HONDA NSR500 (1988-1989) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Honda NSR500, manufactured by Honda Racing Corporation, was a road racing machine that debuted in 1984, made to compete in the 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing class.

For the 1987 model, the Japanese maker modified the engine, opening the V-angle to 112 degrees and installing 36 mm Keihin carburetors between the cylinders. This design fed the engine with more cool air. By the end of 1987, the Australian rider Wayne Gardner won a third of the 500cc World Championship races.

In 1988, Honda completely redesigned the NSR500, fitting it with a stiffer, twin-spar aluminum chassis and numerous engine modifications that didn't entirely make the bike better but instead made it worse.

The complaints about the NSR500 machine included the engine working at its best only in the high rpm range and the suspension geometry that made the bike harder to control through turns.

Honda improved the 1989 model, making it capable of 310 kph (190 mph) speeds. The 1989 Honda NSR500 had more top speed and acceleration than other motorcycles on the track.

In addition, the 1989 Honda NSR500 was the first bike that incorporated an early form of a quick shifter, resulting in a brutally fast machine that brought Honda a fourth 500cc World Championship win in 1989.

The bike's muscles were contained by a stiffer, twin-spar aluminum frame that used a curved gull-wing-type swingarm for more efficient expansion chambers.