Iconic Honda Six returns to Isle of Man’s Classic TT
An engineering marvel that propelled Mike Hailwood to victory, the Honda Six is set to be ridden again.
Honda’s iconic ‘Six’ - or, at least, “a faithful recreation” of it - will return to the Isle of Man’s Mountain Course at this year’s Classic TT.
Ridden by seven-time TT winner Mick Grant, the bike is a replica of the Honda RC174 Six - the 297cc variant that contested the 350cc Lightweight TT races in the 1960s and became the machine of choice for Mike Hailwood, who rode it to victory in the 1967 Junior TT.
Those with a long memory may recall when Guy Martin rode a similar (possibly the same?) replica at Castle Combe in 2017, also in tribute to Hailwood.
The Honda Six first appeared at the TT in 1965 as the RC166 250cc, when Jim Redman rode it to victory in the Lightweight 250cc TT.
“Honda’s featherweight RC166 was a masterstroke of engineering,” explains Toad. “Even by today’s standards, it’s a benchmark in motorcycle design and performance.”
The RC166’s six-cylinder engine and 7-speed gearbox were revolutionary for the time, producing a hell of a sound and revving to previously unheard-of limits: 20,000 rpm.
The bike was so unique that even the valve in each tiny combustion chamber – and there were four per cylinder – were different shapes, with no two being the same to allow them to fit and marry up to the camshaft.
In 1966 and 1967, Hailwood campaigned the RC166 in the 250cc Lightweight TT, taking back-to-back wins. But Honda didn’t stop there. They then developed the enlarged 297cc RC174 to take on the Junior (350cc) TT.
It was on this bike, in 1967, that Hailwood set a new outright lap record, with an average speed of 107.73mph, achieved from a standing start.
Grant will take part in a demonstration lap of the course shortly before the Senior Classic TT on 29 August.
This year’s Classic TT schedule runs from 17-29 August. The Classic TT, as you may be able to guess from the name, showcases classic and vintage bikes, providing fans (and riders) to see and experience what things were like in years gone by.
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Chris Cope is a fourth-generation journalist, originally from Texas. He has lived in the UK for roughly two decades and has been writing about motorcycles for most of that time. He has written for dozens of publications and websites in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
