Red/White Hondas?

[laird387]

Some while back there was a request on the forum for more pictures of the red/white Honda models, well if my memory serves me right they were in the 1980s and, lo and behold, we have just started a regular feature in our digital magazine highlighting action photos of precisely that period and there are plenty of the Honda models already included, such as this 1986 model in the Ilkley Grand National photographed by James Moorhouse.

Enjoy.

 

[laird387]

Yes, I know it's Nigel, on his way to a storming win in the 1986 Ilkley Grand National - and there are a dozen or so more images in ORRe - but my question was, is the mono '86 Honda one of the red/white Hondas someone wanted to see on the forum some while ago.

I think it is - but since we were all still using film in those days and only black/white film stock gave you enough speed to be able to take decent action photos I can't PROVE it is the red/white version, if you see what I mean?

PS.   Noting your location, there's coverage of an '86 Sheffield and Hallamshire trial as well as the '86 Bemrose in the same feature............

Edited January 27, 2017 by laird387

[tayld]

On hearing mention of the "red/white" Hondas my first thoughts would be of the works twinshock bikes of the mid-1970's. If my memory is correct the first of the red/white works bikes appeared relatively soon after Sammy Miller's involvement. Initially there were chrome framed bikes with blue paintwork then the red and white bikes. I recall being at the Allan Jefferies trial when there were both chrome/blue and red/white bikes together. Both versions at the trial were the XL/TL based "long stroke" bikes. The works red/white "long stroke" 305 was promoted in the press of the day as a prototype for a production bike, sadly this never happened. Honda used the red/white colour scheme for its works trials bikes on both sides of the Atlantic and also for both "long stroke" 305 and "short stroke" 306 bikes. Subsequently an all red colour scheme was used for both "long stroke" and "short stroke" bikes. It would be great to see pictures of the red/white twinshocks as they were purpose built works bikes with little connection to a production bike. I am more than happy for any of the above to be corrected as it is the recollections from almost forty years ago.

Edited January 27, 2017 by tayld
missing word

[woody]

Hi Dave, you're about on the mark with that but I think the short strokes were all red. Easy to get pictures of them if you google variations on RTL300,  RTL305,  TL305 etc. Quite a few pictures of both long and short stroke versions, plus a decent Honda trials history site, link below

http://www.onlytrial.com/

To answer your question Derek, yes 1986 colour scheme was predominantly red with white/blue flash on the tank cover

[tayld]

I have found these pictures taken at the 2012 Telford show. The bike is a "Short Stroke" 306 ridden by Marland Whaley from the USA. Photographic quality is unlikely to match Deryk's.

[laird387]

Thanks for your help, tayld,

Don't worry about the picture quality, the only way to get reasonable ones is to have a Press pass and get in early to talk to the stall holders and either arrange to meet for a separate photo session and feature, or just to be able to gat to better positions on the stand by a little judicious 'moving' of interfering items before the public is allowed in - we've all been there, done that, etc.

Sorry to be a bit of a dunce on such bikes - but in that period I was busy forty-four weekends of the year organising the early British Bike Championships which later became the Sammy Miller series.

Thanks for all your help, greatly appreciated.

[laird387]

Having had such valued help with the Honda identification, I thought I ought at least to feed the 'Hondaphiles' amongst us with a little gift, so here is an image of Steve Saunders on his Rothman Honda photographed in the 1986 Travers Trophy trial, a full photographic retrospective of which will be published in issue 52 of our digital magazine.

Enjoy.