Hailwood Honda 500 Warming Up

[CAMWEB1000]

SOUNDS GOOD

[roythersby]

i thought i recognised the rounded rearend.. wait till you see the video i am about to put up min twenty of those honda At Mallory

roy

[chappyr1]

Hi Roy, I was riding one of my Dads Honda's in the parade with all the others, so I can't wait to see the video you took!

[sparra1946]

I think Honda were planning a 35,000rpm 5 cylinder 50cc. The problem in those days for the multi's was the ignition (and the lubrication for Honda) still the magneto, digitally-mapped transistor ignitions were not even a dream, as was fuel injection. The plugs were a big problem, too. The 125 twin proddie racer was sold for 500 pounds, same as a 500 Manx, but cost 750 to make. A 250/4 production racer was on the cards, but even the el-cheapo version of Redman's bike cost 3,000 pounds to make !

[haydenRC211]

whouaaa ce bruit j'adoooooore !!!!

[berndhummel]

nicest sound and best looking bike

no difference to a real worksbike

simoly fantastic and unbeatable

[berndhummel]

nicest sound and best looking bike in the scene

[ruffomaldito]

Why don´t today´s gp bikes sound like that?

[tontokowalsky]

Have you been to a Moto GP meeting since 2002?

The modern bikes are bloody loud!

[ruffomaldito]

I´ve never been to any Moto GP, but I follow them on TV, and can only judge the sound from that source. No doubt the modern bikes are bloody loud, but to me the oldies sound more exciting, perhaps because of straight pipes. The modern exhaust systems, though more efficient, sound different.

[veevum]

Agreed...the harmonics of a 6 will always sound sweeter than a 4 or 5 cylinder engine.

1968 would have been incredible if the big three had not pulled the plug on development.

A Honda 125cc 6, a 250cc (V?)8,a 350cc 6, a 500cc 6,& a 3 cylinder 50cc bike.

A 250cc V4 from Suzuki plus a 125cc V4 & a 3 cylinder 50cc bike.

Yamaha were to field improved versions of their V4 125 & 250 bikes with a roumoured 350 V4 too.

[ruffomaldito]

You sure kept up with the news. All these prototypes you mention certainly would have been fantastic. Did you happen, by any chance, to listen to the Suzuki square-four? I always wondered what it sounded like.

[veevum]

I never did see the Suzuki 250cc square four my trips to race meetings began in 1966 & the square four I think was abandoned at the end of 1965.

I remember Mike Hailwood being most put out at the US GP at Daytona in 1964, he was taking part in an open practice session (250cc & 500cc) on the 500 MV.

Halfway round the flatout banking section his 500cc MV was passed either side by Frank Perris & Bert Schneider on the 250cc Suzuki square fours!

[oxnoprog]

Modern GP bikes are loud (Kawasaki probably loudest) but they have big engines with big pistons and consequently don't have the same outrageous phonics that the smaller capacity multi cylinder 4 strokes from the 1960s had. I remember seeing (and hearing) the Hondas, Benellis and MVs in the 1967 TT races and none of the modern GP bikes come close.

[ruffomaldito]

You have a point, there. Still, I think the muffler systems have a lot to do with it.

Anyway, you have a nice golf swing....I mistook you for Padraigh Harrington. Cheers!

[knakworst12]

great sound