The 'Works', Please!
When you think of Honda Grand Prix machines, what comes to mind? If you're of a certain age, names like Jim Redman, Mike Hailwood and Gary Hocking riding machines like the 250/4 or 500/4 comes to mind. But the most magnificent Honda of the 1960's clearly is the legendary 250/6. Was there any sexier machine? Honda wasn't the first to develop a six cylinder Grand Prix bike, that honor goes to MV Agusta. Why, even Moto Guzzi developed a compact V-8, but none enjoyed the success of the Honda.
The Honda RC172 was a 350cc DOHC factory built racer introduced in 1963 and produced 54 hp at 13,500 rpm and it was able to reach speeds of 150 mph. The bike above is the Honda 250/ six which belongs to the Brooklyn based Team Obsolete which had the bike at Daytona for Jim Redman to ride before his famous dust-up with AHRMA chief Jeff Smith who was trying to prevent Redman from entering the track. How silly.
It was with these imagines percolating in my mind since childhood that led me to build a Honda RC 'special' for vintage racing. In 1998, before replica RC works' style chassis were commonly available, I met Ken Awae at Daytona. The California based team owner was contesting the AHRMA 500 GP class with some very fast riders and some beautiful Honda twins with lovely alloy fairings. After several fairings were crash damaged by his riders, Ken switched to fiberglass and agreed to sell me a spare that he had made for the team in Japan. I packed the alloy faring in my truck for the long ride home while I contemplated what to do from here.
A thousand miles north, I had hatched a plan to build my own Honda Grand Prix style racer, albeit a more modest version running stock a stock 350cc four cylinder engine with a few minor tweaks. I'd run out of money to fund the AMA pro team I was involved with and I was going to return to my roots in classic racing, where I'd started a decade earlier on a 1967 Ducati 250. But this time, we were using a compact 350F roadster as a starting point.
We modified the frame both front and rear by re-positioning the shocks to a more upright position and revising the steering angle at the front end. Unnecessary frame tabs removed and a new front end with a Suzuki T500 drum brake for a more period feel were but a few of the changes made. Kent Riches at Airtech provided the fuel tank, which was revised underneath to fit the frame.
Airtech also provided the seat and clip-ons.
The bike was put together at RBO in Parkesburg, PA in the winter of 1998.
The stock exhaust pipes, which were losing their chrome and dented, were then sanded and
painted after the baffles were removed. The sound is truly amazing at 10,000 rpm. The 350F racer is a SOHC engine that puts out 32 hp and weighs about 340 pounds dry. The factory version has plenty of trick features like a dry clutch and six speed transmission. Shame that Honda never brought that Grand Prix technology to best selling CB350/500/550 and 750F series.
What a thrill it was to meet ex- Honda works rider, six-time World Champion
Jim Redman at Daytona when he was riding for Team Obsolete. We'd also get a chance to meet the great racing mechanic Nobby Clark for the first time too.
After a minor incident we're back on track at Daytona minus a windscreen. Flat out on the banking, at 110 mph, it was brutal and my neck was sore for hours afterwards.
1999 in the rain at Summit Point Raceway, W. Virginia.
A minor crash in the rain at Loudon later that year convinced me to keep the
alloy fairing for display and buy a fiberglass unit for competition.
Virginia International Raceway 2003
The Honda350F in action at
Mid Ohio Raceway, Lexington, Ohio
350 Grand Prix class
July 2003.
When I remember this weekend at Mid Ohio in July 2003, I can't help but think about fellow
racer Frank Swartout who lost his life that weekend. He and his brother were enthusiastic
competitors and well liked by all. One positive result of the fatal accident was the mandatory application of the 'belly pan rule' which AHRMA had previously opposed despite the obvious safety improvement.
I had been running one as WERA required one in their series, but it took a fatal incident to bring about
a rule change at AHRMA.
The Honda 350 special has been laid up since 2003 when I started to put in more time on a MV Agusta 350 and TZ350 I'd acquired. It is a machine that can still conjure up that feeling of Grand Prix racing whilst stretched over the long fuel tank, immersed in the roar of four open exhaust pipes despite its humble origins.
click this link to hear a real Honda 250/six Grand Prix bike
