2009 celebrates a landmark year for Honda with its 50th anniversary of racing – which started at the Isle of Man TT in 1959. Honda (UK) is looking forward to this year’s TT with the aim of adding to Honda’s impressive tally of TT and wider racing accolades, furthering the HM Plant Honda team’s road racing successes and supporting John McGuinness’ quest to take second place in the line up of all time TT victories behind Joey Dunlop.

Although wishing to concentrate all efforts on racing activities in order to continue Honda’s successful history at the TT, Honda (UK) will be celebrating the Japanese manufacturer’s 2009 TT campaign with a range of commemorative items.

Honda (UK) is pleased to issue a previously unpublished image of the original 1959 Isle of Man TT team – consisting five riders (four Japanese and one American), the team leader and two mechanics – taken behind the main pit straight grandstand.

Almost to the day 50 years later, current familiar Honda faces stood in the same spot to strike a pose for a modern day re-enactment of the photo, which Honda is pleased to unveil alongside the original 1959 team image.

In association with the Isle of Man Post Office, a 50th anniversary of racing set of commemorative stamps will be launched into circulation on 11 May. Each stamp will feature one of Honda’s legendary riders spanning the decades of Honda’s competition at the TT, to include Naomi Taniguchi (50s), Mike Hailwood (60s), Alex George (70s), Joey Dunlop (80s), Steve Hislop (90s) and current 14-times TT winner John McGuinness (00s). The set of six stamps will retail at £4.50, with a collector’s First Day Cover available at £5.20 and specially designed presentation folder retailing at £5.25.

The Treasury of the Isle of Man has approved the release of a new fifty pence circulating coin to mark Honda’s 50th anniversary of world championship racing. This new coin, produced by Pobjoy Mint – Europe’s largest private mint – depicts Honda’s multi winning TT rider John McGuinness on a CBR1000RR Fireblade from his record breaking lap in 2007, above the celebratory dates 1959 – 2009. The design also contains the 2009 Isle of Man TT logo as well as the Honda Wing logo, highlighting the close association between the two organisations.

The coins are manufactured to the highest quality and the silver versions are struck four times to produce a stunning mirror–finish background with the design sculpted in striking relief. The reverse of the fifty pence coin bears a fine effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, designed by Ian Rank–Broadley FRBS FSNAD.

The commemorative coin and stamps will also be available jointly in a specially designed limited edition collector’s presentation folder. Imagery and a circulation date for the coin will be released in the near future.

A commemorative plaque at the site of Honda’s original TT team’s garage in Onchan (the site of the old Nursery Hotel) will be unveiled on Sunday 7 June by Shigeru Takagi, Senior Managing Director Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and President of Honda Motor Europe.

At the NEC International Motorcycle Show last December, Honda (UK) ran a competition for one lucky winner to win a Ride of a Lifetime pillion ride around the 37.75 mile TT mountain course with a former TT Honda legend – who Honda (UK) is now pleased to confirm as Ron Haslam.

Commenting on her competition win and impending pillion experience, Yvette Digby from Buckinghamshire said, “When I found out that I’d won, my first reaction was ‘my husband and son will be so jealous’. I only went to the bike show because my son was going, his wife was too as she wanted to look at different bikes as she hopes to upgrade from her 125 and so was my husband, so I didn’t want to stay behind. I wasn’t particularly in to bikes but, was amazed at how interesting the show was and it really changed my opinion about bikes and biking generally. Now I’m even more pleased I went as otherwise I wouldn’t have entered the competition. I am thrilled to win the prize – the first thing I’ve ever won – and so is my husband as I’ll be taking him on the trip to the Isle of Man TT with Honda and we’re looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere of the whole event and exploring the island, as we’ve never been there before.”

A stylish official anniversary book has been commissioned and will be launched in July following the TT, to ensure that all stories and results from the full fifty years are included. Written by seasoned TT author Mick Duckworth, the book recounts Honda’s history at the Isle of Man TT and its influence on the company over the years. Further details of the book’s price and availability will be released during the TT in June.

Honda (UK) is also looking forward to hosting some special guests on the island throughout this year’s TT, to include original Honda rider, Naomi Taniguchi, the 1959 team’s translator, Keiko Carran, as well as former Honda racing stars including Phillip McCallen and Ron Haslam.

Honda (UK) would like to thank the Isle of Man government and Manx National Heritage for organising the ‘Honda: The Golden Age 1959-1967’ anniversary exhibition at The Manx Museum, which will be open during the course of the 2009 TT. The exhibition will mark the 50th anniversary of Honda’s arrival at the TT in 1959 and charts the growing involvement of the company in the 1960s, reflecting Soichiro Honda’s belief that the Isle of Man TT represented the pinnacle of motorcycle racing achievement. The exhibition will include early Honda memorabilia, memories of Japanese riders, mechanics and local residents who remember the impact of Honda on the Isle of Man, as well as film highlights. With historic motorcycles and photographs further on display, this is one not to be missed by any fan of classic racing. The exhibition is located at the Manx Museum in Douglas, runs from the end of May to September 2009 and admission is free.

General Manager for Honda (UK), Steve Martindale, commented, “Going to the TT is always exciting for racing fans and for Honda, as our relationship with the Island is something very special. The exciting racing which we’re sure to see from the HM Plant Honda team, combined with Honda’s celebratory activities is certain to make this year an exceptional anniversary of world championship racing for Honda. We would like to thank the Isle of Man Government especially, for their fantastic recognition of this significant year for Honda and the activities they have organised to help commemorate the occasion.”

Head of Honda (UK) Racing, Neil Tuxworth, commented, “The HM Plant Honda team is pleased to be so involved with Honda’s 50th anniversary celebrations on the Isle of Man this year and we feel we are taking one of the strongest teams we have ever entered, in terms of both riders and machinery, in all classes. Our aim is to try and win in every class and we’ll be putting all our efforts and the full race team behind our riders to ensure we are as competitive as possible on track and to try and add to Honda’s incredible TT victories from the last fifty years.”

Honda (UK)’s HM Plant Honda team – with race aces John McGuinness and Steve Plater – can be seen in action around the 37.75 mile mountain course between 30 May and 13 June, on their class-leading CBR1000RR Fireblades in the Superbike and Superstock classes, and the CBR600RR in the Supersport class.

For further information about Honda’s great range of scooters and motorcycles, genuine parts, accessories and forthcoming events, call 0845 200 8000, visit www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles or visit your local dealer who can be found using the ‘Dealer Search’ facility within the motorcycles area of www.honda.co.uk.

Original 1959 image from left to right: Junzo Suzuki (rider), Giichi Suzuki (rider), Kiyoshi Kawashima (team leader), Naomi Taniguchi (rider), Teisuke Tanaka (rider), Bill Hunt (rider), H Sekiguchi (mechanic), S Hirota (mechanic).

The original 1959 Isle of Man TT Honda team rode a 125cc RC142 motorcycle on the ‘Clypse Course’ and finished 6th (Taniguchi), 7th (G Suzuki), 8th (T Tanaka) and 11th (J Suzuki), with Bill Hunt retiring from the race.

The team’s leader, Kiyoshi Kawashima, went on to take over as CEO of the Honda Motor Co., Ltd from founder Soichiro Honda, following the team’s success at Honda’s inaugural TT.

2009 re-enactment image from left to right: Nick Crowe (HM Plant Honda sidecar rider), Mark Cox (HM Plant Honda sidecar passenger), Neil Tuxworth (Head of Honda (UK) Racing), John McGuinness (HM Plant Honda rider), Steve Plater (HM Plant Honda rider), Guy Martin (Hydrex Honda rider), Havier Beltran (HM Plant Honda team manager), Julian Boland (HM Plant Honda mechanic). The bike is John McGuinness’ 2007 130mph CBR1000RR Fireblade.

Commemorative Stamps

The following riders appear on one of each of the six commemorative stamps:

1950s – Naomi Taniguchi (32p)
Naomi Taniguchi has the honour of being the first Japanese racer to compete in the World Championships, when – in 1959 – he became the first Honda rider and the first racer from his country to go out in practice for that year’s Isle of Man TT races. The 125cc race that year was held on the Clypse Course for the final time and he won a Silver Replica for an impressive sixth place. The Japanese rider enjoyed his best season ever in 1960 when he finished in joint 10th place in the 125cc World Championship aboard a Honda.

1960s – Mike Hailwood (33p)
Mike ‘The Bike’ Hailwood won 14 TT races, including Honda’s first ever victory in the 1961 Ultra Lightweight TT. He backed it up later that day with Honda’s second, in the Lightweight race aboard a 250cc machine. That year he took Honda to the 250cc World Championship, his first of five championships for Honda. His next Honda TT victory came in 1966, again on a Lightweight 250cc machine taking a new lap record in the process. That year he also won the Senior on a 500cc Honda. More wins for Honda came in 1967 with yet another Lightweight win, as well as the Junior and another Senior aboard the 500.

1970s – Alex George (56p)
Alex George’s best year on the Grand Prix scene was in 1975, when he finished seventh in the 500cc World Championship, but it’s as a pure road-racer that he is best remembered and, it was on Honda machinery that he recorded his best results. Three times George took victories – twice with Honda during his best-ever TT year during the 1979 Isle of Man races. In the Formula 1 race, Alex took over the Honda of the injured Mick Grant to win that race, and later in the week beat Hailwood himself to take victory in the Classic 1000cc race.

1980s – Joey Dunlop (62p)
Joey Dunlop is a legend and the most successful Isle of Man racer of all time – winning 26 times around the 37.73-mile course. His first event was the 1976 TT which he won in only his second year, in the 1977 Jubilee Classic Race. Joey won his second TT in 1980, before beginning an amazingly successful relationship with the Honda factory in 1981, which netted the remainder of his wins – including winning the Formula 1 race six years in a row between 1983 and 1988. In his final lap of the TT circuit – the sixth lap of the 2000 Senior Race which he won – he set his fastest ever lap at 123.87mph. Truly, he was the ‘King of the Roads.’

1990s – Steve Hislop (90p)
11-times a TT winner, Steve Hislop was inextricably linked with Hondas on the Isle of Man during his career. Steve took his first TT win on a Honda RC30 in the Production B race in 1988, beating fellow Scot Brian Morrison. The following year – and with Joey Dunlop out injured – ‘Hizzy’ took the Supersport 600 win and the Formula 1 race win, as well as recording the first 120mph+ lap of the Island. Later in the week he made it a hat-trick of TT wins with a victory in the Senior aboard the RC30. With factory Honda RVF power for 1991, Steve took another triple with wins in the F1, Senior as well as the Supersport 600 win aboard a CBR600. In his final TT year of 1994, Hislop took the RC45 to wins in both the Formula 1 and the Senior.

2000s – John McGuinness (£1.77)
The modern master of the TT course, John McGuinness currently has 14 TT wins to his credit, making him the joint second most successful rider in TT history. He took his first TT win in 1999 in the Lightweight 250cc category, a class in which he made his TT racing debut in 1996. Since then he’s gone on to become the man to beat on the mountain course, winning three races in a week in 2006, taking the lap record to 130.35mph in 2007 and taking his 14th career TT victory in 2008 with his win in the Senior aboard the outstanding Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. 2009 sees him looking to add to his victory tally to move ahead of Mike Hailwood in the list of all-time TT greats.