COME ON FEEL THE NOISE!
01 September 2004 - Honda Racing

The lyrics of this once popular song came to mind when for the first time in decades, the roar of a 1967 Honda RC174 – more popularly known as the Honda 6 – overawed a crowd at a British racing circuit.

One of just six replicas of the original Honda factory superbike took to the track at Cadwell Park during the race day interval at round 11 of the British Superbike Championship. It was particularly fitting, as the Lincolnshire circuit is the home round of Louth-based Honda Racing.

Mike Hailwood won a world championship aboard one of the original six-cylinder motorcycles, which amazingly had the same level of power output as today’s MotoGP machines, in the sixties.

But it was his team-mate Stuart Graham who remounted the replica for two laps at Cadwell Park. The last time Graham raced at the circuit was in 1974 – and that was in a car. His last motorcycle race at the Lincolnshire track was in 1968.

The unmistakable noise of the Honda 6 filled the circuit at 11.30am – it was enough even to silence commentators Fred Clarke and Larry Carter. Crowds gathered in the viewing areas to watch history being made and as the deafening sound finally finished at the end of the two laps shouts of “More!” could be heard from the crowd on the banking.

Although the motorcycle usually revs at just over 18,000 rpm, Graham kept it to 13 or 14,000rpm despite wanting to push further. He said: “I got the feel for it again and wanted to go faster, but I resisted. I wasn’t sure what to expect before the race because it’s so long since I’ve been to Cadwell Park, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

“It was a pleasure and a privilege to be asked. George Beale has done an amazing job in recreating this replica – even down to the tiniest detail. If somebody had not told me that it was a replica, I wouldn’t have know.”

www.honda-racing.co.uk

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