Honda NR500

Honda NR500
Honda NR500 (1979, Takazumi Katayama)

NR500 was an innovative racing motorcycle developed by Honda HRC in 1979 to compete in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. The NR stood for New Racing.[1]

The motivation behind the NR500 was company founder Soichiro Honda's desire to compete using four-stroke engine technology since the majority of motorcycles manufactured by Honda used four-stroke engines. When the FIM announced new regulations for the 1968 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season that limited the 500 cc engines to four cylinders, this gave an advantage to teams using two-stroke machinery. Honda decided to withdraw from motorcycle racing to concentrate on its automobile division.[2]

In November 1977 Honda announced it would be returning to motorcycle Grand Prix racing using four stroke technology.[2] Even though two-stroke engines dominated motorcycle Grand Prix racing in the late 1970s, Honda felt bound by their convictions to race what they sold and thus decided to compete using a high-technology, four-stroke race bike.[3] Since a conventional four-stroke, four-cylinder engine could not produce the same power of its two-stroke rivals, Honda had to increase the valve area in order to be competitive.[4] The rules at the time allowed up to four combustion chambers so Honda designed a 32 valve V8 with four pairs of linked combustion chambers. This then evolved into an innovative engine with four oval-shaped cylinders. The oval cylinders allowed room for 32 valves and eight spark plugs, the same as that of an eight-cylinder engine while staying within the four cylinder rules limit. Another innovation used on the NR500 was its monocoque body which wrapped around the engine like a cocoon and helped reduce weight.[5] In an effort to reduce drag, the bike also used 16-inch wheels instead of the mainstream 18-inch versions.

Honda overcame significant manufacturing problems to develop its oval cylinder technology and by late 1979 the bike made its much-anticipated debut at the British Grand Prix ridden by Mick Grant and Takazumi Katayama. Both bikes retired, Grant crashing out on the first turn after the bike spilled oil onto his rear tire. Katayama retired on the seventh lap due to ignition problems.[6] Honda persevered for two more seasons but never managed to make the bike competitive.[7] The monocoque frame had to be abandoned because it made it too difficult for mechanics to work on the engine during races. The 16-inch wheels also had to be abandoned for 18-inch wheels.[8] American Freddie Spencer was able to reach 5th place at the 1981 British Grand Prix before the bike broke down. The NR500 never managed to win a Grand Prix, a thirteenth place by Katayama at the 1981 Austrian Grand Prix being its best showing.

Honda decided to abandon the project and designed the NS500 two-stroke bike to compete in the 1982 season.[9] Spencer would ride the NS500 to Honda's first 500 cc world championship in 1983. Ultimately, what doomed the NR500 project was that Honda had tried to develop too many technologies at one time. The NR500 did experience a few successes. Freddie Spencer rode the NR500 to a heat race victory at Laguna Seca in 1981 and Kengo Kiyama won the Suzuka 200 kilometer race that same year.[10]

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Honda NS500 — Manufacturer Honda Racing Corporation Production 1982 1983 Predecessor Honda NR500 …   Wikipedia

  • Honda NR — Honda s NR (New Racing) V four motorcycle engine series started in 1979 with the 500cc NR500 Grand Prix racer that used oval pistons. This was followed during the 1980s by a 750cc endurance racer version known as the NR750. The oval piston… …   Wikipedia

  • Honda VFR — Honda VFR  мотоцикл класса Спорт Туринг, производимый компанией Honda с 1986 года. На данный момент выпущено 7 поколений этой машины. Все версии продавались под торговой маркой «Interceptor» в США, и «VFR» в Европе и Японии. VFR… …   Википедия

  • Honda NR — 750 Im Jahr 1981 stellte Honda mit der Honda NR das einzige Serienmotorrad mit Ovalkolben Motor vor. Weltweit wurden 300 Stück des Supersportlers angeboten, der Preis betrug damals 100.000 DM. Die Vorgeschichte begann im Jahr 1979 mit dem Grand… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Honda — Infobox Company company name = Honda Motor Company, Limited Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki gaisha 本田技研工業株式会社 company company type = Public (tyo|7267) (nyse|HMC) slogan = The Power of Dreams foundation = September 24, 1948 founder = Soichiro Honda… …   Wikipedia

  • Honda VFR — Sur les autres projets Wikimedia : « Honda VFR », sur Wikimedia Commons (ressources multimédia) Moto routière sportive, la VFR de la gamme Honda s est vue attribuer le titre de « reine des motos » par certaines critiques… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • List of Honda motorcycles — Honda Motorcycles and scooters by engine size= 50cc*Honda NB50Aero 50 (NB50) * Honda Beat (HondaFC50) *CB50 *Cub (C100) *Cub (C50) *Chaly (CF 50) *CRF 50 *CT 50 *Dream 50R *Elite 50 LX (SA50) *Elite E (SB50) *Elsinore (MR50) *Express (NC50)… …   Wikipedia

  • MotoGP — Se ha sugerido que este artículo o sección sea fusionado con Campeonato mundial de motociclismo (discusión). Una vez que hayas realizado la fusión de artículos, pide la fusión de historiales aquí. MotoGP …   Wikipedia Español

  • Campeonato Mundial de Motociclismo — No debe confundirse con Campeonato Mundial de Motociclismo de Resistencia. Se ha sugerido que este artículo o sección sea fusionado con MotoGP (discusión). Una vez que hayas realizado la fusión de artículos, pide la fusión de historiales aquí …   Wikipedia Español

  • List of Grand Prix motorcycles — MotoGP class800 cc (2007 present)* Ducati Desmosedici GP8 * Honda RC212V * Ilmor X3 * Kawasaki Ninja ZX RR * Suzuki GSV R * Team Roberts KR212V * Yamaha YZR M1990 cc* Aprilia RS3 Cube * Ducati Desmosedici * Harris WCM * Honda RC211V * Kawasaki… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”