1962 Honda 125c CR93 Racing Motorcycle

•Iconic privateer racing motorcycle
•Present ownership since 2015
•Comes with fairing

"It was robustly reliable, steered and handled to perfection, was, if anything, over-braked, and would exceed 100mph. At a stroke it made all other 125cc machinery in Britain obsolete. The CR93 was not cheap but it was, quite simply, built to exactly the same high standard as Honda's own racing machinery." - Brian Woolley, Classic Racer magazine.

Just one year after its breakthrough first success at World Championship level in 1961, Honda made its state-of-the-art Grand Prix technology available to privateers in the form of the 50cc CR110 and 125cc CR93 over-the-counter racers. Like their works equivalents, the 50cc single and 125cc twin employed gear-driven double overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, this combination of tiny cylinders and minuscule valves enabling them to rev safely well into five figures, the CR93's ceiling being a then stratospheric 13,000rpm with maximum power of 16.5bhp arriving at 11,500 revs. Both models employed a tubular-steel frame, devoid of lower rails, to which was attached a conventional set of cycle parts, and while the '50' boasted no fewer than eight gears in the 'box, the more tractable '125' made do with six. The duo immediately achieved a dominance of their respective classes that would last for many years, and countless stars of the future, including Bill Ivy, Jim Curry, Rod Scivyer and sidecar champion Chris Vincent, gained their early experience aboard the diminutive CRs. Just 40-or-so CR93s were imported into the UK and today they are highly sought after by classic racers and collectors alike.

One of the first CR93s brought to Europe in 1962, this example was purchased by the late owner at a UK auction in October 2015, since when it has formed part of his extensive private collection. At that time the Honda was described as 'fully restored 12 years ago and not used since'. The fairing has been found and will be with the machine at the sale. Having been stored in controlled conditions and unused since purchase the machine will require recommissioning to a greater or lesser extent before further use and thus is sold strictly as viewed.