With two-stroke development well in the ascendancy, Honda had been working flat-out on finding a way of beating the lightning-fast Yamahas (which in the hands of Phil Read won both 1964 and 1965 250cc world championships) and Suzuki’s fearsome-looking square-four two fifty that was also on the way.
In the 1964 Grand Prix des Nations at Monza on September 13, racegoers’ ears were assailed by a murderous war cry the like of which had never been heard before when Jim Redman took to the start line of the 250cc race onHonda’s fabulous six-cylinder machine that had been flown secretly from Japan, and before the race was even disguised to give the appearance of a four cylinder machine.
Jim didn’t win – he rode the howling ‘six’ into third place – but the awesome new machine tasted its first victory next time out at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Honda’s intentions were writ loud and clear!
In the 1965 TT, Jim Redman rode to victory at 97.19mph in the opening 250cc solo race, followed home byMike Duff (Yamaha, 94.71mph) and Frank Perris (Suzuki, 93.99mph). Redman also won the Junior for Honda at 100.72mph, with Phil Read (Yamaha) second at 99.35mph and Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) third at 98.52mph.
[https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5238/376637/5d9d831cbc49d/1570603509089.jpg]
The 125cc race was won by Phil Read (Yamaha, 94.28mph), followed by Luigi Taveri (Honda, 94.15mph), Mike Duff (Yamaha, 93.83mph), DerekWoodman (MZ, 92.19mph) Hugh Anderson (Suzuki, 91.62mph) and Ralph Bryans (Honda, 90.89mph).
On the 21,000rpm 50cc Honda twin, Luigi Taveri took victory in the ‘tiddler’ class at 79.66mph, with Hugh Anderson second on the 16,000rpm Suzuki twin at 78.85mph and team-mate Ernst Degner third at 77.04mph.
For many avid TT fans, myself included, 1966 held the promise of one of the most exciting events in history, with more exotic machinery locking horns than ever before, and as a junior staffman atMotor Cycling I was looking forward immensely to tasting once again the incredible Island atmosphere as I helped the reporting team – then came the infamous seamen’s strike!
Throwing everything into complete chaos, the strike went on until July, so the races had to be postponed until much later in the year, by which time, homesick for my native north, I’d returned to ordinary newspaper journalism and so missed it completely!
[https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5238/376637/5d9d831cbc49d/1570603617109.jpg]
The only slot in the FIM racing calendar that could be found for the TT came immediately before that year’s SeptemberManx Grand Prix, which brought the Island a full month of disruption – but the racing that ensued was well worth the wait!
Mike Hailwood had rejoined the Honda works team after four years with MV Agusta, and underlined his TT dominance right from the start with a searing performance aboard the ‘six’ in the opening 250cc event.
As Motor Cycling’s report by editor Norman Sharpe so eloquently put it in the issue of September 3: “MasterbuilderMike Hailwood laid the cornerstone of what could well be a solo clean sweep for Honda in this year’s TT, when he won Sunday’s sixlap 250cc race at the searing average of 101.79mph.
“From a standing start he hoisted the class lap record for the 37¾-mile Isle of ManMountain Course by the scruff of its neck to 104.29mph. After that he eased off, but only once averaged less than 101mphwhen he stopped to re-fuel mid-way through the race.
[https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5238/376637/5d9d831cbc49d/1570603617334.jpg]
“Second place went to Honda’s ‘new boy’ Stuart Graham on the only other Japanese works machine to finish, for the Yamahas of Phil Read, Bill Ivy andMike Duff all retired.
“Barely within silver replica time, Peter Inchley was third on his Villiers Starmaker Special - first British two-fifty to finish a TT at over 90mph.”
‘Mike the Bike’s’ hopes of winning four TTs were dashed in the 125cc event when the five-cylinder Hondas were completely outclassed by the screaming Yamaha and Suzuki two-strokes.
With two record laps at 98.55mph, and a record average for the race on his twin-cylinder water-cooled Yamaha, Bill Ivy won his first TT, with Yamaha team-mate Phil Read a minute and a half later in second place.
[https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5238/376637/5d9d831cbc49d/1570603617620.jpg]
After leading on the road for the complete distance, Hugh Anderson spoiled a Yamaha one-two-three by finishing third on his Suzuki in front ofMikeDuff, with Suzuki-mounted Frank Perris in fifth place.
The onlyHonda to scrape on to the leaderboard was Hailwood’s, but his sixth-place finish was at an average speed of more than2mphslower than Ivy’s. Bryans failed to average 90mph and Luigi Taveri, the favourite to win, didn’t even qualify for a silver replica! Honda withdrew from the 125cc class at the end of the year.
In the Junior race, Hailwood’s hopes were dashed again when his Honda faded from the scene with engine trouble within the first few miles, and it was the bellowing three-cylinder MV of Giacomo Agostini that took the victory, cracking Hailwood’s previous lap record with a round at 103.09mph and beating Redman’s race record by averaging 100.87mph for the six-lap, 226.4-mile event.
It was a different story in Friday’s Senior, however, when Hailwood achieved his ninth TT win, bringing him within reach of StanleyWoods’ record of 10 victories, and pushed the absolute TT lap record to 107.07mph.
On theMVAgusta, Agostini fought hard in the opening laps, but as the Honda drew ahead and rain started to fall, he eased off to come home in a comfortable second place fromChris Conn (Norton), John Blanchard (SeeleyMatchless), Ron Chandler (Matchless) and Franta Stastny (Jawa).
[https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5238/376637/5d9d831cbc49d/1570603704153.jpg]
In the ‘tiddler’ race, Ralph Bryans swept to victory on his Honda four-stroke 50cc twin at an amazing average speed of 85.66mph and going through Motor Cycling’s speed trap beside the old Highlander pub at 103.5mph. Team-mate Luigi Taveri followed him home at 84.74mph, followed by the twincylinder Suzukis of Hugh Anderson (83.14mph) and Ernst Degner (81.96mph).
Lapping at least a full 13mph slower, though, the production fifties could get nowhere near the replicas – a huge factor in deciding the future of this smallest of classes on the Island.
Incidentally, Hailwood and Agostini topped the Motor Cycling speed trap figures on their Se...
In the 1964 Grand Prix des Nations at Monza on September 13, racegoers’ ears were assailed by a murderous war cry the like of which had never been heard before when Jim Redman took to the start line of the 250cc race onHonda’s fabulous six-cylinder machine that had been flown secretly from Japan, and before the race was even disguised to give the appearance of a four cylinder machine.
Jim didn’t win – he rode the howling ‘six’ into third place – but the awesome new machine tasted its first victory next time out at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Honda’s intentions were writ loud and clear!
In the 1965 TT, Jim Redman rode to victory at 97.19mph in the opening 250cc solo race, followed home byMike Duff (Yamaha, 94.71mph) and Frank Perris (Suzuki, 93.99mph). Redman also won the Junior for Honda at 100.72mph, with Phil Read (Yamaha) second at 99.35mph and Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) third at 98.52mph.
[https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5238/376637/5d9d831cbc49d/1570603509089.jpg]
The 125cc race was won by Phil Read (Yamaha, 94.28mph), followed by Luigi Taveri (Honda, 94.15mph), Mike Duff (Yamaha, 93.83mph), DerekWoodman (MZ, 92.19mph) Hugh Anderson (Suzuki, 91.62mph) and Ralph Bryans (Honda, 90.89mph).
On the 21,000rpm 50cc Honda twin, Luigi Taveri took victory in the ‘tiddler’ class at 79.66mph, with Hugh Anderson second on the 16,000rpm Suzuki twin at 78.85mph and team-mate Ernst Degner third at 77.04mph.
For many avid TT fans, myself included, 1966 held the promise of one of the most exciting events in history, with more exotic machinery locking horns than ever before, and as a junior staffman atMotor Cycling I was looking forward immensely to tasting once again the incredible Island atmosphere as I helped the reporting team – then came the infamous seamen’s strike!
Throwing everything into complete chaos, the strike went on until July, so the races had to be postponed until much later in the year, by which time, homesick for my native north, I’d returned to ordinary newspaper journalism and so missed it completely!
[https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5238/376637/5d9d831cbc49d/1570603617109.jpg]
The only slot in the FIM racing calendar that could be found for the TT came immediately before that year’s SeptemberManx Grand Prix, which brought the Island a full month of disruption – but the racing that ensued was well worth the wait!
Mike Hailwood had rejoined the Honda works team after four years with MV Agusta, and underlined his TT dominance right from the start with a searing performance aboard the ‘six’ in the opening 250cc event.
As Motor Cycling’s report by editor Norman Sharpe so eloquently put it in the issue of September 3: “MasterbuilderMike Hailwood laid the cornerstone of what could well be a solo clean sweep for Honda in this year’s TT, when he won Sunday’s sixlap 250cc race at the searing average of 101.79mph.
“From a standing start he hoisted the class lap record for the 37¾-mile Isle of ManMountain Course by the scruff of its neck to 104.29mph. After that he eased off, but only once averaged less than 101mphwhen he stopped to re-fuel mid-way through the race.
[https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5238/376637/5d9d831cbc49d/1570603617334.jpg]
“Second place went to Honda’s ‘new boy’ Stuart Graham on the only other Japanese works machine to finish, for the Yamahas of Phil Read, Bill Ivy andMike Duff all retired.
“Barely within silver replica time, Peter Inchley was third on his Villiers Starmaker Special - first British two-fifty to finish a TT at over 90mph.”
‘Mike the Bike’s’ hopes of winning four TTs were dashed in the 125cc event when the five-cylinder Hondas were completely outclassed by the screaming Yamaha and Suzuki two-strokes.
With two record laps at 98.55mph, and a record average for the race on his twin-cylinder water-cooled Yamaha, Bill Ivy won his first TT, with Yamaha team-mate Phil Read a minute and a half later in second place.
[https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5238/376637/5d9d831cbc49d/1570603617620.jpg]
After leading on the road for the complete distance, Hugh Anderson spoiled a Yamaha one-two-three by finishing third on his Suzuki in front ofMikeDuff, with Suzuki-mounted Frank Perris in fifth place.
The onlyHonda to scrape on to the leaderboard was Hailwood’s, but his sixth-place finish was at an average speed of more than2mphslower than Ivy’s. Bryans failed to average 90mph and Luigi Taveri, the favourite to win, didn’t even qualify for a silver replica! Honda withdrew from the 125cc class at the end of the year.
In the Junior race, Hailwood’s hopes were dashed again when his Honda faded from the scene with engine trouble within the first few miles, and it was the bellowing three-cylinder MV of Giacomo Agostini that took the victory, cracking Hailwood’s previous lap record with a round at 103.09mph and beating Redman’s race record by averaging 100.87mph for the six-lap, 226.4-mile event.
It was a different story in Friday’s Senior, however, when Hailwood achieved his ninth TT win, bringing him within reach of StanleyWoods’ record of 10 victories, and pushed the absolute TT lap record to 107.07mph.
On theMVAgusta, Agostini fought hard in the opening laps, but as the Honda drew ahead and rain started to fall, he eased off to come home in a comfortable second place fromChris Conn (Norton), John Blanchard (SeeleyMatchless), Ron Chandler (Matchless) and Franta Stastny (Jawa).
[https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5238/376637/5d9d831cbc49d/1570603704153.jpg]
In the ‘tiddler’ race, Ralph Bryans swept to victory on his Honda four-stroke 50cc twin at an amazing average speed of 85.66mph and going through Motor Cycling’s speed trap beside the old Highlander pub at 103.5mph. Team-mate Luigi Taveri followed him home at 84.74mph, followed by the twincylinder Suzukis of Hugh Anderson (83.14mph) and Ernst Degner (81.96mph).
Lapping at least a full 13mph slower, though, the production fifties could get nowhere near the replicas – a huge factor in deciding the future of this smallest of classes on the Island.
Incidentally, Hailwood and Agostini topped the Motor Cycling speed trap figures on their Se...
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Old Bike Mart (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2019