Coldsmoke, I think you really have stumbled across a wild bit of info.
I'm not calling you but all sorts of wild stories can be found on the internet.
Honda did have a very advanced program but not that advanced.
Honda didn't cease any costly struggle in their race program, it was the FIM that changed the rules.
I was very privileged to have worked with Ralph Bryans on his 125 five and 250 six cylinder Honda's and can assure you that none of this was in the pipe line.
Honda's biggest problem back then was they wouldn't listen to their riders when they were told of the bikes problems.
If riders complained about the handling of their machines, Honda's answer was to give them more power to be faster on the straights.
Away from the GPs the riders could do what they wanted with the bikes and had no factory help.
In 67, Mike Hailwood fielded a 350 four with twin front discs by Colin Lister and had his 500 four equiped with a Reynolds frame but Honda wouldn't let them use them in any of the GPs despite the fact that they were successful.
To prove this point, look at the bike that they tried to return to GP racing with. The NR500 was a dog, it wasn't quick enough, it was unreliable and it didn't handle.
When they sorted the power and reliability problems, they took a massive U turn and asked Ron Williams of Maxton fame to sort out the handling. He transformed the bike no end.
When you think of how clever Honda was back in the day, some years back, a guy named George Beal commissioned a French company to build replicas of the six cylinder 250. The guy that undertook that task is a member of this forum. and despite being involved in making parts for Formula F1 cars and involved in space technology, they could not figure out some of the hardening processes that Mr Honda had built in to his bikes.
Yes, Honda were well advanced with some of their technology but not as far as you have read.
Sam.
