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Honda RC166

Submitted by on August 5, 200914 Comments

Here is a series of fantastic photographs of a truly beautiful machine. The Honda RC166.

The statistics tell you everything you need to know about how great this bike was. In the hands of Mike Hailwood this bike had a perfect record as the winner of 10 out of 10 races in the 1966 World Championship Series. The RC166 ensured Honda captured the Manufacturers and Riders Championships in the 250cc class for two consecutive years.

Hailwood also piloted the incredible 250cc bike to victory in the Lightweight Class at the Isle of Man TT in 1966 to claim one of his 14  titles.

Just imagine what Honda’s rivals would have made of the following specification back in 1966.  The engine was an air-cooled, 4-stroke,  inline 6-cylinder, DOHC 4-valve, 6-carburetor, 60 horsepower monster spinning to 18,000rpm. Drive was through a 7-speed transmission that hurtled this lightweight 112kg bike to a top speed of over 240km/h.

Magic stuff.

Images: Honda.com


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  • geoff francis

    Absolutely inspiring photo’s
    Took me back to my youth,where i was priveliged to witness the great mike hailwood aboard an RC166 during the 1967 IOM TT
    Well done…fantastic

  • Alan Gingerelli

    Excellent pictures of the most beautiful road racer to hit the track. I was lucky to see the Honda Collection at Motegi this past April. The bike pictured might have the #7, as ridden by Hailwood, but he rode with a right-hand shift and this particular bike has the left-hand shift, probably ridden by a Japanese test rider or racer. Sorry, but not meant to nit-pick, just an observation. Seeing these bikes was the trip of a life-time!

  • http://www.deejay51.com deejay51

    Well picked Alan, I witnessed and HEARD a Replica 300/6 at the TT in 2007, sadly it languished ‘silently’ in the Manx Museum during the Honda 50th Celebrations at the TT in 2009. Honda were very stingy at that milestone event! Lets clarify the HEARD reference, everyone stopped what they were doing when the Replica was fired up, never never has there been a sound like that, six into six, staggering!!

    I consider the 250/6 and 300/6 to be the most beautiful Motorcycle Racers ever produced, followed by the Moto Guzzi V8, woohoo!! BTW I have images of the replica 300/6, and the 50th Celebrations Exhibits/Plaque unveiling etc. on deejay51.com

  • http://www.deejay51.com deejay51

    Update, I have just returned from a trip to the Honda Collection Hall at Motegi in Japan. The RC166 was there and many pedestal mounted engines alongside, wow!!

    Please check my photographic records, multiple pages of my entire Honda experience are in development, but I have started with the ‘SIXES’!! link: http://www.deejay51.com/honda_hall_motegi.htm

  • retromotor

    Great Shots DeeJay51. Thanks for sharing! What fantastic machinery.

  • http://www.comptechusa.com Tonny

    I have just returned from a trip to the Honda Collection Hall at Motegi in Japan. honda racing engines

  • http://www.deejay51.com deejay51

    My link to the RC166 (SIXES) has changed from the earlier post above, I split off Honda ‘racebikes’ and my new section on their ‘production bikes’, new links are:

    http://www.deejay51.com/honda_hall_racebikes.htm

    http://www.deejay51.com/honda_hall_prod_bikes.htm

  • http://www.santaclarahonda.com Jim wulzen

    Having raced factory Honda’s in the 60′s this was the one i would have liked to just see and hear. I have gone on line and found sites that have the recorded the beautiful sound of the six but to be there and see, smell, and hear this machine must have been fantastic. I am building a CR77 replica from a CB77 and the detail from the pictures and others is giving me much needed imput.
    Aloha Nui Loa
    Jim

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  • michael Pratt

    Hi,
    Just discovered this fantastic machine while searching for 50cc mx videos on youtube. I came across a japanese video on the RC166 at Isle of Mann. It seemed to imply that there was a Japanese rider of the RC166 and he was killed in the event. Any idea who that was? I only found reference to Mike Hailwood when I started looking it up.

    Thanks,
    Mike

  • Clive Cooper

    Hi Rich,
    The RC 166 site is great. I have been a ‘SIX’ nut since 1965 when it hit the racing world, I was aged 23. I decided to build a replica in the early 90s and purchased a 400/4 basket case. It stayed in my shed in Somerset until I retired from a career in aerospace (originally a tool maker)in 2002.This was also the year I discovered the CBR250 motor.
    I have sent, under a separate ‘E’, a PPP of the build, not as professional as I would have liked, but depicts the way to do it and the problems, plus solutions. I am prepared to help others to build thier dream if they wish.

    Thanks again…………Clive.

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