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54-618: The Honda NSR500 is a road racing motorcycle created by HRC ( Honda Racing Corporation ) and debuted in 1984 for the Grand Prix motorcycle racing 's 500 cc class. Honda won ten 500cc World Championships with the NSR500 from 1984 to 2002, with six in a row from 1994 to 1999 . With more than 100 wins to its credit, the NSR500 is the most dominant force in modern Grand Prix motorcycle racing. The 1989 NSR500 that won Honda's third 500 World Championship with Eddie Lawson exemplifies

108-585: A chance to test a Formula One race car, the Williams FW19 , at Circuit de Catalunya (in Spain) in April 1998. He found the car difficult to drive and crashed against a guard rail. In 2001, Doohan drove a Mercedes Benz CLK55 AMG works rally car with his co-driver Mark Stacey in the 2001 Targa Tasmania rally. He was in thirteenth place on day three when he crashed the car; he and Stacey were uninjured after

162-575: A large part in his success, the ability of his chief race engineer , Jeremy Burgess , to perfect the suspension and geometry of a racing motorcycle may have given him an advantage over his rivals. Between 1994 and 1998 the bike was said not to have had many changes, with Honda engineers reportedly becoming frustrated at Doohan's reluctance to try innovations such as electronic shifting (it was only when Rossi came to Honda in 2000 that Honda engineers had their head with Rossi willing to try more innovations). One notable trait of Doohan's post-crash riding style

216-577: A roving adviser to Honda's Grand Prix race effort. At the conclusion of the 2004 season, Doohan and Honda parted company. In June 2011, Doohan made an appearance at the Isle of Man TT . Doohan completed a parade lap, and was most enamored by the thrill and spectacle of the Snaefell Mountain Course . He then went on to pay tribute to his former Honda racing teammate, Joey Dunlop . After his success in Grand Prix motorcycle racing he got

270-469: A single-season win record that was set in 1972 . Combining for 54 total 500 Grand Prix wins, no man and machine in modern history had dominated the 500 World Championship so thoroughly. From around 1997, the NSR500 again featured the older "Screamer" engine in some factory racers, with Mick Doohan preferring the higher outright power of this design despite it being much more difficult to harness. Constant development and ever-increasing sophistication sharpened

324-491: A stand full of spectators, killing 15 and himself. In 1970, Jochen Rindt won the Formula One drivers' championship posthumously, the only man to do so, underlining the continuing risks associated with road racing. The tragedies highlighted the need for improved safety standards for both drivers and spectators; safety would continue to be an issue throughout the 1960s and 1970s. When motorcycle racer Gilberto Parlotti

378-504: Is one of the few 500 cc or MotoGP World Champions to have won a Superbike World Championship race. He made his Grand Prix debut for Honda on an NSR 500 cc two-stroke motorcycle in 1989 . Late in the 1990 season Doohan claimed his first victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix on his way to third in the championship. In 1991 , he was paired with his fellow Australian Wayne Gardner on a Honda RVF750 superbike and won

432-844: The Circuit de la Sarthe circuit near the town of Le Mans , France , the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit in Belgium and the Mount Panorama Circuit in Australia. Certain European race circuits were situated in mountainous regions where the topography meant that the roads featured numerous curves and elevation changes, allowing the creation of sinuous and undulating race courses such as the Nürburgring in

486-700: The Detroit Grand Prix , and the Honda Indy Toronto . The popularity of Formula One and motorcycle Grand Prix racing led to the formation of road racing world championships for other types of vehicles. In 1953, the FIA sanctioned a world championship for sports car racing which combined the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Mille Miglia, the 12 Hours of Sebring , the 24 Hours of Spa and the 1000km of

540-637: The Eifel mountains of Germany and the Circuit de Charade in the Chaîne des Puys in the Massif Central of France. These circuits presented such a challenge that they were both feared and respected by racers. The 20.8 km (12.9 mi) long Nurburgring with more than 300 metres (1,000 feet) of elevation change from its lowest to highest points, was nicknamed "The Green Hell" by Jackie Stewart , due to its challenging nature. The sinuous track layout of

594-773: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway , and the oval, banked speedways constructed in Europe at Monza in 1922 and at Montlhéry in 1924. Road racing on public roads was banned in Great Britain in 1925 when a spectator was injured at the Kop Hill Climb event. The Royal Automobile Club (R.A.C.) and the Auto-Cycle Union (A.C.U.) stopped issuing permits for races on public roads, a policy that has not changed to this day. Donington Park

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648-762: The Middle East , Sepang in Malaysia , and Shanghai in China . Mick Doohan Michael Sydney Doohan AM (born 4 June 1965) is an Australian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion , who won five consecutive 500 cc World Championships . Originally from the Gold Coast , Queensland , Doohan attended St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace and Aspley State High School , Brisbane. He raced in Australian Superbikes in

702-886: The North West 200 and the Ulster Grand Prix . In Formula One, street circuits have made a comeback with the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit and the Baku City Circuit joining the Circuit de Monaco as part of the world championship. There are no street circuits being used in MotoGP racing. . In North America, racing on public streets takes place at the Grand Prix of Long Beach , the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg ,

756-464: The Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race. He competed successfully throughout the early 1990s and appeared to be on his way to winning his first world championship when he was seriously injured in a practice crash before the 1992 Dutch TT . He suffered permanent and serious damage to his right leg due to medical complications and, at one stage, faced amputation of the leg. At the time, Doohan was 65 points in

810-591: The Targa Florio (run on 93 miles (150 km) of Sicilian roads), the 75 miles (121 km) German Kaiserpreis circuit in the Taunus mountains, the 48 miles (77 km) French circuit at Dieppe, used for the 1907 Grand Prix and, the Isle of Man TT motorcycle road circuit first used in 1907. The exceptions were the steeply banked egg-shaped near oval circuit of Brooklands in England , completed in 1906,

864-405: The 1989 bikes had more top speed and acceleration than anything else on the track. To contain all that muscle, the stiffer, twin-spar aluminum chassis used a curved, gull-wing-type swingarm to accommodate more efficient expansion chambers. The 1989 bike was also the first Grand Prix bike to incorporate an early form of a quick shifter , although it only allowed clutchless no lift upshifts. The result

918-417: The 1992 NSR500 was a breakthrough. Emphasizing acceleration over sheer speed, Doohan used this engine to win five of the first seven 500 Grand Prix races of 1992. Although a badly broken leg denied Doohan's bid for the 1992 World Championship, he would not be denied for long. Beginning in 1994 , Doohan and the NSR500 won five consecutive 500 cc World Championships. Winning 12 of 15 races in 1997 , he broke

972-681: The Charade circuit caused some drivers like Jochen Rindt in the 1969 French Grand Prix to complain of motion sickness , and wear open face helmets just in case. In 1949 the FIM introduced the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship with the 1949 Isle of Man TT being the inaugural event. With the exception of the Monza circuit, all the Grand Prix races were held on street circuits . The Association Internationale des Automobiles Clubs Reconnus

1026-518: The FIM. Another motorcycle racing incident occurred at Monza during the 1973 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix when a racing accident claimed the lives of world champion Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini . After the von Trips accident in 1961, the Monza Circuit had been lined with steel barriers as a result of demands by automobile racers. Most auto racers believed steel barriers would improve safety for auto racers and spectators, but they had

1080-627: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Milwaukee Mile track, or on dirt tracks using widely available horse racing circuits. Automobile dirt track racing would develop into stock car racing . American racing also branched out into drag racing . Road racing traditions in Europe, South America, Great Britain and the British Commonwealth nations grew around races held on paved, public roads such as

1134-568: The Isle of Man TT, lost their world championship status due to their considerable safety risk, their popularity continued to flourish leading to a branch of road racing known as Traditional Road Racing . Traditional road racing on closed public roads is popular in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and parts of Europe. The Duke Road Racing Rankings was established in 2002 to establish rider classifications in traditional road racing events such as

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1188-416: The NSR500 a legend in the 1990s. Extensive testing in 1991 led to a new aluminum chassis patterned on the successful RVF750 endurance racer. Honda unveiled a revolutionary idea with a 1992 V4 that was timed to fire all four cylinders within 65-70 degrees of crankshaft rotation — the so-called " Big-Bang " engine. Along with a balance shaft that neutralized the single crankshaft engine's gyroscopic effects,

1242-544: The NSR500 evolved to clinch Honda's second 500 cc GP title in 1985 . Opening the V-angle to 112 degrees in 1987 made room for a quartet of 36 mm Keihin carburetors between the cylinders where they could be fed more cool air. The new arrangement also let the engine exhale more efficiently through its four artfully intertwined expansion chambers. By year's end, Honda won a third 500 World Championship with Australian rider Wayne Gardner . Entirely redesigned for 1988 ,

1296-453: The NSR500 got a stiffer, twin-spar aluminium chassis and various engine changes. The changes made to the 1988 bike made it somewhat problematic for the riders, especially in the first half of the season. Wayne Gardner had a hard time in defence of his 1987 World Championship and although he eventually got on top of the bike's problems and won three races in a row in mid-season ( Dutch TT , Belgium and Yugoslavia ), he could only finish second in

1350-491: The NSR500's edge, earning Honda two more 500 World Championships, with Àlex Crivillé in 1999 and again with Valentino Rossi in 2001 . For the 2002 season , technical regulations for the World Championship motorcycle road racing 500 cc class were changed drastically, with four-stroke engines being allowed to grow up to 990 cc and up to six cylinders. The name of the class was changed to MotoGP and

1404-715: The Nurburgring . NASCAR held its first road race in 1957 at the Watkins Glen International circuit with Buddy Baker as the winner. The FIA launched the European Touring Car Championship in 1963. The FIA created the International Karting Commission (CIK) in 1962 and, in 1964, the first CIK Karting World Championship was won by Guido Sala . Karting has become a significant step in

1458-681: The United States was a 54-mile competition from Chicago to Evanston , Illinois and return, held on November 27, 1895. By 1905, the Gordon Bennett Cup , organized by the Automobile Club de France , was considered the most important race in the world. In 1904, the Association Internationale des Automobiles Clubs Reconnus was formed by several European automobile clubs. In 1904 the FIM created

1512-503: The championship behind the Yamaha of Eddie Lawson . The main complaints about the 1988 NSR500 was that the engine, while undoubtedly the most powerful in 500cc racing, was very 'peaky' and had to run up high in the rev range to get the best out of it. Also the suspension geometry of the bike wasn't as good as in 1987 and the bike was noticeably harder to handle through the turns than the rival Yamaha YZR500 and Suzuki 's new RGV500 . While

1566-498: The country and drew large crowds of spectators. The first 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race was held in 1923. The Automobile Racing Club of America was founded in 1933 and became the Sports Car Club of America in 1944. The great majority of road races were run over a lengthy circuit of closed public roads, not purpose-built racing circuits. This was true of the Le Mans circuit of the 1906 French Grand Prix, as well as

1620-665: The couple have two children, including racing driver Jack Doohan . Doohan helped design an Intamin Motorbike Launch Roller Coaster , named Mick Doohan's Motocoaster . The ride is located at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, Queensland . Doohan's name was removed from the ride's branding in May 2022, and it is now known simply as Motocoaster. Doohan was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1996 and received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000. He

1674-611: The development of road racers including Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton . The European Truck Racing Championship was founded in 1985. A Superbike World Championship for road-going production motorcycles was created in 1988 . As road racing grew in popularity it eventually expanded across the globe with Grand Prix road races having been held on six continents. Expansion of the Formula One and MotoGP series has resulted in many dedicated tracks being built, like in Qatar in

Honda NSR500 - Misplaced Pages Continue

1728-520: The driver of the race car, 83 spectators were killed and 120 were injured. Auto racing was temporarily banned in several countries after the Le Mans disaster until safety was improved for spectators. Switzerland would not allow circuit racing until the Zürich ePrix in 2018. The Formula One championship experienced its worst tragedy during the 1961 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, when driver Wolfgang von Trips lost control of his Ferrari and crashed into

1782-575: The early 20th century. After the Second World War, automobile road races were organized into a series called the Formula One world championship sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), while motorcycle road races were organized into the Grand Prix motorcycle racing series and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). The success and popularity of road racing has seen

1836-476: The engine's power advantage was seen on the faster tracks such as Suzuka (which is actually owned by Honda), Assen , Spa and Paul Ricard , on tighter tracks such as Jarama and Jerez it was off the pace due to its handling. More improvements gave the 1989 NSR500 upwards of 165 horsepower (123 kW) at 12,000 rpm — essentially doubling the output of the 1966 Honda RC181 Grand Prix four-stroke . Capable of well over 190 miles per hour (310 km/h),

1890-516: The final race of the season at his home GP while leading by more than six seconds. In the 1996 Queen's Birthday Honours , Doohan was inducted as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his contribution to the sport of motor racing. Despite up to eight rivals on non-factory HRC Honda motorcycles Doohan's margin of superiority over them was such that in many races Doohan would build a comfortable lead and then ride well within his limits to cruise to victory. Although pure riding skill clearly played

1944-481: The incident. On 8 August 2006, Doohan appeared in Darwin Magistrates Court to face charges over a weekend fracas at a strip club. He was fined $ 2,500 after pleading guilty to assaulting a bouncer and failing to leave a licensed premise. No conviction was recorded. Doohan married Selina Sines, who had been his partner for the previous eleven years, on Tuesday 21 March 2006, on Hamilton Island ;

1998-609: The international cup for motorcycles. The first international motorcycle road race took place in 1905 at Dourdan , France. After disagreeing with Bennett Cup organizers over regulations limiting the number of entrants, the French automobile manufacturers responded in 1906 by organizing the first French Grand Prix race held at Le Mans. During the 1910s, the Elgin National Road Races held on public roads around Elgin, Illinois attracted competitors from around

2052-556: The late 1950s sparked to a renewal of interest in road racing in the United States and, led to the construction of new road racing circuits such as Riverside International Raceway , Road America and Laguna Seca . The 1964 United States motorcycle Grand Prix was held at the Daytona International Speedway and led to increased international prominence for the Daytona 200 road race which peaked in 1974 with

2106-518: The late 1980s, and also won both races as Superbike World Championship visited Oran Park in 1988 as well as the second leg of the Japanese round held earlier in the year. In a break-out season he also won the final Australian motorcycle Grand Prix to be held in the TT format at Mount Panorama before the race became a round of the World Championship the following year and moved to Phillip Island . He

2160-468: The lead of the championship, but could not compete for eight weeks after the crash. After an arduous recovery, he returned to racing for the final two races but could not prevent Yamaha rider Wayne Rainey from winning his third consecutive title (by four points from Doohan). In 1993 he struggled with the healing of his leg and the ability to race the Honda at elite level, stating later that in that year it

2214-769: The number of safety personnel required. These changes saw a dramatic decrease in deaths and accidents. By the 1980s, motorcycle Grand Prix and the Formula One races were held on purpose built race circuits with the exception of the Monaco Grand Prix held on the city streets of Monaco. Street circuits such as the Montjuïc circuit and the Opatija Circuit with their numerous unmovable roadside obstacles, such as trees, stone walls, lampposts and buildings, were gradually removed from world championship competition. Although events held on closed public roads such as

Honda NSR500 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2268-492: The opposite effect for motorcyclists and proved fatal for Saarinen and Pasolini. The dangers of street circuits was further exposed at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix held on the twisty, tree-lined Montjuich circuit in Barcelona. The racing drivers found that the circuit's safety barriers had been shoddily installed and threatened to strike if the barriers were not brought up to standard. Under pressure from race organizers,

2322-591: The overwhelming power, acceleration and raw speed that has always been synonymous with Honda's 500 cc two-stroke V4. Designed to succeed Honda's first two-stroke Grand Prix racer, the NS500 triple, NSR500 debuted in 1984 for the Grand Prix motorcycle racing's 500 cc class. Building on lessons learned from its three-cylinder predecessor, the new 90° V4 used a single crankshaft, making it lighter and more compact than its dual-crankshaft adversaries. Though tormented by unorthodox chassis technology in its first season,

2376-651: The race was started only to be stopped after 29 laps when the car of Rolf Stommelen plowed into the crowd, killing four spectators. By the late 1970s, the popularity of Grand Prix road racing attracted corporate sponsors and lucrative television contracts which, led to an increased level of professionalism. Road racers organized to demand that stricter safety regulations be adopted by sanctioning bodies in relation to race track safety and race organizers requirements. Race circuits that had originally been public roads were widened and modified to include chicanes and run-off areas while, some circuits were shortened to reduce

2430-415: The sport spread across the globe with Grand Prix road races having been held on six continents. Other variations of road racing include; open-wheel racing , sports car racing , touring car racing , stock car racing , superbike racing , truck racing , kart racing and endurance racing . The first organized automobile race was held on July 22, 1894, from Paris to Rouen , France. The first held in

2484-422: The victory by 15-time world champion Giacomo Agostini . The dangers associated with the increasing speeds at road races were highlighted by the 1955 Le Mans disaster . With spectators seated near the edges of the circuit, two race cars came into contact causing one of the vehicles to crash into the embankment, where it exploded in a ball of flames and then plowed through the crowd of spectators. In addition to

2538-696: The years. Notable exceptions are the Mille Miglia which was allowed to continue until 1957 and, the Pau Grand Prix which has been held on the city streets of Pau, France since 1933. After the First World War, automobile and motorcycle road racing competitions in Europe and in North America went in different directions. Automobile and motorcycle racing in the United States was typically oval track racing on paved tracks such as

2592-481: Was all he could do to just keep his ride at Honda. It was also during this time he switched to a left thumb-operated rear brake, as his right foot is no longer able to perform this function. In 1994 however, he won his first 500 cc World Championship . Thereafter, until 1998 , he dominated the class, winning five consecutive 500 cc World Championships. In 1997 , his most successful year, Doohan won 12 out of 15 races, finished second in another two, and crashed out of

2646-418: Was an unforgiving, but brutally fast, package that earned Honda a fourth 500 cc World Championship in 1989 thanks to Eddie Lawson who had joined the factory backed Rothmans team alongside Gardner and young Australian Mick Doohan . Though the 499 cc V-4 could produce more than 200 horsepower (150 kW), chassis development, sophisticated engine management and an Australian named Mick Doohan made

2700-430: Was killed while competing in the 1972 Isle of Man TT , it sparked a rider's boycott of the event led by multi-time world champion, Giacomo Agostini , a close friend of Parlotti. Once the most prestigious race of the year, the event was increasingly boycotted by the top riders, and in 1976, the Isle of Man TT finally succumbed to pressure for increased safety in racing events and had its world championship status revoked by

2754-673: Was limited to race prototypes only. Because of these changes, Honda introduced the RC211V in 2002 to race alongside the NSR500. The larger displacement RC211V and other four-stroke bikes dominated the series and the NSR500 was eventually phased out of the class along with all other two-stroke motorcycles. Riders World Championships won with the NSR500: Road racing Road racing's origins were centered in Western Europe and Great Britain as motor vehicles became more common in

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2808-547: Was renamed the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile in 1946 and, plans were developed for a road racing world championship. In 1950 , the FIA created the Formula One world championship, a competition of seven rounds that included the Indianapolis 500. A Formula I manufacturers' championship was begun in 1955. The success of American racers such as Phil Hill and Dan Gurney in Formula One in

2862-402: Was the first permanent park circuit in the United Kingdom and held its first motorcycle race in 1931. As automobile and motorcycle technology improved, racers began to achieve higher speeds that caused an increasing number of accidents on roads not designed for motorized vehicles. Public safety concerns ultimately caused the number of road racing events on public roads in Europe to decrease over

2916-650: Was the use of a thumb-operated rear brake developed during 1993 owing to the reduced range of motion in his ankle. This was operated by a "nudge" bar similar to a personal water craft throttle, but mounted on the left handlebar . In 1999 Doohan had another accident, this time in a very wet qualifying session for the Spanish Grand Prix. He again broke his leg in several places and subsequently announced his retirement. Jeremy Burgess , Doohan's chief engineer for his entire career, later became Valentino Rossi 's chief engineer. After Doohan retired he went to work as

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