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THE FIRST ALIEN
If aliens from another galaxy had landed a flying saucer
in the 1965 Monza Grand Prix paddock, it's debatable
whether their ride would have generated more attention
than the six-cylinder 250cc racing machine Honda rolled
out of the garage. When it was fired up, the RC165
unleashed an otherworldly scream the likes of which
had never been heard anywhere. It was, literally, an
ear-rattling announcement that a new world order had
arrived in GP racing.
The RC165 was a technological sucker punch
executed to perfection; the other guys never saw
it coming. With the 1965 season almost at an end,
the Honda crew flew with the bike in pieces to the
penultimate Monza round so that it could be kept secret.
The Monza test was a success.
For the 1966 GP season, Honda unveiled an updated
250cc six-cylinder, the RC166. The bike raised the bar
so high the outcome seemed inevitable before a single
lap had turned.
For good reason: The RC166 was the precursor
to Honda's radical six-cylinder CBX street bike. Look
closely at the RC166, and you'll see staggering attention
to detail. Six cylinders were crafted into a package
