Thursday 27th November 2014

Honda RC213V-S - will it be built?

Honda has unveiled a £200,000-plus MotoGP bike for the road; can it really make production?

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If you went to Motorcycle Live this year you probably spent a few minutes gazing up at Honda's new road going MotoGP replica, the RC213V-S. Alongside a genuine RC213V MotoGP bike, Marc Marquez's no less, it certainly looked the part. But is this bike going to be a reality or is Honda teasing us with a dream unobtainable for reasons beyond a six-figure price?

Show bike displayed alongside MotoGP racer

In 2012, Honda's boss Takanobu Ito confirmed a new supersports motorcycle featuring technologies from MotoGP bikes. Describing the bike as "delivering the same passion and excitement that the RC30 supersports bike created when launched in 1987", the announcement of an RCV for the road certainly grabbed a few headlines. But then it all went very quiet. Early this year, at the launch of the new VFR800, PH2 spoke to Honda insiders who confirmed the bike was indeed an RCV with lights and all but finished. Various US patents have been secured by Honda for lights that sit within a motorcycle's air-scoops and all seemed good for Honda's first true MotoGP rep. But then it got a bit sticky.

According to insiders, internal wrangling about the price remains a sticking point. Some within Honda wanted to create a no expense spared, limited edition halo product - a LaFerrari of the bike world. Others wanted to build a more affordable machine to sell in larger numbers.

Really a road bike or literally a MotoGP in civvies?

The plot thickened when, despite the RCV's MotoGP dominance at the hands of Marc Marquez, the RC1000V 'production racer' proved a slug. Could Honda pull the covers off an all-singing MotoGP rep when its production bike was so far off the pace? At the Cologne Motorcycle Show it was all quiet until, just before Milan, rumours again circulated about an RCV-rep...

The Milan Show
PH2 was at the unveiling of the RC213V-S at the Milan show and it was a strange old affair. Crossrunner aside Honda has had a quiet year and Milan was a case of two prototypes, the Africa Twin and the RCV. And the one unveiled was significantly different from the one doing the rounds at bike shows. Clothed in a black carbon fairing, the machine Marc Marquez rode onto stage was a living, breathing, MotoGP rep with lights, indicators and a licence plate hanger. After a few quick photos the bike was spirited away and the red/white/blue machine left on a plinth.

Was this simply an RCV racer with some new bodywork attached, displayed to steal some headlines? According to Honda the black bike was a prototype, the painted one a show stand display model. But why the reluctance to confirm production?

Yes it will happen, no you won't be able to afford it

The simple truth is Honda has been backed into a corner by a number of issues. Number one, Japanese companies don't like to lose face and Honda won't want to back down on Ito's pledge. Number two, the Japanese have a 'gentleman's agreement' not to break a 200hp limit with a road bike. Kawasaki sidestepped this by making the 305hp H2R a track bike but the RCV's road legality is the whole point. Three, does Honda Racing Corporation really have time to start knocking out road bikes?

PH2 spoke with Yoshishige Nomura, President of HRC and Managing Officer and Director of Honda R&D, who confirmed the bike will be built and predicted a price of around £200,000. Although he wouldn't confirm a time frame.

It's not going to be a V4 Fireblade, more an NR750 for the mega wealthy. The spec will be dictated by road considerations, so it won't have tech like pneumatic valves or a seamless gearbox. But suspension and brakes can easily be downgraded from MotoGP and the engine detuned for road use to nearer 200hp. So will it ever happen? The simple answer is yes, the RC213V-S is a reality. However, it will be made when Honda sees fit, to a timetable dictated by HRC and at a price that ensures that you won't ever actually see one on the road.

Now, how long until the rumour mill about a V4 Fireblade starts to kick into action...

 

[soad]

Wow, a detuned/stripped down GP bike!

Why Honda doesn't make this the next CBR (minus all the Ohlins and CF, of course!).
After all, Aprilia has a V4 sports bike that is reasonably affordable.
Why a giant like Honda cannot make a relatively affordable variant of this too...

Also, Desmosedici RR cost a lot less.

Edited - to take a smiley work.

Edited by soad on Thursday 27th November 12:19

[soad]

StuB said:

Some of the super rich do use their exotic toys. Check out Rowan Atkinson.

He's no billionaire!