1980s. The Honda Interceptor was a memorable part of that era. The first version was produced from 1983 to 1985. The VF750 of this generation was particularly popular as a 750cc engine that technically qualified as a superbike at the time. It competed with other popular bikes with similar designs from rival companies like the Kawasaki GPZ series, which we saw Tom Cruz ride in “Top Gun.”

The Interceptor was redesigned several times in 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, and 2014 before finally being discontinued. I mentioned before that my first bike was an Interceptor, so maybe it’s just nostalgia talking, but there’s a classic feel to the boxy design of older generations of Interceptors that really stands out from most modern bikes. Honda’s early models were rich with fighter jet and aeronautical influences that seem to have been lost in the CBR lineup. That sense of style is part of the reason Interceptors still turn heads today. It would be interesting to see Honda return to its roots with a new upper-midsize Interceptor that offers modern style, reliability, and comfort.

Honda CB750

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When you look at Honda’s most popular motorcycles, you’re bound to come across the CB750 at some point. It’s not to be confused with the CR750, which is a sportbike. The CB750 is a middleweight street bike and is often considered one of the best Honda motorcycles ever made. The first generation, called the Dream, was released in 1969 and was the cornerstone of Honda’s commercial market in America, as it was one of the company’s first attempts to compete with the big bikes that were primarily made in America at the time.

This is another bike that has seen many evolutions in the decades since. The last model sold in the United States ran from 1992 to 2007. The CB750 Hornet is technically still in production overseas, but it is not available in the United States and has adopted a more street fighter-inspired design that doesn’t really recall its predecessor. It would be nice to see Honda also currently offer a CB650R and CB1000R that are both closer in spirit to the Dream, but it would still be nice to see the company fill the 750cc void in its street bike lineup with a more classically inspired version of the CB750 that also offers the comfort, performance, and convenience of a modern motorcycle.

Honda CB1100

If you’re wondering whether these retro throwbacks are just wishful thinking, it’s worth remembering that Honda has done something similar in the past. One of the best examples of this is the production of the CB1100. This bike was launched in Europe in 2013 and was heavily influenced by the CB750. It featured the round LED headlight, dual exhausts, chrome dual-dial dashboard, and long bench seat. This bike was produced for just over a decade before being discontinued in 2022. But the CB1100 isn’t just a knockoff; it’s a bike that deserves a modern makeover of its own.

The CB1100 received several updates and improvements over the outgoing model, but the main difference was the increased raw power it got from its 1,140cc air-cooled, DOHC four-stroke engine. That gave it 89 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 68 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm. That’s plenty of power for urban commuting and highway cruising with plenty of kick off, so the bike never feels sluggish. A redesign could provide a high-performance ride for classic motorcycle enthusiasts who want the power and technology that comes with a modern Honda.

Honda GLX 1500 Valkyrie

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Now, let’s look at some of Honda’s cruiser bikes. Most of the cruiser bikes that Honda currently makes have relatively small engines, especially when compared to the inventory of American companies like Harley Davidson and Indian Motorcycle. Both versions of the Honda Shadow are 750cc. There’s the Rebel 500, two 1,100cc Rebels, and then there’s the Fury, which is the largest cruiser in Honda’s current lineup with a 1,300cc engine. These bikes aren’t exactly small, but it’s hard to compare them to the 1,870cc Milwaukee-Eight 114 engines that currently power Harley’s larger models. Honda has made larger bikes in the past, though.

The Honda GLX 1500 Valkyrie debuted in 1997 and was sold until 2003. The initial idea was to take the Gold Wing architecture, strip it down, and modify it to make an American-inspired cruiser. The end result was a sleek motorcycle powered by the massive 1,520cc horizontally opposed flat-six engine from the 4th generation Gold Wing, which was liquid-cooled. This bike was equipped with six 28mm carburetors and a modified camshaft. This gave it around 100 hp at 6,000 rpm. It’s no surprise that many riders consider it one of the best Honda motorcycles for long-distance cruising.

Japanese cruisers are often overlooked compared to their American counterparts, but the GLX Valkarie has managed to compete with giants in the past, and it would be very interesting to see what Honda could do with one today.