The Honda RC162 '61 is a factory racing bike produced by Honda Motorcycles. It only appears in Tourist Trophy.
The bike represented in the game is the #100 riden by Kunimitsu Takahashi in the 250cc class of the 1961 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. During the season, Takahashi scored a win in the West German Grand Prix, and later finished 4th in the standings.
Description[]
In 1961, Kunimitsu[1] Takahashi, riding his RC162, became the first Japanese on a Japanese-made motorcycle to win the World Grand Prix Championship. This RC162 was powered by an air-cooled, inline 4-cylinder dual-overhead-cam 4-valve engine. It was similar to the RC161's engine but with important improvements, such as a cylinder angle reduced from 35 to 30 degrees. The compression ratio stayed the same, at 10.5:1, but the wet-sump lubrication system was replaced with a dry sump because of its lower horsepower loss and superior heat dissipation. Honda also added a magneto ignition system and ordinary round-slide carburettors instead of its predecessor's flat-slide carburettors.
With these improvements, the 44-mm bore, 41-mm stroke, 249.367-cc engine generated a top power of over 41 hp—10 hp more than its predecessor—at 4,000 r.p.m. and maximum torque of 15.12 lb-ft at 2,000 r.p.m. Put to the ground by a six-speed transmission, this was enough power to propel the 278-lb bike to a top speed of at least 135 mph.
This engine began as a 4-cylinder version of the 2-cylinder, 4-valve, dual-overhead-cam 125-cc unit in the RC142, the first machine Honda entered in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race. Honda's first 4-cylinder machine, the RC160, later evolved into the RC161 and then the RC162. Like the RC142, the RC160 had bevel-gear cam drive and leading-link front suspension. Led by Sadao Shimazaki, Honda riders astride their RC160s took first through third place in the light endurance class at the Mt. Asama competition, then considered the pinnacle of Japanese racing. From the RC160 to the RC162, Honda achieved astounding technological advancement in the span of only 2 years.
To handle the extra power, the single-backbone frame was upgraded to a double-backbone one for improved stiffness. Size 2.75-18 tyres were mounted to the H-section rims. For the RC161, size 3.00-18 was used for the rear rim, reflective of Honda's policy in those days of using tyres one size larger for the rear wheel of its motorsports machines. Front and rear drum brakes were used, with a double-sided single-leading shoe system in the front.
Acquistion[]
| Game | Method |
|---|---|
| Tourist Trophy | Win the TT Classic Series |
Trivia[]
- This bike can only be used in Time Trial mode, due to lack of eligible events for the motorcycle. It's not available in Arcade Mode either.
- It is the oldest bike in the game.
Notes[]
- ↑ Written as "Kunimitu" (Kunrei-shiki romanization; all other names are written under the more common Hepburn romanization) in-game