Which rider gave Honda its first Isle of Man TT victory?

Mike Hailwood gave Honda its first Isle of Man TT victory.

The breakthrough came in 1961, Honda’s third attempt at the TT. Hailwood won the 125cc Lightweight TT on a Honda and later added the 250cc Lightweight TT, giving the Japanese manufacturer its first race victories at the event. Honda also filled the top five places in both Lightweight classes that year.

Hailwood’s 1961 performance was even more notable because he became the first rider to win three TT races in a single week. His third victory came in the Senior TT, but he rode a Norton in that race rather than a Honda. That distinction is the source of a common mix-up: Hailwood’s TT hat-trick included two Honda wins and one Norton win.

Honda had first entered the TT in 1959, when it earned the Manufacturers’ Team Award but did not win a race. Hailwood’s results two years later turned Honda’s early participation into a landmark success and helped establish the company as a major force in international motorcycle racing.