Honda is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the start of its participation in the premier category of Grands Prix.
This half-century of competition, however, experienced an interruption between 1968 and 1978, but Honda nevertheless brought back an impressive harvest of 270 victories and 38 titles in 500cc and MotoGP, calculation made at the end of 2015.
Honda entered the 500cc class in 1966, seven years after the company made its Championship debut with its 125cc at the 1959 Isle of Man TT. Since then, Honda has racked up success, with more than 700 victories in the 5 categories that existed: MotoGP/500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and 50cc. Since 1966, 31 riders have won 500cc/MotoGP races on Honda machines.
Honda also holds the records for most victories in a premier class season: 15 victories in 1997 and 2003, 14 victories in 2002 and 2014 and 13 victories in 1996, 1998 and 2011.
RC181: The first Honda motorcycle in the premier Grand Prix category
It made its racing debut 50 years ago, in May 1966. It was the direct descendant of the six-cylinder 250cc RC166 and the five-cylinder 125cc RC149. This RC 181, however, only has an in-line 4-cylinder with gear cascade distribution operating four valves per cylinder at 12 rpm, all for a maximum speed of 500 km/h. It was driven by Jim Redman who took it to its first victory at Hockenheim on May 270, 22.
