Honda RC143
Encyclopedia
The Honda RC143 was the Honda
racing team's 125cc Grand Prix motorcycle racer
for the 1960 season. The first time that the Honda team would compete in an entire season's racing. The bike was a major step forward from the previous years machines and though still outpaced by its more experienced European rivals, revealed to seasoned competitors like Luigi Taveri
that Honda would quickly become a force to be reckoned with.
, Honda had returned to Japan recognising that they still had a long way to go if they were to succeed in their ambition of winning one of the TT races. Honda had managed to salvage some honour by securing the team prize, but even their fastest rider Naomi Taniguchi
had finished nearly four minutes behind the rider in front and almost eight minutes down on the race winner, Tarquinio Provini
. For 1960, alongside a team of Japanese riders, Honda decided to recruit experienced privateer
Tom Phillis
to help them with technical feedback.
carburettors. The engine featured double overhead camshafts, driven by a vertical shaft through bevel gears. The engine was said to produce 22 hp at 14,000 rpm. The leading link front forks, which had proved successful on Japanese dirt tracks had been identified as a particular weakness on tarmac and were replaced by more conventional telescopic forks for the Isle of Man. This change to the forks, along with the change to the engine design, helped move the bikes centre of gravity much further forward. The open-cradle frame
was also considerably strengthened.
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
won the world championship and Honda won the constructor championship as well. Other riders winning races on the Honda 2RC143 that year were: Luigi Taveri
, Jim Redman
, Kunimitsu Takahashi
and Mike Hailwood
.
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
racing team's 125cc Grand Prix motorcycle racer
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
for the 1960 season. The first time that the Honda team would compete in an entire season's racing. The bike was a major step forward from the previous years machines and though still outpaced by its more experienced European rivals, revealed to seasoned competitors like Luigi Taveri
Luigi Taveri
Luigi Taveri is a Swiss former motorcycle road racer. He was three times world champion in the 125 cc class of the Grand Prix road racing championship, in 1962, 1964, and 1966....
that Honda would quickly become a force to be reckoned with.
Background and development
Following the team's international début at the 1959 Isle of Man TT1959 Isle of Man TT
-1959 Isle of Man Junior TT 350cc final standings:7 Laps Mountain Course.-1959 Isle of Man Lightweight TT 250cc final standings:10 Laps Clypse Course.-1959 Isle of Man Ultra-Lightweight TT 125cc final standings:...
, Honda had returned to Japan recognising that they still had a long way to go if they were to succeed in their ambition of winning one of the TT races. Honda had managed to salvage some honour by securing the team prize, but even their fastest rider Naomi Taniguchi
Naomi Taniguchi
Naomi Taniguchi is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Japan. In 1959, Taniguchi became the first Japanese racer to compete at the world championship level when Honda entered him in the Isle of Man TT...
had finished nearly four minutes behind the rider in front and almost eight minutes down on the race winner, Tarquinio Provini
Tarquinio Provini
Tarquinio Provini was an Italian World Champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was also a four-time Isle of Man TT winner and won 13 Italian national championships....
. For 1960, alongside a team of Japanese riders, Honda decided to recruit experienced privateer
Privateer (motorsport)
In motor sport, a privateer is usually an entrant into a racing event that is not directly supported by an automobile manufacturer. Privateers teams are often found competing in rally and circuit racing events, and often include competitors who build and maintain their own vehicles...
Tom Phillis
Tom Phillis
Thomas Edward Phillis was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. In 1961, he won Honda's first championship race when he took the 1961 125cc Spanish Grand Prix. He went on to win the FIM 1961 125cc World Championship. This was also Honda's first world championship.Phillis died while competing in the...
to help them with technical feedback.
Design
In contrast to the RC142, the aircooled, four-stroke, twin cylinder engine of the RC143 was canted forward by 35° to improve cooling and increase air-flow to the newly designed KeihinKeihin
Keihin may refer to:* Keihin region in Japan* Keihin, a brand of motorcycle and powersports carburetor, common on Japanese and other motorcycles. The brand is manufactured by an epynominous keiretsu group company affiliated with Honda...
carburettors. The engine featured double overhead camshafts, driven by a vertical shaft through bevel gears. The engine was said to produce 22 hp at 14,000 rpm. The leading link front forks, which had proved successful on Japanese dirt tracks had been identified as a particular weakness on tarmac and were replaced by more conventional telescopic forks for the Isle of Man. This change to the forks, along with the change to the engine design, helped move the bikes centre of gravity much further forward. The open-cradle frame
Motorcycle frame
A motorcycle frame includes the head tube that holds the front fork and allows it to pivot. Some motorcycles include the engine as a load-bearing, stressed member. The rear suspension is an integral component in the design. Traditionally frames have been steel, but titanium, aluminium, magnesium,...
was also considerably strengthened.
World Championship
During the 1960 world championship Tom Phillis qualified second fastest for the Isle of Man 125cc race, but a crash in the 250cc event at Assen saw him replaced by his friend Jim Redman who stunned everyone by lapping two seconds faster than Phillis had managed. The RC143 finished in the points five times, the best results were two fourth places. Honda was third in the constructor championship behind the MV Agusta and MZ.(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Chassis | Rider | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Points | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IOM 1960 Isle of Man TT -1960 Isle of Man Lightweight TT 125cc final standings:3 Laps Mountain Course.-1960 Sidecar TT final standings:3 Laps Mountain Course.-1960 Isle of Man Lightweight TT 250cc final standings:... |
NED Dutch TT The Dutch TT is a motorcycling event, traditionally held on the last Saturday of June at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, as part of the MotoGP World Championship. In the past all classes , nowadays only the 125 cc, Moto2 and the MotoGP... |
BEL Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix The Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season from 1949 to 1990.-Multiple winners :-Multiple winners :-By year:... |
ULS Ulster Grand Prix The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle road race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme gave it the title Grand Prix d'Europe... |
NAT Italian motorcycle Grand Prix The Italian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. From 1949 to 1990 the event was known as the Nations Grand Prix. It was one of the original rounds of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing calendar. The race was held exclusively at Monza... |
|||||
| 1960 1960 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season The 1960 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 12th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of seven Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc... |
Honda RC143 |  Jim RedmanJim Redman James Albert Redman MBE is a six-time World Champion motorcycle road racer.As a young man, he emigrated to Rhodesia , where he began his racing career. He earned a factory ride with Honda for the 1960 season. He would go on to claim four consecutive 350cc World Championships from 1962 to 1965... |
4 |
9 |
4 |
6 | 7th | ||
| Honda RC143 |  Japan Giichi Suzuki |
7 |
6 |
12 |
1 | 11th | |||
| Honda RC143 | Japan Naomi Taniguchi Naomi Taniguchi Naomi Taniguchi is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Japan. In 1959, Taniguchi became the first Japanese racer to compete at the world championship level when Honda entered him in the Isle of Man TT... |
6 |
1 | 12th | |||||
| Honda RC143 | Japan Kunimitsu Takahashi Kunimitsu Takahashi is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racing driver from Japan who is also considered as the "father of drifting". He was the chairman of the GT-Association, the organizers of the Super GT series, from 1993 to 2007.-Motorcycle racing:... |
6 |
1 | 13th | |||||
| Honda RC143 | Japan Sadao Shimazaki |
8 |
8 |
- | |||||
| Honda RC143 | Japan Moto Kitano |
19 |
7 |
- | |||||
| Honda RC143 | Japan Teisuke Tanaka Teisuke Tanaka Teisuke Tanaka is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Japan. Tanaka began his Grand Prix career in 1960 with Honda. He enjoyed his best season in 1962 when he won the 125cc Nations Grand Prix and finished the season in sixth place in the 125cc world championship.-References:... |
9 |
- | ||||||
| Honda RC143 |  Tom PhillisTom Phillis Thomas Edward Phillis was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. In 1961, he won Honda's first championship race when he took the 1961 125cc Spanish Grand Prix. He went on to win the FIM 1961 125cc World Championship. This was also Honda's first world championship.Phillis died while competing in the... |
10 |
- | ||||||
| Honda RC143 |  Jan HubertsJan Huberts Jan Huberts is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from the Netherlands. He had his best year in 1962 when he won two Grand Prix races and finished the season in third place behind Ernst Degner and Hans-Georg Anscheidt.... |
9 |
- | ||||||
| Honda RC143 | Bob Brown Bob Brown (motorcyclist) Bob Brown was an Australian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. His best season was in 1959 when he finished in third place in both the 350cc and 500cc world championships. Brown was killed during practice for the 1960 West German Grand Prix.- References :... |
10 |
- | ||||||
| Honda RC143 | Japan Yukio Sato |
8 |
7 |
- | |||||
| Honda RC143 | Japan Sadao Fukada |
7 |
- | ||||||
| Honda RC143 | G. Carter | 9 |
- | ||||||
| Honda RC143 | N. Orr | 10 |
- |
2RC143
For the 1961 season an improved version of the bike designed as 2RC143 was developed. It proved very successful wining 8 out of the 11 races contested that season. Australian Tom PhillisTom Phillis
Thomas Edward Phillis was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. In 1961, he won Honda's first championship race when he took the 1961 125cc Spanish Grand Prix. He went on to win the FIM 1961 125cc World Championship. This was also Honda's first world championship.Phillis died while competing in the...
won the world championship and Honda won the constructor championship as well. Other riders winning races on the Honda 2RC143 that year were: Luigi Taveri
Luigi Taveri
Luigi Taveri is a Swiss former motorcycle road racer. He was three times world champion in the 125 cc class of the Grand Prix road racing championship, in 1962, 1964, and 1966....
, Jim Redman
Jim Redman
James Albert Redman MBE is a six-time World Champion motorcycle road racer.As a young man, he emigrated to Rhodesia , where he began his racing career. He earned a factory ride with Honda for the 1960 season. He would go on to claim four consecutive 350cc World Championships from 1962 to 1965...
, Kunimitsu Takahashi
Kunimitsu Takahashi
is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racing driver from Japan who is also considered as the "father of drifting". He was the chairman of the GT-Association, the organizers of the Super GT series, from 1993 to 2007.-Motorcycle racing:...
and Mike Hailwood
Mike Hailwood
Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, MBE, GM was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer regarded by many as one of the greatest racers of all time. He was known as "Mike The Bike" because of his natural riding ability...
.
See also
- 1960 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season1960 Grand Prix motorcycle racing seasonThe 1960 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 12th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of seven Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc...
- 1961 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season1961 Grand Prix motorcycle racing seasonThe 1961 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 13th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of eleven Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc...