5 Honda Motorcycles That Seem To Last Forever

Honda's motorcycle business can trace its roots back to post-war Japan, with Soichiro Honda spearheading the development of the company's first motorized bicycle in 1947. By 1949, this early model had become popular enough that Honda released a motorcycle designed fully in-house, and since then, the company hasn't stopped innovating. While many of the brand's classic models can be bought surprisingly cheap today, buyers looking to rack up the big miles on their motorcycle will likely want a newer bike from the Japanese manufacturer.

Honda's current range doesn't disappoint, since it offers everything from all-terrain touring motorcycles to affordable city runabouts. Some of these are classic nameplates that have earned their spot among Honda's most successful motorcycle models, while others are relatively fresh additions to its lineup. Buyers aren't short of choice then, but for anyone needing to hit six figures on their motorcycle's odometer, these five models should all be particularly appealing. Each has proved capable of reaching 100,000 miles and beyond, with some particularly determined riders even taking their Honda bikes to over double that figure.

Across every generation of the Honda Africa Twin, it has remained an immensely capable bike. Modern versions might now come with more technology and refinement than before, but its ability to cover plenty of ground remains unchanged. A quick search across owners' groups is all it takes to find a string of examples of owners with more than 100,000 miles on their bikes. One Austrian rider even documented their 2016 Africa Twin's journey to hitting over 500,000 km, completing a total of 582,000 km (around 362,000 miles) before their bike was stolen.

The first generation of the Africa Twin appeared in 1988 and was based on Honda's off-road competition racing bike, which had taken top honors at the grueling Paris-Dakar rally. It was developed by the same team behind the race-winning bike, Honda Racing Corporation (HRC). Motorcyclists didn't hesitate at the chance to get their hands on a race-proven all-terrain bike, and it sold in large enough numbers that Honda developed a second generation in time for 1990. The third generation of the Africa Twin arrived in 1993 and remained in production until 2003. After more than a decade away from dealerships, however, Honda brought back the Africa Twin in 2016.

The Honda ST1300's big gas tank makes it a great companion for the longest road trips, and you'll be able to take many, many of those trips before it ever wears out. Owners' groups and forums are filled with stories of bikes reaching well over 100,000 miles and remaining in good condition, although like all motorcycles, they'll need to have been looked after by a suitably careful owner.

YouTuber Two Blue Fred, who bought his ST1300 new in 2009, had covered 100,000 miles on it by 2020. He called it "the most perfect bike anyone could ask for," noting that he'd only encountered minor maintenance and repair issues over his decade-plus of ownership. He's far from the only owner to have covered very long distances on their ST1300 — after all, the bike was always intended for those kinds of riders.

Originally, the ST1300 debuted in the early '00s as the replacement to the ST1100. It remained in production until the latter part of the '2010s before being eventually discontinued. As well as being a reliable mile muncher, the ST1300 was also a very practical motorcycle, and it was used as an emergency service vehicle in some parts of Europe.

Another excellent long distance motorcycle is Honda's iconic Gold Wing. We took a 2025 Gold Wing on a 1,100 mile trip across California in 2025, concluding that it was right at the top of its class thanks to its comfort, practicality, and refinement. Even bringing enough gear for a few days' work and a short camping trip wasn't enough to shake the Gold Wing's exceptional road manners. It's no surprise that many owners want to maximize their seat time on the bike, and that has resulted in plenty of them hitting six-figure mileage.

While many bikers who have recently hit the 100,000 mile milestone have done so on newer models, older versions of the Gold Wing are still very capable as well. Bennetts notes that the GL1500 Gold Wing, which was in production from the late '80s to the turn of the century, is "capable of massive mileages" assuming it's been correctly maintained. Alongside regular oil changes, the valve clearances need checking at 60,000 miles and the timing belts need replacing once the bike crosses the 100,000 mile mark.

The Gold Wing is a very long-lived model, having first debuted at the Cologne Motor Show in 1974. A second generation appeared in 1980, and a third would hit dealerships in 1984. Further iterations debuted in 1988, 2001, and 2007, with the latest generation having been around since 2018.

While the CB500X was replaced by the NX500 in Honda's lineup in 2024, it's still a solid used choice. Part of the reason for that is its top-tier longevity, with a string of riders reporting in owners' groups and forums that they've crossed 100,000 miles. Honda only launched the model in 2013, and so those riders will have needed to have been hitting some serious annual mileage to get there so quickly.

In early 2026, traveler Ken Shappert published a video recap breaking down all his experiences riding his CB500X over the course of more than 60,000 miles. During his journey, he travelled from the far south of Argentina to the Arctic Circle, covering the length and breadth of North and South America. He calls the bike "phenomenal" overall, and noted that the only main things that needed replacing were the water pump and a steering bearing.

While some of the other long-distance Honda motorcycles here will be limited to the asphalt, the CB500X has the ability to conquer dirt trails, gravel tracks, and pretty much anything else that most riders will be able to throw at it. Combine that with its famed reliability, and it's an appealing alternative to the brand's larger adventure bikes.

Anyone who wanted their long-distance Honda with a sportier edge could have looked towards the VFR800 when they were browsing a dealership two decades ago. Since then, a number of examples of the bike from that era have crossed 100,000 miles. The folks at Bennetts in the U.K. bought a well-used example with 94,000 miles on the clock for just £500 (around $675), then put another 10,000 miles on the odometer while documenting their expenses. Even though most of the parts of the bike had been original, it only needed around $1,600 worth in replacement maintenance to keep it running over that distance.

Across enthusiast groups, several other riders claim to have hit similar mileage. One rider on the VFRDiscussion forum reported a total parts and maintenance expenditure of roughly $8,900 over the course of his 100,000 miles of riding. However, that post is from 2012 — accounting for inflation, that's around $12,800 in 2026 dollars. Still, that's an impressively reasonable figure considering the power and agility on offer, and just another example of why used Hondas retain plenty of appeal.

The VFR's history stretches back even further, with the VFR750F first appearing in 1986. The first 800 variant arrived in 1998, and Honda controversially added a VTEC variant in the early '00s. The nameplate remained available in various markets until 2021, when changing emissions regulations signaled the end of its production run.

While there are a wide range of Honda models that are known to be durable and long-lasting, we focused here on those that are well documented to be capable of reaching over 100,000 miles. We pulled data from a variety of sources to verify this, including owner forums, reviews, and enthusiast groups on social media. Like any motorcycle, these high mileage heroes will only be able to hit the six figure mark if they're properly maintained and responsibly ridden. As such, be sure to check the maintenance history and condition of any used example of these Honda bikes if you're thinking of purchasing one.