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If the NR750’s bodywork (also known as the RC40) made extensive use of carbon fibre and the windscreen was produced using specific technical solutions, the greatest innovation of this NR (New Racing) lay in its engine. Liquid-cooled, this V-configuration power unit stood out for its oval pistons and an absolutely unique architecture, featuring eight valves per cylinder combined with a complex fuel-injection system. The real “secret” of Honda’s RC40 engine lay in the rapid opening and closing of the valves and in the way the unit reached its peak quoted output of 125 hp, while keeping running weight below 223 kg.
Conceived as a true technological showcase, the Honda NR750 was never intended for large-scale production. Its extremely exclusive positioning and high price — which, at launch, stood at around £38,000 on the British market, at a time when a high-performance sports motorcycle cost approximately £6,000 — naturally limited its commercial diffusion. For precisely this reason, and thanks to its unique and unrepeatable specifications, the NR750 is today a rare cult object, preserved mainly in private collections and museums.
The Honda NR750 (RC40) was donated to the Museu do Caramulo by Manuel Correia de Freitas and Isaltina de Oliveira Junior on behalf of their son Ilídio.