Honda RC116


The Honda RC116 was a race motorcycle built by Honda Japan which raced in the 50cc class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing in the 1966 season. The motorcycle was a development of the previous RC115 version.
The RC116 won 3 races out of the 6 that season. Ralph Bryans finished second in the world championship, Luigi Taveri third and Honda won the constructors title.
For their Ultra-Lightweight class Grand Prix race bikes during the 1964, 1965 and 1966 race seasons, Honda re-introduced the 1920s format of cable-actuated caliper rim brakes with shoes/blocks directly acting on the aluminium rim-sides, creating almost a 'consumable' item from the wheels, but dispensing with heavy conventional brake components, and allowing for experimentation with lightweight airflow-smoothing discs covering the wheel-hubs and centre-part of the spokes.