Video: Honda RC 142, fifty years of history
2024 Author: Nicholas Abramson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-10 16:57
The first time that Sling participated in a race of the world championship of Speed was in the TT of the Isle of Man of 1959 with a 125 cc developed especially for that race. The bike was named RC 142 and it was a 125cc two-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled DOHC that made 18hp at 13,000rpm. A motorcycle of only 87 kg, six speeds and narrow wheels of 2.50x18 at the front, 2.75x18 at the rear and drum brakes.
In that first race in which Honda participated, there were three pilots, Naomi taniguchi, who finished sixth, Giichi Suzuki, who finished seventh and Jundo suzuki, which finished eleventh, winning the constructors' award among all. A complete success and a demonstration of the performance and technical quality of the motorcycle they were riding with. And that was the first time they competed in the world championship.
2009 marks the fiftieth anniversary of this first participation, and to celebrate a Honda team has been restoring the RC142. The restoration has been based on the original plans and photos of the time, as it seems that the original bike was not available. But with the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world behind you, it is easy to make a replica of that motorcycle. In addition, once restored, Honda had an ideal pilot to test it, Mr Naomi Tanaguchi, who at 73 years old got on it and gave a few laps to the Twin Ring Motegi circuit. On the brand's website you can find a video showing the sound of this RC 142 from fifty years ago, but you have to watch it there since its insertion is not available here. I recommend that you take the time to watch it, mostly because of the sound of that 125cc four-beat, which is almost heavenly music.
This type of restoration leads me to reflect aloud; Why have the displacements not been respected in the MotoGP World Championship? If for many years it was raced with 125, 250 and 500 cc four-stroke motorcycles, and with more rudimentary technology than what we have now. It seems that the market prevails over the competition, when before it was the other way around.
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