24 :OLD BIKE AUSTRALASIA
test the market, and came with basic C70 250cc
Dream engines, complete with rotary gearboxes.
Local racers were still wrestling with the “left side
shift” gear levers on these early Hondas, because
many of the European racing bikes came with “right
side shift” transmission selectors. Having to remem-
ber which side of the engine to change gears with,
as well as coping with the “rotary” gearbox function
was more than most riders wanted to deal with,
back then.
The “fix” for the RC70 riders was to commandeer
engine assemblies from the 1959 CE71s, once they
were released for sale through the fledgling AHMC
distributorship. The electric-start CE71 was Honda’s
U.S.-spec “Dream Super Sport” model, which featured
a conventional return-shift transmission, a larger
24mm carburettor (vs. 22mm carburettors that were
stock on Dream engines) and a horsepowerHONDA RC70F
Of course, the late ‘fifties was also the period when
Honda was keenly eyeing the US market, taking the
significant step of setting up their own distribution
centre in California – American Honda – in early 1960.
However prior to that, at least four examples of the
production RC70 found their way to USA. Two went to
Herb Uhl, who had a motorcycle dealership in Boise,
Idaho, and who had competed in the International Six
Days Trial in Europe on two occasions, riding with his
brother Bill who was an Expert class flat track rider.
Herb noted later “I imported a couple of RC70 off-
road bikes from Honda Japan in early 1959 and they
had excellent leading arm forks.”
About the same time, another pair of RC70s was
sent to Allan D’Alo in California. D’Alo was an
amateur racer from Norwalk, California, who annually
competed in the Catalina Island “Grand Prix” on an
MV Agusta. The Hondas were imported ostensibly to
ABOVE Honda test riders at Asama Mountain in 1959. The RC70 on the left has the muffler on the right, while
the other bike has the pipes exiting on the left side. Note the headlights fitted. RIGHT One of the RC70Fs brought
into California in 1958. BELOW RIGHT Inspiration? An Adler Motocross model owned by Gus Priem in Sydney.
ABOVE Honda factory photo of test riders with RC70Fs fitted with racing number plates.
RIGHT An ad from the US Cyclemagazine from October 1958 showing the RC70.