News

Honda Collection Hall: Racebikes

A photo gallery of famous Honda racing motorcycles.

November 1, 2009

Photography by Blake Conner

" src=

While visiting Honda-owned Twin Ring Motegi during my recent visit to Japan to ride the2010 VFR1200F, I had the opportunity to visit the Honda Collection Hall. Inside this museum is an impressive number of production and racing motorcycles and cars. In this first gallery, I've compiled a selection of significant racing motorcycles that are displayed on the top floor of the facility. In a future installment, I'll focus on production bikes, racing cars and a few other interesting models from Honda's past. One of the most interesting aspects of the museum is that it isn't just filled with Hondas but includes many vehicles from other manufacturers. Enjoy. I know I did.

2001 Honda RS125R (4), Daijiro Katoh's 1997 NSR250 (2), Valentino Rossi's 2001 Honda NSR500 (46), Katoh's NSR500 (74).

Jeremy McGrath's 1996 CR250M title-winning AMA Supercross machine.

Freddie Spencer's 1982 Honda CB750F Superbike and RS1000RW, which was built for the Daytona 200.

1992 Honda XR600R Baja 1000 Racer.

1989 Paris-Dakar Rally-winning NXR750 (100) ridden by Gilles Lalay. Honda's experimental two-stroke EXP-2 (45) with its Activated Radical Combustion technology.

Barry Sheene's 1977 500cc Grand Prix title-winning Suzuki RGA500 XR22.

Michael Doohan's 1995 Honda NSR500.

Wayne Gardner's 1987 NSR500 (2) leads a long queue of two-strokes.

Makoto Tamada's 2004 RC211V (6) and a pair of Nicky Hayden RC211Vs.

Freddie Spencer's 1981 NS750 dirt-tracker (19) and Bubba Shobert's 1984 RS750D (67).

One of Mike Hailwood's 500cc MV Agusta Grand Prix bikes.

Suzuka 8-Hour bikes: 1997 RVF750/RC45 (33) ridden by Shinichi Itoh and Tohru Ukawa. 1993 Honda RVF750 (7) ridden by Eddie Lawson and Satoshi Tsujimoto. 1991 RVF750 (11) ridden by Wayne Gardner and Michael Doohan.

Eddie Lawson's 1989 NSR500.

Freddie Spencer's 1984 NS500 V-3 500.

Freddie Spencer won both the 500 and 250cc Grand Prix championships in 1985 aboard this pair: Rothmans NSR500 V-Four (4) and RS250R-W 250cc Twin (19).

1983 Honda NR500 prototype as shown at the Tokyo Motor Show that year. The oval-piston 500 V-Four had 8 valves per cylinder.

Inside the competition wing: A long row of RC racebikes is lead off by Jim Redman's 1962 RC163.

1962 Honda RC171 (60) was ridden by Jim Redman in the 350cc Grand Prix class. 1967 Honda RC181 500cc GP bike (2) ridden by Mike Hailwood. 1982 Honda RS125R-W (99).

First thing you see: 1954 Honda R125, 1953 MV Agusta 125 Sport Competizione, 1959 Honda RC160 and Mondial 125GP.

Coolest engine ever? This is the famous RC166 250cc inline-Six?carburetors the size of a thimble and pistons the diameter of a quarter.

1962 Yamaha TD-1 250cc production racer.

1961 Honda RC162 250cc Grand Prix bike (100) and 1960 Honda RC161 (28). The latter was the first Honda to compete in the 250cc class.

Ron Haslam's 1986 ELF3 (5) powered by a NS500 works engine.

1979 Honda NR500(0X) racer was entered at the 1979 British Grand Prix with rider Takazumi Katayama. Oval-piston V-Four with 8 valves per cylinder.

1966 Honda RC166 250cc Six won 10 out of 10 races in the 1966 world championship and also won at the Isle of Man with Mike Hailwood at the controls that same year.