Honda Motor co. said it plans to stop producing motorcycles in the US in 2009, and will transfer production work to Japan.
Honda, whose North American headquarters is in Torrance, employs about 450 people at its motorcycle production plant in Marysville, Ohio.
Honda also makes motorcycles at the Hamamatsu factory in Japan. Production at both sites will be consolidated at a new motorcycle plant in Kumamoto, Japan, next year.
The move is part of a global effort to produce certain larger motorcycles, Honda said.
Honda said it will not layoff its ohio motorcycle workers when production ends in the spring of 2009. The workers will instead help produce cars, trucks, engines and parts and fill other jobs at Honda's other operations in west-central Ohio, the company said.
Honda's Ohio opened its motorcycle plant in 1979 as Honda's first US production facility. Last year, it produced about 44,000 Gold Wing touring and VTX cruiser bikes.
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