1966 Honda RC173 Ex-Mike Hailwood Factory Race Bike 349cc

 

Never getting the same attention as it's 6 cylinder cousins, Honda's RC173, with Hailwood riding, won 6 rounds of the 1966 World Championship on the way to becoming World Champion. Iconic Auctions have the winning bike, the only RC173 in existence, in their November sale at the NEC.

"The fabulous machine on offer here is the Factory Honda RC173 350cc Honda 4 raced by Mike during the 1966 World Championship and is the only example in existence. Honda built the bike especially for Mike so that he could compete in the 350cc World Championship alongside his 250cc and 500cc campaigns. He took the 350cc World Championship that year winning the West German, French, Dutch, Czech, Finnish and Ulster GPs, taking many fastest laps along the way, whilst beating Agostini on the MV Agusta and Pasolini on the Benelli into second and third places"

"Following the end of the 1966 season Mike retained the bike, racing it again in 1967 at selected invitation races including Mallory Park and Oulton Park. The bike then formed part of the Wheatcroft Donington Collection for many years prior to being sold at auction in 1997 by the Hailwood family to its current UK-based owner"

"Over the next 30 years, the bike was restored to running order and ridden at various events and parades in the UK. In June 2005, the Honda Collection Hall in Motegi, Japan asked if they could borrow the bike and, whilst in their care, it underwent a full chassis and engine rebuild (still retaining the original matching engine and frame numbers) before returning it to its current owner in June 2006"

"Born near Oxford in 1940, the son of a successful businessman, Mike Hailwood went on to became one of the greatest motorcycle racers the world has ever seen, winning 76 Grand Prix and 9 World Championships"

"During the 1958 season, at only 18 years of age, Mike won three British Championships and the following year, won all four - 125, 250, 350 and 500cc. Mike was also an Isle of Man TT legend, winning 14 races including his legendary 1978 TT comeback race on a Ducati at the age of thirty-eight. During his seven-year retirement Mike successfully raced cars, finishing 3rd in the 1969 Le Mans 24 Hour race driving a Ford GT40, however, despite all his success, Mike was known for being a very down to earth and honest character, a true sportsman"

Sadly, he was taken from us far too early at the age of only 40 in a car accident in Warwickshire.