Honda's fascinating road racing history dates back to 1959 when the company made its historical road racing debut at the Isle of Man TT

Over 50 years on and with unrivalled successes, Honda is set to continue its challenge on the roads in 2011 at the North West 200 in Northern Ireland in May, followed by the legendary Isle of Man TT in June.

Honda's road racing team line-up for 2011 is one of the strongest out there, with 15-times TT winner John McGuinness and seasoned road-racer Keith Amor in the saddle of the renowned and class-leading CBR1000RR Fireblade.

NorthWest 200

Now in its 82nd year, the International North West 200 event started back in 1929 by the Derry and District Motor Club, in the confidence that the North West 200 would prove attractive to manufacturers in giving them the opportunity of an early season shakedown of machinery.

Over the course of its history, the NW200 has now become Ireland’s largest outdoor sporting event, attracting crowds in excess of 150,000 as well as the biggest names in motorcycle sport. The North West 200 circuit runs between the towns of Portrush, Portstewart and Coleraine in Northern Ireland – an area of outstanding natural beauty and home to the world famous Giant’s Causeway. ‘The Triangle Circuit’ as it’s known, is nine miles long and is one of the fastest in the world, with speeds regularly hitting 200mph!

Event date: 17 - 21 May


Isle of Man TT

The legendary Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) Race has been held annually since 1907. The race is run in a time-trial format on public roads, but closed for racing by the Parliament of the Isle of Man. The first race was held on 28 May 1907 and was called the International Auto-Cycle Tourist Trophy.

The 2007 Isle of Man TT was the Centenary event, which featured a special re-enactment of the 1907 Isle of Man TT Race and a parade of 100 classic motorcycles amongst other celebratory activities

The 37.75 mile long TT mountain circuit is one of the greatest challenges any racing motorcyclist can take on, but it is not for the faint of heart. Each year some 500+ riders arrive on the Island to take on the challenging mountain circuit in either the TT races in June or the Manx Grand Prix races in late August.

2009 marked Honda’s 50th Anniversary of World Championship Racing – which commenced at the Isle of Man TT in 1959. At this time, Japanese products had a poor reputation in the west, being widely perceived as poor copies of European equivalents. An ex-racer himself, Mr Honda realised that the best way for his products to gain credibility, and for him to realise his racing dreams and passion, would be to set his sights on winning races with his own products – with the Isle of Man TT his ultimate dream.

The first Japanese factory team to contest the TT was viewed with curiosity, and some amusement, on the Island. Competing on the Honda RC142, were four Japanese riders - Naomi Taniguchi, Giichi Suzuki, Junzo Suzuki and Teisuke Tanaka, with Bill Hunt of the embryonic American Honda arm, also acting as an interpreter as well as riding.

On 5 May 1959, the party of four riders and five engineers set foot on Manx soil to begin Honda’s love-affair with the Tourist Trophy (TT) races and took 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 11th places in the 125cc race. Just two years later, Honda won its first TT race in the hands of legendary rider Mike Hailwood.

Over the past 52 years, the Honda Racing TT teams have featured such iconic motorcycling names as Bob Brown, Mike Hailwood, Alex George, Joey Dunlop, Ron Haslam, Steve Hislop, Carl Fogarty, Phillip McCallen and John McGuinness and, in 2007, McGuinness broke the magical 130mph lap record – recording 130.354mph (average speed) – on his CBR1000RR Fireblade.

Soichiro Honda dedicated his company’s resources to achieving success in this event and the TT is still a major part of Honda’s heritage.

Honda goes to the Isle of Man in 2011 looking to improve on its tally of more than 150 race wins, in what is the Centenary year of the Mountain course.

Event dates: 30 May - 10 June