1959 Honda RC 142
Honda first entered the 1959 Tour Trophy World Championship race on the Isle of Man, but hardly anyone took the Grand Prix rookies seriously. After all, the motorcycle that Soichiro Honda used to send their pilots into the race at the Isle of Man TT was extremely high-powered 125cc twin-cylinder engines, with four valves per combustion chamber in an environment of established Brit bikes.
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| Retro Honda RC142 |
But this Honda RC142 made for a sensational result. Two vertical shafts were responsible for driving the two overhead camshafts of the air-cooled DOHC engine. This construction was unique as well as brilliant and tickled from the 4-valve proud 18 hp power at 13,000 rpm.
Three Honda RC riders at the World Cup debut
The three drivers of the Honda racing team finished with the Honda RC 142 in the debut year considerable places. So driver Naomi Taniguchi came in sixth place, Giichi Suzuki in seventh place and Junzo Suzuki finished the race in 11th place. The RC142 factory racing machine had passed its baptism of fire perfectly and proved that it was competitive. Honda points not only with the driving skills of the three pilots, but also with technical excellence of the RC142 and also scored the Constructors' Prize on the Isle of Man.
Results for the Isle of Man TT in the light-weight class with 125 cc displacement:
1 T.Provini MV Agusta 119.2
2 L.Taveri MZ 119
3 M.Hailwood Ducati 116.2
4 N.Taniguchi Honda (RC142) 109.9
5 G.Suzuki Honda (RC142) 107.4
6 T.Tanaka Honda (RC141) 105.7
11 J.Suzuki Honda (RC142) 102.7
Restoration of a RC142 for the 50th anniversary
Five decades later ... For the 50th anniversary of Honda's participation in the World Grand Prix race, a team has made the time-consuming restoration of the RC142. It took the project team two years to restore the old racing machine based on original blueprints and photos. And in 2009, Naomi Taniguchi, who was six-ranked in 1959, at that time already 73 years old, took another seat on the legendary machine. At the Japanese Motegi circuit, Taniguchi did some laps and revived the Honda sound 50 years ago.
Honda RC142 Specs
| production | 1959 |
|---|---|
| engine type | 2-cylinder, 4-stroke |
| valve control | DOHC, royal wave |
| Camshaft, valves | 2 overhead, 8 valves |
| capacity | 124.6 cc |
| drilling | 44 mm |
| stroke | 41 mm |
| carburettor | Flat slide carburetor |
| power | 18 hp |
| at speed | 13,000 rpm |
| torque | n / A |
| at speed | n / A |
| power to weight ratio | 4.8 Kg / hp |
| top speed | n / A |
