Honda NR 500: New Racing “Nearly Ready”

The museum of the Honda offers analyses cues to Motegi extremely interesting. One of these is without doubt the space dedicated to the ORDINAL NUMBER 500. The Honda in 1979 devoted itself to the boldest imaginable project: to compete with 500 4 times against then ruling 500 2 times. The ORDINAL NUMBER was born 500: 4 cylinders, 8 valves for cylinders, oval pistons, two connecting rods for cylinder.

Also the loom was innovated: it was about a monobodywork “to egg” into which the propeller was inserted. The ORDINAL NUMBER 500 was brought in debut to Silverstone da Takazumi Katayama, ex-iridescent of 350 and in glese Mick Grant. The debut was a disaster: the motion had start difficulty, it was let share from the fund of the array. Grant fell and the ORDINAL NUMBER caught fire. Since then the initials ORDINAL NUMBER, that was for “New Racing“ was a mockery object: “Nearly Ready“ was nicknamed, almost ready, or “Never Run“, he will never run.


Subsequently it was led in competition briefly also at Freddie's Spencer. Today it is still the most complex project never faced by the colossus of Tokyo. When 500 follows a short video of the ORDINAL NUMBER.