HONDA The Power of Dreams

Since its establishment in 1982,
HRC has focused on motorcycle racing
right through to 2021.
During that time, the company (HRC)
has produced countless racing bikes.
Among them, we will focus on machines
that are remembered as epoch-making in particular,
and showcase the passion of Honda men who were
devoted to their development and racing activities.

vol01

1984 Honda NSR500 [NV0A]

GP500 Works Road Racer

After winning the premier class riders' title of the FIM Road Racing World Championship for the first time in 1983, Honda remodeled their racers for the following year. It was a completely different machine with a newly developed 2-stroke V-type 4-cylinder engine. Moreover, the 1984 version featured a unique layout with a fuel tank below the engine. That was the birth of the first generation NSR500 development code [NV0A].

From NS to NSR

Switching to a 4-cylinder Engine

"Innovative Technology Not Only for the Engine but Also for the Chassis"

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1984 NSR500 Technical Specifications

Original Upside-down Layout

The First Generation NSR500 With a One-And-Only Body Configuration

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1984 NSR500 in Racing

The Speed and Weaknesses of the First Generation NSR

Four Wins in the First Year, the Result of a Struggle

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［ Back number ］

Past episodes can be viewed here.

vol01

Honda NS500

1982-83 GP500 Works Road Racer Honda NS500

The NS500, equipped with a unique V3 engine, was developed in a short period of time by integrating the knowledge gained from the NR500, a 4-stroke racer with oval pistons which had suffered a series of setbacks, and the 2-stroke technology cultivated in motocross. The NS500 brought Honda the first Grand Prix road racing premier class riders’ championship.

Behind the Birth of the NS500
NS500: Technical Data and Race Review
Interview/Takeo Fukui
About RACERS

Established in 2009, with the editorial policy of rediscovering old racing machines, “RACERS” focuses on the technology that went into them and the people who raced them. This content, “RACERS -All About Honda Motorcycle Racing Machines-” is a digest from past issues of RACERS, including revised content based on information gained from subsequent interviews during the years after the publication.

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