A company’s logo should be it’s best foot forward. The logo should represent the brand, and customers should be able to tell something from that brand just by seeing it. Some brands execute on this extremely well, and others… not so much.
Today we’re going to look at the five best logos from motorcycle companies around the world. These logos have been judged on their simplicity, brand recognition and timelessness.
Zero - This logo scores high on the simplicity scale. If I were designing a logo for Zero, this is exactly the way I would go. The creativity of blending the number zero with the letter Z is genius, and a far cry from their original logo, which was lacking IMO. Obviously, this young company is not going to score high on brand recognition, but this is a great start. And, as far as standing the test of time, this logo is a homerun.
BMW - As made known by the speech from finding forrester, the logo depicts a spinning white airplane propeller against the blue sky, and also is representative of the bavarian flag colors, which is the company’s country of origin. It’s simple but has become synonymous with luxury, quality and style. Globally, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who does not recognize the BMW logo, but that is thanks to their automobiles, but we can’t fault them for that. The company itself that originally started with airplanes, was founded in 1913, and the logo was introduced in 1929, so yeah, that’s held up pretty well.
Honda - When your brand’s logo includes the name, by default you score high on the brand recognition scale, but take away the name, and the Honda wing still stands up. I’ve been a big fan of this logo since I was a teen, so that should tell you that the Honda logo also ranks high as far as timelessness is concerned. It’s simple, somewhat elegant, and fantastical. Can I actually take flight on a Honda motorcycle? No. But, this logo makes me feel like I can.
Harley Davidson - The old bar and shield has been through a lot. This one may have scored higher for me, but the fact that they’ve over-branded, loses points in my opinion. Let me put it this way, when you slap your brand on anything and everything, it loses its punch. Stil, the design is rock solid, and when you can take the words away from a logo and still recognize the brand, you have succeeded.
Triumph - Triumph packed so much into their simple design. The Union Jack, the letter T, and the brand’s name are all there, but still the logo is basic, sharp, and classy. It also scores bonus points for being extremely versitile. Much like the Nike Swoosh, the logo feels at home on all of Triumph’s models. It just looks like it belongs on a sleek machine like the Rocket 3, a rugged monster like the Tiger, and even the sharp lines of the Daytona.
So, what brands do you feel should be on the list of best motorcycle logos? Be sure to leave yours in the comments!