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.

Honda RC116 display at Honda Collection Hall in Motegi

Honda RC142 display at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show

Honda RC160 display at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show

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.^[1] In recent years Honda has also used the RC prefix as a marketing device and applied it to certain production motorcycles^[2] 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 Motorcycles

Model	Model years	Engine Configuration	Bore x Stroke	Engine Displacement	Transmission	Other information
CR93	1961-1962	Twin		125 cc		DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
NR500	1979	V-4		498-500 cc		8 valves per cylinder, oval pistons
NS500	1982-1983	V-3	62.6 × 54 mm	498.6 cc	6 Speed	Two-stroke
NSR250	1985-2002	V-twin		250 cc		Two-stroke
NSR500	1984-2002	V-4		499 cc	6 Speed	Two-stroke
NSR500V	1996-2001	V-twin		499 cc	6 Speed	Two-stroke
RC71	1958	Twin		247.33 cc (15 cu in)	4 Speed	2 valves per cylinder[3]
RC110	1962	Single	40 × 39 mm	49.00 cc	6 Speed	4 valves per cylinder
RC111	1962	Single	40 × 39 mm	49.00 cc		4 valves per cylinder
RC112	1962	Twin	33 × 29 mm	49.61 cc (3 cu in)	9 Speed	World's first 50 cc road racer[4]
RC113	1963	Twin	33 × 29 mm	49.61 cc (3 cu in)	9 Speed	4 valves per cylinder
RC114	1964	Twin	33 × 29 mm	49.61 cc	9 Speed
2RC114	1964	Twin		49.6 cc
RC115	1965	Twin	34 × 27.4 mm	49.8 cc (3 cu in)	9 Speed	[5]
RC116	1966	Twin	35.5 × 25.14 mm	49.8 cc (3 cu in)	9 Speed	[6]
RC125M	1981-1984	Single		124 cc (8 cu in)	6 Speed	[7]
RC141	1959	Twin	44 × 41 mm	124.68 cc (8 cu in)	6 Speed	2 valves per cylinder[8]
RC142	1959	Twin	44 × 41 mm	124.68 cc (8 cu in)	6 Speed	4 valves per cylinder[9]
RC143	1960	Twin	44 × 41 mm	124.68 cc (8 cu in)	6 Speed	[10]
2RC143	1961	Twin	44 × 41 mm	124.68 cc (8 cu in)	6 Speed	[11]
RC144	1961	Twin	42 × 45 mm	124.69cc	6 Speed	2 valves per cylinder
RC145	1962	Twin	44 × 41 mm	124.68 cc (8 cu in)	6 Speed	[12]
RC146	1963	Inline-4	35 × 32 mm	123.15 cc	7 Speed	[8]
2RC146	1964	Inline-4	35 × 32 mm	123.15 cc (8 cu in)	7 Speed	[13]
4RC146	1965	Inline-4	35 × 32 mm	123.15 cc
RC148	1965	Inline-5	33 × 29 mm	124.02 cc	8 Speed
RC149	1966	Inline-5	35.5 × 25.14 mm	124.42 cc (8 cu in)	8 Speed	[14]
RC160	1959	Inline-4	44 × 41 mm	249.37 cc (15 cu in)	5 Speed	Honda's first DOHC four[15]
RC161	1960	Inline-4	44 × 41 mm	249.37 cc (15 cu in)	6 Speed	[16]
RC162	1961	Inline-4	44 × 41 mm	249.37 cc (15 cu in)	6 Speed	4 valves per cylinder[17]
RC163	1962	Inline-4	44 × 41 mm	249.37 cc (15 cu in)	6 Speed	[18]
RC164	1963	Inline-4	44 × 41 mm	249.3 cc (15 cu in)	6 Speed	[19]
2RC164	1964	Inline-4		249.3 cc (15 cu in)		[8]
3RC164	1964	Inline-6		247.43 cc
3RC164	1965	Inline-6	39 × 34.5 mm	247.28 cc
RC165	1965	Inline-6	39 × 34.5 mm	247.28 cc
RC166	1966	Inline-6	41 × 31 mm	249.42 cc (15 cu in)	7 Speed	[20]
RC170	1962	Inline-4	47 × 41 mm	284.53 cc (17 cu in)		[8]
RC171	1962	Inline-4	49 × 45 mm	339.43 cc (21 cu in)	6 Speed	[21]
RC172	1964	Inline-4	50 × 44.5 mm	349.50 cc (21 cu in)		[8]
RC173	1966	Inline-4	50 × 44.5 mm	349.50 cc (21 cu in)	6 Speed	[22]
RC174	1967	Inline-6	41 × 37.5 mm	297.06 cc (18 cu in)	7 Speed	[23]
RC181	1967	Inline-4	57.5 × 48 mm	498.6 cc (30 cu in)	6 Speed	[24]
RC250M	1980-1982	Single		248 cc (15 cu in)	5 Speed	[25]
RC250MA	1991	Single		249 cc (15 cu in)	Automatic	[26]
RC335C (RC250M)	1972	Single		248 cc (15 cu in)	5 Speed	[27]
RC500M	1984	Single		491.5 cc (30 cu in)	5 Speed	[28]
RC1000	1981	Inline-4		999.36 cc (61 cu in)	5 Speed	[29]
RCB1000	1976	Inline-4	66 × 66 mm	997.48 cc	5 Speed	[30]
RC211V	2001-2006	V-5		990 cc (60 cu in)		[31]
RC212V	2007-2011	V-4		800 cc (49 cu in)
RC213V	2012 - Current	V-4		1,000 cc (61 cu in)	6 Speed	[32]