Showing the 1960s style were short racing handlebars, an elongated and low-profile fuel tank, and bolstered seat with race tail. Disk brakes were standard and unusual for small displacement motorcycles. Honda built the AC15 50cc-class bike to commemorate the successful 1962 Honda CR110 single cylinder racer.
In 1962, Honda revealed its first 50cc-class works racer, the RC110. At the same time, it released a road-legal version called the CR110 Cub Racing. Like many small-capacity motorcycles of this era, these were elegant machines, with a delicate minimalism that seems to appeal more and more. The beauty in the picture isn’t a sixties racer, though. It’s the Honda Dream 50R, a limited edition model released in 2004 to commemorate Honda’s early racing history.
The AC15 engine was a rare design for 50 cubic centimeters having a single transverse cylinder and double overhead camshafts. The frame was a diamond design with a reinforced single front down tube bolting to the engine’s crankcase. The top of the frame was a reinforced double-tube over and under configuration meeting a multi-tube box under the rider. A race only version was imported into the US in 2004, it was designated the AR02 or The Dream 50R.
Was that the engine that had a redline of 22,000 RPM?
No, that was a completely different and far more advanced twin cylinder racer, the RC116. it had a 23500 rpm red line and a 9-speed gearbox. It won the manufacturers championship in 1966.
Unfortunately, this “Dream” is no dream to me as it is lost all of the fine design of the 1960s versions: it is a caricature of them.