In 1946, at a time when the mere bicycle was still the chief means of transportation in Japan, a small, remodeled generator once used to power a radio transmitter was reworked into an engine and fastened to a bicycle to give it a mechanical boost. This engine was the starting point of Honda and the beginning of its motorcycle business. In Japan at that time, many people traveled great distances on bicycles to shop or used a bicycle for commercial purposes. In response, Honda has maintained the "passion to create products that will bring joy to many people," without interruption through each successive Honda generation.