Grand Prix racing in the early 1960s was a manic period in the history of the sport. Over the course of ten years the Japanese "invasion" made a full-frontal attack on the then five GP classes, bringing drafting tables full of technology into GP. The European manufacturers tried to hold their line against the Asian invaders but in ten years time most of them would be driven from the sport if not their very existence. The revolution began in the smaller capacity classes and followed roughly the same process: the Japanese came initially with crude little road-oilers that were no match for the standard European iron that owned the 125/250/350/500 classes, but in time, the Japanese built amazing little bikes of high quality and with technology that the Europeans, unprepared to perform quick maneuvers to combat them, could not match.

Quickly, the rivalry ceased being between the Japanese and European motorcycle companies and the classes became, predominately, dominated by the Asian concerns. With company and national pride at stake, GP racing between the Japanese companies became a no cost is too high affair. Even skullduggery ensued: In order to cut the course, Suzuki helped East German rider Ernst Degner defect from his Communist overlords and smuggle out key pieces of MZ's two stroke program so they could bring it against the Honda 125 more quickly.

Yamaha and Honda held a fierce battle in the 250 ranks in the 1960s, with pride and also company theology at stake. While the classic weapon of early 1960s 250 racing was the Yamaha RD56 two stroke twin, Honda challenged with a for them signature 250 four-cylinder four-stroke.

Honda were on their way to dominating the 250 Grand Prix class for most of the 1960s. Mike Hailwood won the championship in 1961 (on a privateer Honda) and Jim Redman won it for Big Red in 1962-63.

1964, though, was a beast of a different color.

Thanks to the tidy little RD56, Phil Read and Yamaha were suddenly the combo to beat in '64. Quickly, the Honda 250 four was outclassed and out powered. Honda's Jim Redman could only hope for the Yamaha parallel engine design, rotary valve Yamaha to slit its own throat to make his and Mr. Honda's championship hopes come true. And that did not look likely.

Honda needed a quick solution. What to do?

The early 1960s were a magic period in GP racing in terms of technical innovation; true, many of the engine configurations seen in this period had been given original life forty years prior by several of the over one hundred American motorcycle companies in business in the early part of the century, but few of these designs had made it to the GP level. That was all to change.

Honda needed more power than their in-line four 250 would ever be able to provide if they were to beat Read and Yamaha. Honda's design genius and racetrack guru Irimajiri saw the need for power and being that he'd helped build Honda's 125 five cylinder GP bike, he returned to Japan and designed something very unique, something very Honda--a six-cylinder 250. Pushed hard because Redman was losing ground, Honda brought it from the design studio to a running prototype in mere months; incredibly they conceptualized it and had it built all in the 1964 season.

Deemed the RC166, this machine was a six-cylinder 250 four-stroke with canted cylinder heads. It also featured a one-piece crankcase and cylinder design.

Redman was flown to Japan mid-season 1964 where he tested the RC166. Hard-man Redman, a future four-time 500cc GP champion, found the machine incredibly fast but-as was a trait of the larger 1960s Hondas-its handling was atrocious. This handicap was accepted for the time being because the circuit they intended to introduce it at-Monza-was still in its classic banked glory. The thinking was that since Monza didn't have many chicanes, the RC166's wobbling wouldn't be that much of a factor.

Time was tight and Italy was a half a world away. Redman and the RC166 were in Japan and the Monza GP was just weeks away. There was no FedEx. Several different versions of a story still float around today about how Honda got the RC166 to Monza, the most entertaining re-told in Mat Oxley's wonderful tome The Challenge & Dream of Honda: 500 Grand Prix Motor Cycle Wins, that Redman and crew actually bought three additional seats on a commercial airliner and brought the machine on board with them when they flew from Japan to Europe. Another version of the tale has the RC166 as checked luggage.

Honda wanted the RC166 to be a complete surprise to Yamaha. Thus they went into full stealth mode, hiding the bike in the back of a truck under cover (and with two of its six individual exhaust pipes removed, so it appeared to be a new four-cylinder) as it was brought into the paddock at Monza.

There are several distinct sounds in the audible hall of fame section in motorcycle racing history. Among them Eddie Lawson's 1981 Kawasaki Superbike, any of the MV GP bikes or Ducati Superbikes, Kevin Schwantz's RGV500 and Yamaha's V-4 250 being some of the more notable mentions.

However, nothing short of a modern 990 MotoGP bike with its 'Armageddon' exhaust note compares to the sound the RC166 six-cylinder Honda made in 1964. Old world technicians were actually frightened of the six at Monza, and refused to go near it while it idled, overwhelmed by the complex wall of noise emanating from it. The RC166 revved to a still incredible 18,000 rpm and made sixty-horsepower, at least five more than the previous best in the class.

While it did handle like a drunken sailor, Honda's intent to make an unbeatably fast 250 was put paid after Redman rode the bike in the first practice at Monza. He could pass any 250 in the class-including the Yamaha--without drafting; Read's Yamaha fought to keep it in sight.

However, the RC166 still hadn't had a decent race distance test as it sat on the grid at Monza in 1964 and that was the little multi-cylinder's Waterloo. Redman launched from the grid like an Apollo rocket, leaving his rivals behind (period reports say he had a six second lead on the second lap) but as the lap count grew, his lead over Read and the stinging little Yamaha actually lessened. Read was a veteran racer at this point and assuredly knew that it is rare for breakthrough new technology to dominate completely in its first outing. The Honda's signature six pipes grew larger in Read's goggles as the new machine slowed with cooling issues.

Soon Read passed Redman and the RC166. He went on to win the Monza 250 race--and the title that season.

As with most new technology, after the bugs were worked out, it dominated. The 'wall of noise' RC166 would eventually win the war in the 250 class, but it would take almost two years for Honda to do so.