not a bike but V-12 1500 cc Honda Formula 1 car 1965

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Fire-medic

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Got the winter doldrums, and want some motorsports sound in your life? How about a V-12 1500 cc Honda F1 Grand Prix car from 1965? It reportedly was capable of 14,000 rpm and living. Richie Ginther (USA) and Ronnie Bucknum (USA) drove these cars, and the only F1 race this series (RA271-272) won was Mexico City F1 in 1965.

I saw this car race at Watkins Glen in 1965. You could follow its exhaust note entirely around the track, over all the other competitors' exhausts. The sound of the engine is great, no apparent flywheel. It sounds like it idles at 5000 rpm. Redline was 13,000 rpm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHSqnyoOv2E
 
And now, a Honda RC166 250 cc Grand Prix bike, six cylinders. These engines were hand-built and made great power but the handling wasn't as-good as the Italians or British. Hailwood wanted to build a frame in England w/one of the engines but Honda wouldn't hear of it. Apparently one of the issues was a lack of front end weighting, which would have made it steer better.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o57JwibqCb8
 
The RC166 is the most amazing bike ever made. Honda also made a 125cc inline five. That engine wound up to 20,000 rpm!
 
Yamaha built a 125cc square 4 two stroke around this time. Honda actually sold a 50cc twin to privateer racers. Suzuki built, but never raced a 50cc V3. It produced close to 25 bhp, used a 14 speed gearbox, and wound up well over 20,000 rpm!
 
Nice vids fire medic. I grew up in the Watkins Glen area. My wife grew up next to the track. Literally right next to the track. I'm only 33, but I got a friend that was an EMT back then. I forget the drivers name, but he said a driver went threw the ribbon rail and and the drivers head was still in his helmet.
 
Francois Cevert 1973, a sad day. During qualifying.

That would be him. I got to take a concrete truck around Watkins track also, lol. Backwards lol. Delivered concrete to a crew putting up catch fences over the tunnel. The catch fences in turn one, and the new stands in turn one. It's a fun track, but they don't let motorcycles on it sadly, I'd love to let my v max rip around it a few times.
 
A pic I took at the summer sports car races at Watkins Glen 1967. 1967 Ford GT.
 

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When I look at those 60's grand prix cars it really reminds you how far racing still had to go. I mean those cars were super lightweight, ton of motor behind them and almost zero down force built into them. Driving one of those had to be like a cowboy trying to break a dragon.
 
The Coventry-Climax used in several British F1 cars in the early 1960's was a stationary fire engine pump powerplant. An interesting factoid.

When I look at those 60's grand prix cars it really reminds you how far racing still had to go. I mean those cars were super lightweight, ton of motor behind them and almost zero down force built into them. Driving one of those had to be like a cowboy trying to break a dragon.
 
Another QI (quite interesting) fact is that Triumph made generators that were installed in Wellington and Lancaster bombers.
They had aluminium barrels to save weight while the motorcycles still used cast iron.
 

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