Editing Honda (section)

===Motorcycles===
[[File:Dani Pedrosa 2010 Assen.jpg|thumb|right|[[Honda RC212V]] raced by [[Dani Pedrosa]]]]

HRC combines participation in motorcycle races throughout the world with the development of high-potential racing machines. Its racing activities are an important source for the creation of leading-edge technologies used in the development of Honda motorcycles. HRC also contributes to the advancement of motorcycle sports through a range of activities that include sales of production racing motorcycles, support for satellite teams, and rider education programs.

Soichiro Honda, being a race driver himself, could not stay out of international [[motorsport]]. In 1959, Honda entered five motorcycles into the [[Isle of Man TT]] race, the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world. While always having powerful engines, it took until 1961 for Honda to tune their chassis well enough to allow [[Mike Hailwood]] to claim their first [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing|Grand Prix]] victories in the 125 and 250&nbsp;[[Cubic centimetre|cc]] classes. Hailwood would later pick up their first Senior TT wins in 1966 and [[1967 Isle of Man TT|1967]]. Honda's race bikes were known for their "sleek & stylish design" and exotic engine configurations, such as the 5-cylinder, 22,000&nbsp;rpm, 125&nbsp;cc bike and their 6-cylinder 250&nbsp;cc and 297&nbsp;cc bikes.

In 1979, Honda returned to [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing]] with the [[monocoque]]-framed, [[four-stroke engine|four-stroke]] [[Honda NR500|NR500]]. The [[Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme|FIM]] rules limited engines to four cylinders, so the NR500 had non-circular, 'race-track', cylinders, each with 8 valves and two connecting rods, in order to provide sufficient valve area to compete with the dominant [[two-stroke engine|two-stroke]] racers. The experiment failed. For the 1982 season, Honda debuted its first two-stroke race bike, the NS500 and in {{MGP|1983}}, Honda won their first 500&nbsp;cc [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing|Grand Prix]] World Championship with [[Freddie Spencer]]. Since then, Honda has become a dominant marque in motorcycle Grand Prix racing, winning a plethora of top-level titles with riders such as [[Mick Doohan]] and [[Valentino Rossi]]. Honda also head the number of wins at the [[Isle of Man TT]] having notched up 227 victories in the solo classes and [[Sidecar TT]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iomtt.com/TT-Database/Machines.aspx?marq_Name=Honda&filter=H|title=Machine Profile – Honda|work=IOMTT.com|publisher=Duke Marketing Ltd.|access-date=3 May 2016}}</ref> including [[Ian Hutchinson (motorcycle racer)|Ian Hutchinson]]'s clean sweep at the [[2010 Isle of Man TT|2010 races]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iomtt.com/TT-Database/Competitors.aspx?ride_id=8379&filter=H|title=Competitor Profile: Ian Hutchinson|work=IOMTT.com|publisher=Duke Marketing Ltd.|access-date=3 May 2016}}</ref>

The outright lap record on the [[Snaefell Mountain Course]] was held by Honda, set at the 2015 TT by [[John McGuinness (motorcycle racer)|John McGuinness]] at an average speed of {{convert|132.701|mph|abbr=on}} on a [[Honda CBR1000RR]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iomtt.com/TT-Database/TT-Records.aspx|title=Isle of Man TT Records|work=IOMTT.com|publisher=Duke Marketing Ltd.|access-date=3 May 2016}}</ref> bettered the next year by [[Michael Dunlop]] on a [[BMW S1000RR]] at {{convert|133.962|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref>[https://www.iomtt.com/TT-Database/TT-Records/Lap-Records.aspx Current Isle of Man TT lap records] IOM TT database, Official website, Retrieved 1 September 2017</ref>

In the [[Motocross World Championship]], Honda has claimed seventeen world championships. In the [[World Enduro Championship]], Honda has captured eight titles, most recently with [[Stefan Merriman]] in 2003 and with [[Mika Ahola]] from 2007 to 2010. In [[motorcycle trials]], Honda has claimed three world championships with Belgian rider [[Eddy Lejeune]].