120-1 Hiyama, Motegi, Haga District, Tochigi 321-3533, Japan
From our Old Bike Archives – Issue 62 – first published in 2016.
Founder Soichiro Honda said, “Let’s show the world what we’ve done.” The resulting museum gallery is a showcase of meticulously restored motorcycles, automobiles, power products and racing machines from throughout Honda’s innovative history.
The entrance to the Honda Collection Hall at Motegi. A priceless collection of the company’s history and heritage.
Inside the amazing Motegi Twin Ring Motor sport complex, about 90 minutes north of Tokyo, sits the equally amazing Honda Collection Hall, an imposing three-level building housing around 350 restored road motorcycles and, as well as the racing cars and bikes upon which the company’s rich heritage has been founded. The models on display are constantly changing, and every exhibit is in running order. At the rear of the museum is a small park with a perimeter track, and most days a selection of vehicles is started up and demonstrated. Back in Issue 62 of Old Bike Australasia magazine we gave readers a sneak-peek through some of the displays…. and here they are for you to enjoy again!
Above and below: The large, open displays make for a great day’s motorcycle spotting!
Asimo (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) is a humanoid robot built by Honda in 2000. Asimo has made public appearances around the world and has the ability to recognise moving objects, its environment, sounds and facial features, which enables it to interact with humans.Honda produced this hand-made replica of the RC142 ridden to 6th place in the 1959 Isle of Man 125cc TT.This racer, with a Curtiss aircraft engine, was built by 18-year-old Soichiro Honda when working as an assistant to Ikuzo and Shinichi Sakakibara at Art School. Honda rode as passenger in several races.The museum’s 1958 C100 Super Cub being demonstrated on the small track in the courtyard. The little OHV 50cc engine offered outstanding performance, fuel consumption, and reliability.The first Honda two wheeler, the Type A, was a 50cc engine mounted on a bicycle and driven by belt to the rear wheel.Built by American Honda for the AMA Superbike Championship, the CB750F racer took Freddie Spencer to the win at the 1982 Daytona 100.Dick Mann’s Daytona 200-winning CB750R from 1970.There were many willing buyers for the CR72 when it was announced in 1962, as the twin would have made a very competitive privateer racer. However only a handful was produced.The 1953 146cc Dream 3E being demonstrated outside the museum.Radical ROC-built Elf3 from 1986, used an NSR engine and was ridden by Ron Haslam.Honda’s ill-fated return to the 500cc GP class, the NR500 nevertheless was a showcase for technology, such as the 8-valve cylinder heads in the V4 engine.MX display features the seminal CR250M Elsinore.The 1987 NR750 endurance racer featured an oval piston V4 engine developing 155PS at 15,250rpm.The exotic NR750 of 1992 featured technology developed in the NR500 GP bikes, namely oval pistons, in a machine bristling with titanium, carbon fibre and other rare materials.1981 NS750, developed for US Flat Track, used a modified OHV CX500 engine, ridden by Freddie Spencer.The NSR500 that carried Freddie Spencer to the 1985 World 500 Championship.The NSR500 that took Michael Doohan to his second consecutive 500cc Championship in 1995.Wayne Gardner’s Championship winning NSR500 from 1987.Producing 13PS at 20,000 rpm, the twin cylinder 49.75cc RC115 engine and nine-speed transmission was developed from 1962 to 1966.The radical but successful RC125M won the 1981 All Japan MX title using the unique double pro-link front suspension.The first Honda to win a GP: the RC143 that carried Tom Phillis victory at the season-opening 125cc Spanish GP.Honda’s first 250cc Grand Prix racer, the DOHC 4-vale RC161, ridden by Australian Tom Phillis to second place in the 1960 Ulster Grand Prix.The remarkable RC165 engine; the first six-cylinder Honda, which powered the 250cc team from 1964 to 1967, developing 54.3PS at 17,500 rpm.The fearsome RC181, the bike even Mike Hailwood could not tame in 1967.The five cylinder RC149 ridden by Luigi Taveri to win the 1966 125cc World title.Honda entered the trials world with Sammy Miller and progressed to further dominance through their acquisition of the Montesa marque.After the works NXR won the Paris Dakar Rally from 1986 to 1988, Honda produced this customer version, the 647cc V-twin Africa Twin in 1988.The RC160, Honda’s first DOHC four. Five were entered in the 1959 All-Japan Endurance Race at Mt. Asama, where they completely dominated the event.The first Japanese motorcycle to compete in an international race (Brazil, 1954), the 150cc 2-speed OHV R125.Left: Honda’s first scooter, the 1954 Juno, with fibre-reinforced plastic body panels, was not an instant success. Top right: This XR600R took just 17 hours to complete the 1,038 mile Baja 1000 in California in 1992. Bottom right: The ground breaking XL250 Motosport, a 4-valve single that successfully took on the two stroke trail bikes.The 1955 Dream SA, with Honda’s first OHC engine in a pressed backbone frame.The 1955 Benly JB exploited local laws that required no licence for motorcycles under 125cc.Left: The 1949 Dream D featured a semiautomatic 2-speed gearbox. Right: Mouth watering line up of ‘sixties GP bikes.This article first appeared in Old Bike Australasia Issue 62. Click on the mag to purchase this back issue.
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