Honda`s contemporary 50cc services are greater related to performance and affordability than outright pace or motorsports. The Honda Ruckus, for example, is cheaper and fuel-green however it is now no longer a pace demon. The identical may be stated approximately the Honda Metropolitan scooter. However, withinside the 1960s, Honda evolved a 50cc motorbike that couldn't best win races, however attain triple-digit speeds, the RC116.
Unlike 50cc motorcycles that maximum humans are acquainted with, the RC116 — whilst it got here round to the racing circuit in 1966 — had very tiny cylinders with 4 nearly microscopic valves according to cylinder. The motorbike turned into constructed to be as mild as viable from its minimum body to tiny suspension and braking components, including bicycle-like brakes at the the front that trusted friction from grabbing the the front wheel's rim rather than a conventional rotor and caliper setup. The whole motorbike best weighed 110.2 pounds. But the motorbike's actual declare to reputation turned into how speedy it may go.
Honda's miniscule motorbike
The RC116's 16-horsepower -cylinder should rev to an impressive 21,500 rpm. For comparison, a Ducati Panigale V4 R, a veritable superbike, tops out at 16,500 rpm. The RC116's engine is set as a ways farfar from a bit lawnmower engine as you may in all likelihood get. According to Honda, the motorbike and its tiny engine should howl alongside at a pinnacle pace of 108 miles according to hour.
Perhaps maximum importantly, the RC116, as brilliant because it is, wasn't a one-off test through Honda to peer how lots energy and pace it may get out of a tiny engine. The RC116 gained 3 grand prix races in 1966 which ended in a producer win for Honda.
As unlucky because it is, the RC116 in no way noticed any hopes of full-scale manufacturing and stays a bit piece of Honda's racing history. The excessive-strung -cylinder engine might probable be a nightmare to keep and revving at over 20,000 rpm all the time possibly would not bring about a totally excessive provider life. Otherwise, motorbike enthusiasts from throughout might be zipping round at triple-digit speeds on a motorcycle in which the engine should healthy in a backpack.