That’s what it’s known as, or the RC213V-S to give this phenomenal motorbike its full name. The “S’ denotes that this 2013 and 2014 MotoGP-winning bike is now ready for the road. There are minimal differences between road and race bike, to bring the MotoGP experience to the public.
Honda will be producing the bike at the rate of one per day, which is an extraordinary amount of time to spend on each machine. But when you are hand-building and crafting a MotoGP bike for the road, making race developments available to the public, attention to detail is everything. For example, each bike has its own dedicated welder to concentrate on perfecting the frame’s rigidity.
There are seven forged-magnesium spokes in each wheel, shod in Bridgestones. Tyres, brake discs and pads are all new. The RC213V consists only of the necessary parts for winning races, based on the idea of changing specifications as necessary according to rider and course. To achieve the specifications that make the RC213V-S eligible to run on public roads, the minimal amount of necessary changes and additions have been made.
The lucky customers can choose from two different liveries: either the Tricolour scheme or this Unpainted CFRP (carbon) type.
The dry weight of the bike is only 170 kg. The light weight is down to a strict diet to keep componentry as minimal as possible and thus replicate the race version. Increasing torsional rigidity usually means a jump in weight, but with RC213V, it’s only increased in the areas where it’s needed. Its body is fastened together using bolts machined from titanium alloy, further reducing weight. The bolts themselves are coated in molybdenum grease for improved axial stabilisation, and are hand-tightened without using a wrench to torque specifications different from those used for steel bolts.
That’s the pricetag, in sterling, for this magnificent machine. Many bikes will be kept as appreciating works of art rather than ridden. As the market in classic and rare bikes continues to rise and with rumours of its build swirling round the industry for years before its arrival, the RC213V-S is sure to become a collector’s item.
Six gears with a dry clutch make the road bike easier to use. A conventional gearbox is one of the few transitions from the race version. The rest of the RC213V-S’s packaging mirrors that of RC213V as closely as possible. This includes body component materials and production processes, making it the closest thing anyone who dreams of being a MotoGP rider will ever get to realising that dream.
That’s the power output, in PS, of the bike in Sports Kit form. You’re still looking at a performance-enhancing 159PS in standard guise. The idea behind the engine was to achieve a high-enough power output to contend in MotoGP while making the unit as compact as possible. The 90-degree V4 layout reduces friction and clever tweaks mean that 1,000cc can be squeezed into the space normally allotted to an 800cc engine. It all leads to reduced weight and reduced vibrations for smoother, quicker running and optimum performance on the road.
Interested? Got £150,000 to spare? or just if you want to dream… sign up for all the latest details.
