Honda RC series

Honda RC142 display at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show

Honda RC160 display at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show

HONDA VTR SP2 SP45 - or RC51 ina USA

RC is the prefix adopted for the large majority of works racing motorcycles manufactured by the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), a subsidiary of Honda of Japan.

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 the prefix has also been applied to a few production motorcycles,^[2] which have been created for homologation purposes. For works Motocross bikes, there was an additional M suffix.

In the late 1980s, Honda began to enter its production motorcycles in 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.

Honda naming convention

Since at least the late 1970s production Honda motorcycles have been given model numbers corresponding to the displacement category into which their engines fell, and the VFR750R was the 30th production Honda motorcycle model with an engine displacement between 650 cc and 899 cc. Similarly, the Honda RVF750R is also known by the designation RC45. The RC45's replacement, the VTR1000 SP-1, after SP-2 (model number SC45) was marketed under the name RC51 only in the United States.

List of RC motorcycles

Honda Racing Motorcycles

Model	Model years	Engine Configuration	Bore x Stroke	Engine Displacement	Transmission	Other information
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		4 valves per cylinder
RC111	1962	Single	40 × 39 mm	49.00 cc		4 valves per cylinder
RC112	1962	Twin		49.61 cc (3 cu in)	9 Speed	[4]
RC113	1963	Twin	33 × 29 mm	49.61 cc (3 cu in)	9 Speed	4 valves per cylinder[5]
RC114	1964	Twin		49.61 cc
2RC114	1964	Twin		49.6cc
RC115	1965	Twin		49.8 cc (3 cu in)	9 Speed	[6]
RC116	1966	Twin		49.8 cc (3 cu in)	9 Speed	[7]
RC125M	1981-1984	Single		124 cc (8 cu in)	6 Speed	[8]
RC141	1959	Twin	44 × 41 mm	124.68 cc (8 cu in)	6 Speed	2 valves per cylinder[9]
RC142	1959	Twin	44 × 41 mm	124.68 cc (8 cu in)	6 Speed	4 valves per cylinder[10]
RC143	1960	Twin	44 × 41 mm	124.68 cc (8 cu in)	6 Speed	[11]
2RC143	1961	Twin	44 × 41 mm	124.68 cc (8 cu in)	6 Speed	[12]
RC144	1961	Twin	42 × 45 mm	124.69cc
RC145	1962	Twin		124.68 cc (8 cu in)	6 Speed	[13]
RC146	1963	Inline-4	35 × 32 mm	123.15 cc	7 Speed	[9]
2RC146	1964	Inline-4	35 × 32 mm	123.15 cc (8 cu in)	7 Speed	[14]
4RC146	1965	Inline-4		123.15 cc
RC148	1965	Inline-5		124.02 cc
RC149	1966	Inline-5		124.42 cc (8 cu in)	8 Speed	[15]
RC160	1959	Inline-4	44 × 41 mm	249.37 cc (15 cu in)	5 Speed	[16]
RC161	1960	Inline-4	44 × 41 mm	249.37 cc (15 cu in)	6 Speed	[17]
RC162	1961	Inline-4		249.37 cc (15 cu in)	6 Speed	4 valves per cylinder[18]
RC163	1962	Inline-4		249.37 cc (15 cu in)	6 Speed	[19]
RC164	1963	Inline-4		249.3 cc (15 cu in)	6 Speed	[20]
2RC164	1964	Inline-4		249.3 cc (15 cu in)		[9]
3RC164	1964	Inline-6		247.43 cc
3RC164	1965	Inline-6		247.28 cc
RC165	1965	Inline-6		247.28 cc
RC166	1966	Inline-6		249.42 cc (15 cu in)	7 Speed	[21]
RC170	1962	Inline-4	47 × 41 mm	284.53 cc (17 cu in)		[9]
RC171	1962	Inline-4	49 × 45 mm	339.43 cc (21 cu in)	6 Speed	[22]
RC172	1964	Inline-4	50 × 44.5 mm	349.50 cc (21 cu in)		[9]
RC173	1966	Inline-4	50 × 44.5 mm	349.50 cc (21 cu in)	6 Speed	[23]
RC174	1967	Inline-6	41 × 37.5 mm	297.06 cc (18 cu in)	7 Speed	[24]
RC181	1967	Inline-4	57.5 × 48 mm	499.6 cc (30 cu in)	6 Speed	[25]
RC250M	1980-1982	Single		248 cc (15 cu in)	5 Speed	[26]
RC250MA	1991	Single		249 cc (15 cu in)	Automatic	[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		997.48 cc
RC45	1994-1999	V-4	100 × 63.6 mm	749 cc (46 cu in)	6 Speed	4 valves per cylinder[30]
RC46	1998-2013	V-4	72mm x 48mm	782 cc (48 cu in)	6 Speed	4 valve (VTEC 02-13)
RC79	2014-Present	V-4	72mm x 48mm	782 cc (48 cu in)	6 Speed	VTEC
RC51	2000-2006	V-Twin	72mm x 46 mm	999 cc (61 cu in)	6 Speed	4 valves per cylinder[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)		[32]

References

1. Oxley, Mat (2001). The Challenge & Dream of Honda - 500 Grand Prix Motor Cycle Wins (1 ed.). Richmond: Hazleton Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-903135-03-6.
2. "Honda RC51". American Motorcyclist. American Motorcyclist Association. July 2000. p. 16. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
3. http://app.mobilityland.co.jp/hch/search/english/?action_english_detail=1&productid=246&type=age&modelid=1
4. "HONDA RC112". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
5. "HONDA RC113". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
6. "HONDA RC115". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
7. "HONDA RC116". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
8. "HONDA RC125M". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
9. Falloon, Ian (2005). The Honda Story (1 ed.). Sparkford, Yeovil: Haynes Publishing. ISBN 1-85960-966-X.
10. "HONDA RC142". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
11. "HONDA RC143". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
12. "HONDA 2RC143". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
13. "HONDA RC145". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
14. "HONDA 2RC146". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
15. "HONDA RC149". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
16. "HONDA RC160". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
17. "HONDA RC161". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
18. "HONDA RC162". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
19. "HONDA RC163". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
20. "HONDA RC164". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
21. "HONDA RC166". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
22. "HONDA RC171". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
23. "Honda's Race History 1966". Joep Kortekaas.
24. "HONDA RC174". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
25. "HONDA RC181". Honda at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2005. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
26. "HONDA RC250M". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
27. "HONDA RC250MA". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
28. "HONDA RC500M". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
29. "HONDA RC1000". Honda collection Hall - Collection Search. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
30. "2004 Honda RC51 Base". Motorcycle.com. 2004. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
31. "HONDA RC211V". Honda at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2005. Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
32. "Honda Worldwide - RC213V". Honda Worldwide. Retrieved 13 July 2012.

External links

• 50 Years of World Championship Racing official site
• First hand account of Honda's entry in the 1959 Isle of Man TT Race