The Honda RC181 was a race motorcycle built by Honda which raced in the 500cc class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing

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...

 in the 1966 and 1967 seasons. The bike debuted in 1966 and won 5 out of 9 races that season, 3 with 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...

 and 2 with 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...

. Hailowood finished second in the championship standings behind Giacomo Agostini

Giacomo Agostini

-Non-riding career:Like John Surtees and Mike Hailwood before him, Agostini raced in Formula One cars. He competed in non-championship Formula One races in 1978. He competed in the European Formula 2 series in a Chevron B42-BMW and British Aurora Formula 1 with his own team and a Williams FW06...

 on a MV Agusta

MV Agusta

MV Agusta is a motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1945 near Milan in Cascina Costa, Italy. The company began as an offshoot of the Agusta aviation company formed by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923. The Count died in 1927, leaving the company in the hands of his wife and sons, Domenico, Vincenzo,...

. The Honda however won the constructor championship. The next season Hailwood finished again second in the championship having the same amount of points as the winner Agostini. At the end of the 1967 season Honda withdrew from the Grand Prix motorcycle racing

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...

. In the two seasons of racing in the 500cc class the Honda RC181 won 10 races out of 19 entered.

See also

• 1966 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
  1966 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
  The 1966 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 18th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of twelve Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc...
  
  
• 1967 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
  1967 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
  The 1967 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 19th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of thirteen Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc...