Honda racing motorcycles

The large majority of works racing motorcycles manufactured by the motorcycle racing division of Honda of Japan, currently called Honda Racing Corporation (HRC, previously called the Racing Service Center), carry the iconic prefix RC.

History

History of the RC name Use of the RC name stretches from Honda's entry onto the international motorcycle Grand Prix stage in 1959 to the present day. In recent years Honda has also used the RC prefix as a marketing device and applied it to certain production motorcycles that had been created for racing homologation purposes. For works Motocross bikes, there was an additional M suffix.

In the late 1980s, Honda began to enter its production motorcycles in various Superbike, or production-based, racing series, such as the new FIM Superbike World Championship. The most successful of these was the VFR750R, which eventually became better known by its model number, RC30. However, the VFR750R was a Honda production motorcycle, not an HRC race bike, and the fact that its model number also began with the "RC" prefix was a coincidence, rather than a continuation of the HRC model naming tradition.

List of Honda HRC racing motorcycles + Honda Racing MotorcyclesModelModel yearsEngine ConfigurationBore x StrokeEngine DisplacementTransmission Other informationCR93 1961–1962Twin 125 cc DOHC, 4 valves per cylinderNR5001979V-4 498-500 cc8 valves per cylinder, oval pistonsNS5001982–1983V-362.6 × 54 mm 498.6 cc6 SpeedTwo-strokeNSR2501985–2002V-twin 250 ccTwo-strokeNSR5001984–2002V-4 499 cc6 SpeedTwo-strokeNSR500V1996–2001V-twin 499 cc6 SpeedTwo-strokeRC711958Twin4 Speed2 valves per cylinderRC1101962Single40 × 39 mm 49.00 cc6 Speed4 valves per cylinderRC1111962Single40 × 39 mm 49.00 cc4 valves per cylinderRC1121962Twin33 × 29 mm9 SpeedWorld's first 50 cc road racer with a twin cylinder DOHC engine; two valves per cylinderRC1131963Twin33 × 29 mm9 Speed4 valves per cylinderRC1141964Twin33 × 29 mm49.61 cc9 Speed2RC1141964Twin49.6 ccRC1151965Twin34 × 27.4 mm9 SpeedRC1161966Twin35.5 × 25.14 mm9 SpeedRC125M1981–1984Single6 SpeedRC1411959Twin44 × 41 mm 6 Speed 2 valves per cylinderRC1421959Twin44 × 41 mm 6 Speed4 valves per cylinderRC1431960Twin44 × 41 mm 6 Speed2RC1431961Twin44 × 41 mm 6 SpeedRC1441961Twin42 × 45 mm 124.69cc6 Speed2 valves per cylinderRC1451962Twin44 × 41 mm6 SpeedRC1461963Inline-435 × 32 mm 123.15 cc7 Speed2RC1461964Inline-435 × 32 mm 7 Speed4RC1461965Inline-435 × 32 mm123.15 ccRC1481965Inline-533 × 29 mm124.02 cc8 SpeedRC1491966Inline-535.5 × 25.14 mm8 SpeedRC1601959Inline-444 × 41 mm 5 SpeedHonda's first DOHC fourRC1611960Inline-444 × 41 mm 6 SpeedRC1621961Inline-444 × 41 mm6 Speed4 valves per cylinderRC1631962Inline-444 × 41 mm6 SpeedRC1641963Inline-444 × 41 mm6 Speed2RC1641964Inline-43RC1641964Inline-6247.43 cc3RC1641965Inline-639 × 34.5 mm247.28 ccRC1651965Inline-639 × 34.5 mm247.28 ccRC1661966Inline-641 × 31 mm7 SpeedRC1701962Inline-447 × 41 mmRC1711962Inline-449 × 45 mm6 SpeedRC1721964Inline-450 × 44.5 mmRC1731966Inline-450 × 44.5 mm6 SpeedRC1741967Inline-641 × 37.5 mm7 SpeedRC1811967Inline-457.5 × 48 mm6 SpeedRC250M1980–1982Single5 SpeedRC250MA1991SingleAutomaticRC335C(RC250M)1972Single5 SpeedRC500M1984Single5 SpeedRC10001981Inline-45 SpeedRCB10001976Inline-466 × 66 mm997.48 cc5 SpeedRC211V2001–2006V-5RC212V2007–2011 V-4RC213V2012–presentV-46 Speed

References

External links

50 Years of World Championship Racing official site First hand account of Honda's entry in the 1959 Isle of Man TT race