Did some googling and couldn't find an answer. I did find one source, however, that said Hondas weren't imported into US until 1959. The pic is of a 1951 Honda Dream Type D, Honda's first motorcycle originally produced in 1949. No wings yet, as far as I can tell.

 

That's a cool little bike. It's amazing how far bikes have come. Thanks for searching a bit for the wing history. I'm surprised it's so hard to find the meaning behind such a prolific icon. I've posted this question on 3 forums and haven't been able to get an answer. Crazy.

 

Still no answer, but I found this on Honda's worldwide website, a poster for a 1953 Honda Benly with the poster sporting a double wing logo.

 

Yeah, I ran across that too. I'm not at all sure but I believe the double wing is an icon of that model, the Benling or whatever it's called. I remember seeing a poster that had that bike next to another model of the same year and the other bike had a regular honda wing. Not at all sure, just sharing what I remember seeing.

 

I don't have any info on the wing emblem but I have an excellent book on the history of Honda Called "Honda by Mick Woollett". Well worth a read. Google it or look here.

Honda by Mick Woollett (Used, New, Out-of-Print) - Alibris UK

 

i have no idea on the truth, but i've always heard and said that you have to have wings to fly.

 

Ok, show on TV called Twist the Throttle. It goes through major bike companies histories. UBER cool for anyone who has even seen a motorcycle, let alone rides one. Soichiro Honda brought Honda to the states June 4th 1959. So you all better be celebrating 50 years in the states. And that first shop actually closed down earlier this year. As far as what the wings mean, I'm not sure. Some say it's just a logo design, that's why it's changed over the years so radically. But I don't know that there is a real explanation.

 

If you look close on that show (Twist the Throttle) the Honda Dream D bike actually has an angel type figure on the tank. It looks like the figure is taking off...head up, arms back and one knee raised. He also has wings extended off his back. I believe thats where the wing originated from. All the engineers were so proud of their work they said it was "a motorcycle dream" hence the name.


You can see the gold "angel" figure on the tank in this pic...it is small tho.



Here is a closer pic:



And yet another close up:



But even back then it looks like they had the wing logo as we know it: