From 1976’s　“MT125R” to the “RS125R,” which finished production with the 2009 model, Honda has produced a cumulative total of 15,000 market racing machines. Over a long period 34 years, Honda has broadened the base of 2-wheel motorsports in Japan and worldwide with market racing machines and brought up a number of racing riders.

During this time, Honda has nurtured 29 All-Japan Championship 125 cc class champions, a grand total of 130 Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix (WGP) victories, 11 manufacturer championships, and 9 champions with the RS125R. Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso, currently active in riding the RC212V in the MotoGP, have ridden the RS125R in the past, repeatedly seeing good results and building up a great deal of experience. Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), though without racing with 125 cc works machines, has supported users by selling kit parts to make the engine and other components more powerful while continuing with sales of base vehicles, thereby expanding constructor business opportunities.

Later, environmental challenges for mass production models were pushed to a global level, accompanied by a similar shift to 4-strokes for motorcycle racing machines. The shift came from the the pinnacle of World Championship Grand Prix racing, moving from the GP500 (2-stroke, 500 cc) to the MotoGP (4-stroke, 990 cc or less at the time; currently 800 cc) in 2002 and starting the Moto2 (one-make 4-stroke, 600 cc Honda engine) in place of the GP250 (2-stroke, 250 cc) in 2010.