Found an album recorded at the TT Races in the 60's and the sounds of the Honda 6 cylinder bikes is ear splitting, incredible sound, so I just added a few pictures of the legendary Mike Hailwood who was ridding the Honda's in the 60's.
*I well remember the Race of the Year at Mallory Park September 1964, and long after the race had finished and the crowds had gone, asking a Marshall if I could drive my car (Citroen DS19) around the circuit, he said better ask Mike (Hailwood) and directed me to him. I asked Mike, who I had briefly met a number of times before, and he said of course you can, and told the Marshall to let me through the top gate (Near Hairpin) - He said come back after we are having a bit of a Party with Chris Barber later. Did two/three laps and then went back. Mike appeared genuinely pleased to see me again and asked how I got on. Had a good laugh together as we found had a lot of common interests (3 years older than me and born on the same date 2nd April) and had been to the Belgian Grand Prix the previous year in my Morris Minor 1000. Stayed until late with many of the riders and "Chris Barber & his Jazzmen" playing. Imagine that today, the pits were open and you didn't need a fancy pass to get in. I was very keen on Jazz Bands, and in fact had an Acker Bilk Beard at the time, and was often mistaken for him ! (Maybe Mike thought I was "Acker") Still got the Program Price 2/6p and signed by many riders then including Phil Read, Jim Redman, Mike Duff, Bill Ivy etc. Incidentally Mike Won the race on the MV Agusta and was £1000 richer. Huge amount in those days. So no wonder he was happy. He held the 350cc Lap Record from 62-64 at 84.93 mph and the 500cc Lap record at 53 seconds 91.70 mph in 1962*
Saw him once in my lifetime in the 1966 East German Grand Prix at Sachsenring racing course. Together with Giacomo Agostini, Phil Read and Bill Ivy. They were the heroes of that time. I still remember the sound of his six cylindres - great !
How this brings back the memories from the 60's. I was lucky enough to witness all this and the fantastic machines that were being produced by the Japanese factories. Honda had their 250 & 297cc 6cyl machines along with 5cyl 125cc & 50cc twins. Yamaha had the 4cyl 250 & 125cc water cooled two stroke machines. Suzuki even had a 3cyl 50cc two stroke but never raced it. One memory will last forever, and that was at Mallory Park for the 1967 Race of the Year when Mike Hailwood was out on the track, on his own, doing some warm up laps on the 297cc Honda 6. The sound from this machine as he blasted through the grandstands was just incredible, how a engine of such a capacity can create such a wall of spine tingling sound is phenomenal, to me, one of the best sounding bikes ever produced. A legendary bike ridden by a racing legend.
Not all will agree who was the best of all time, but for me it was Mike. I met him at a cocktail party in Hong Kong, together with Stirling Moss. I also met Phil Read in HK and had a few beers with him.
The fact that Mike was killed by the actions of a careless lorry driver brings a tear to my eyes ... but the sound of the 250 six warms my memories of the great man
