was the six-cylinder 250 four-stroke which
made its debut in 1964. The result was
victories for Jim Redman in the Isle of
Man TT, Dutch TT, and Japanese GP, but
no elusive championship titles, and Honda
had to settle for second place behind Phil
Read’s two-stroke Yamaha twin. In 1965
the title again went to Read with Mike Duff
second on another Yamaha. The Hondas
were, however, catching up and Yamaha’s
response was to increase the twin-cylinder
250 to a four-cylinder two-stroke. Redman
did win races again, in the Isle of Man,
Belgium, and East Germany, but Yamaha
took first and second in the championship.
At the Japanese GP, the final round of
1965, Honda produced their trump card;
the man who would ride the Honda Six
into the record books, and elevate himself
to an even greater legendary status, Mike
Hailwood, was signed by Honda.
In 1966 Hailwood contested ten rounds
of the 250 World Championship, and won
them all. The following year he won the 350
World Championship with the 297cc scaled
up version of the 250 machine, and also
retained the 250 World Championship. Many
years later, following Hailwood’s untimely
death, his widow, Pauline, arranged for a
masterful sculpture of Mike on the six-
cylinder Honda to be sent to me in New
Zealand. To this day it remains a cherished
piece of memorabilia in and around my
house.
Honda pulled out of GP racing at the end
of 1967 and the future of the six-cylinder
race bike was not only in the balance, but
Hailwood on the 250cc Isle of Man 1966 Hailwood on the 297cc Isle of Man 1967
Hailwood’s classic six Hailwood 250 Isle of Man 1966
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