11 motorcycle brands in the exclusive 100-year club: and they keep fighting

The motorcycle was born more than 135 years ago. In 1885, Daimler and Maybach presented their "Reitwagen", a rudimentary bicycle with side support wheels and an internal combustion engine. From that moment on, hundreds of brands have made generations of motorcyclists dream.

Most of them fell by the wayside. But a handful achieved something very difficult in the motorcycle world: surviving for more than a century.

Some reinvented themselves. Others were reborn.

Only a few have made it to today without ever stopping production. In this decade of the 2020s, legendary names like BMW and Moto Guzzi, 100 years; Indian, Peugeot, or Royal Enfield 120; and Benelli 110 celebrated milestone anniversaries.

Other historic brands faded away along the way.

This is the case of Ariel, Sunbeam, or Vincent in the United Kingdom. Also Laverda, Motobi in Italy, or our own Bultaco, OSSA, and Sanglas, or an entire French industry that was once very powerful. Notable names include Motobécane, Gnome & Rhône, or Terrot.

Some, like Indian, have made a strong comeback. Others like Royal Enfield or Peugeot never completely disappeared, although they went through difficult times.

It's not easy to draw the line between "active brand" and "recovered brand." It's not even simple to set a birth date. Should we count from when the company was founded or from its first motorcycle?

Many were born doing something else. Husqvarna began in 1689 as an armory. Peugeot made pepper mills since 1810.

Kawasaki manufactured ships and trains. Yamaha, musical instruments.

Ducati was founded in 1926, but its first motorcycle was from 1946. Suzuki made looms since 1909.

Honda was, of all of them, the only one designed from day one to manufacture motorcycles.

That said, which are the oldest brands that are still alive? These ten have the privilege.

Peugeot (1901)

Peugeot is one of the oldest brands in the world. Since 1810, it made kitchen utensils. In 1885, it ventured into bicycles and in 1901 presented its first motorcycle, with a De Dion Bouton engine.

Today, it remains active and has ambitious plans. Its latest launches have been the spectacular XP 400 and the return to geared motorcycles with the PM-01 and PM-03. The motorcycle division has changed hands several times, but it has never stopped manufacturing.

Indian (1901)

George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom founded Indian in 1901 in Massachusetts. It was a direct rival of Harley-Davidson.

Its first V-Twin arrived in 1905. Its history is linked to the two world wars. 

It closed in 1953, but was reborn several times. The most successful was in 2011, when Polaris rescued the brand.

Today, it manufactures a complete range with the same spirit as always. The name, logo, and soul remain intact.

Royal Enfield (1901)

Born as a needle manufacturer, Royal Enfield also made its first motorcycle in 1901. Its connection with the British army shaped its evolution. 

In the 1950s, they opened a factory in India to supply the government. The English parent company closed in 1971, but the Indian subsidiary continued producing. 

Today, it's a global brand with design centers in Chennai and Europe. Models like the new Himalayan 450, the Meteor 350, or the already extensive Twin 650 range are highly successful.

Triumph (1902)

Siegfried Bettmann founded Triumph to import bicycles. In 1902, they installed a Belgian engine on a bike and their first motorcycle was born.

Throughout the 20th century, it was a reference. It passed into the hands of Ariel, then BSA, and later the NVT conglomerate, alongside Norton or Villiers. 

In 1983, it closed, but John Bloor bought the rights and relaunched the brand. Since the 1990s, Triumph has grown steadily. Today, it produces more than 60,000 motorcycles a year and has models for almost every segment.

Husqvarna (1903)

Founded in 1689 by royal Swedish decree, Husqvarna began by making weapons. In the 19th century, it diversified with sewing machines, stoves, or bicycles. In 1903, it presented its first motorcycle.

During the 20th century, it was a key brand in motocross and enduro. In 1987, it was sold to Cagiva. In 2007, it passed to BMW and in 2013 to KTM, its current owner.

Today, it remains a brand with its own identity, very present in off-road and also on the street.

Harley-Davidson (1903)

The Davidson brothers and their friend William Harley made their first motorcycle in 1903. By 1904, they were already producing with their own engines.

By 1914, they were a giant with 16,000 units a year. The wars boosted them as a supplier to the army.

In the 1960s, they passed into the hands of AMF. It was a difficult time. 

In 1983, a group of investors recovered the brand. Harley-Davidson managed to keep its essence.

Its custom style defined an era. Today, it continues to evolve with models like the Pan America or the LiveWire electric range.

BSA (1910)

British Small Arms is what those initials mean. So, it's obvious what the company did at first.

It was founded in 1861 and its first motorcycle was built in 1910. In the 1950s, it became one of the largest brands in the world.

Later, it suffered serious management and marketing errors. For example, underestimating Japanese competition in the late 1950s ended the company in the 1970s.

In 2021, it was reborn with a special single-cylinder model that revived the Gold Star name, thanks to the Indian group Mahindra.

Benelli (1911)

It was born in Pesaro, Italy, as a family workshop founded by Teresa Benelli. In 1919, they created their first engine.

By 1921, they were already manufacturing complete motorcycles. They achieved fame with their 4-stroke singles.

In the 1940s, one of the brothers founded Motobi. Both brands would end up in the De Tomaso group.

In the 1970s, the legendary Benelli Sei, with six cylinders, arrived. The brand fell with the crisis of the 1980s. 

In 2005, it was incorporated into the Keeway Group. Since then, it has resurged with iconic models like the TRK 502. Today, it is one of the brands with the most potential in the A2 market.

Brough Superior (1919)

George Brough created a brand in 1919 aimed at the elite. Brough Superior motorcycles were expensive, powerful, and exclusive.

Only about 3,000 units were manufactured. Clients like Lawrence of Arabia made them legendary. 

In 1940, production ceased. In 2013, the brand was reborn with the design of Thierry Henriette.

Today, they manufacture luxury motorcycles in France, like the V2 with 990 cc and 102 hp, with a titanium chassis and four-disc brakes. Each unit costs more than 60,000 euros.

Moto Guzzi (1921)

Carlo Guzzi and Giorgio Parodi, Italian aviators, founded Moto Guzzi at the end of World War I. Its first production motorcycle, with a horizontal single-cylinder engine, produced 8 hp.

17 units were manufactured in 1921. That type of engine remained in production until the 1970s.

Moto Guzzi has done everything: scooters, three-wheelers, 2-strokes, even a V8 racing engine. In the 1970s, it was absorbed by De Tomaso.

In the 2000s, it passed to Aprilia and then to the Piaggio group. The V7, the V85 TT, or the new V100 and Stelvio show that Guzzi is more alive than ever.

BMW (1921)

Literally, those famous initials mean Bavarian Motor Factory. That's what it was created for, and since 1916, that's what they did: airplane engines.

It's often said that the famous white and blue badge is the propeller of an airplane nose against the sky, but that's not true: they're the colors of Bavaria.

In 1923, they had been banned from making airplane engines after the Great War. So, they decided to make a motorcycle.

It was the R32. They themselves had made a boxer engine for other motorcycle brands, like Helios or Victoria. It was transverse, though, and the rear cylinder would overheat.

For the R32, they decided to change the orientation. One cylinder on each side, and the cooling problem was solved.

It gave rise to the legendary architecture that today, more than 100 years later, they still use at that Bavarian motor factory. Now, it's one of the largest and most profitable major motorcycle brands in the world.

In addition, it's one of the few brands on this list that has never closed or changed owners in all this time.

Epilogue: Norton (1898) will be reborn soon

Norton, another of the great English classics, is about to be reborn for the second time in the modern era.

It was founded in 1898, reaching its brightest moment with that Norton Manx racing bike from the 1950s. It was one of the two brands that merged from the English industry called NVT in the 1970s. It was called Norton-Villiers-Triumph and remained alive until almost the 1980s.

Practically disappeared then, it came back to life a few years ago thanks to Stuart Garner. However,in 2020, it went bankrupt, after fraud accusations against its CEO.

Now owned by the Indians of TVS, its return to production is planned with the last range from the Garner era and some new features, within this same 2025.