Spoken: "R C twenty-one three-vee S" The current issue of Cycle World features an exclusive ride aboard the latest world-class superbike from Honda, the 2016 RC213V-S. Written by the magazine's go-fast guy, Don Canet, the bike was in heady company, with features on the latest Ninja H2 from Kawasaki and another V4 superbike, the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory.
Though severely detuned for the U.S. market, Canet was still immensely impressed with the Honda's riding ease and tractability on the Spanish race course. The factory Project Leader, in true Honda fashion, emphasized, "We're not aiming at a quality that comes from horsepower...of greater importance is precision. We wanted to replicate the precision that you have on a MotoGP bike." This attitude shows a philosophical lineage to the RC30 and RC45 in both race and street guise. Canet was also treated to some seat time on a version of the MotoGP version (again, detuned), the RC213V.
As for showroom power, the factory says that the Euro street version comes in at about 157 HP while the U.S. gets only 101, about the same as the second through sixth generation of the VFR750/800s. The $12,000 Sport Kit (not available in America) will show the street bike's real potential, boosting power to a claimed 212 HP.
Get in line now, and don't forget your $184,000.
Though severely detuned for the U.S. market, Canet was still immensely impressed with the Honda's riding ease and tractability on the Spanish race course. The factory Project Leader, in true Honda fashion, emphasized, "We're not aiming at a quality that comes from horsepower...of greater importance is precision. We wanted to replicate the precision that you have on a MotoGP bike." This attitude shows a philosophical lineage to the RC30 and RC45 in both race and street guise. Canet was also treated to some seat time on a version of the MotoGP version (again, detuned), the RC213V.
As for showroom power, the factory says that the Euro street version comes in at about 157 HP while the U.S. gets only 101, about the same as the second through sixth generation of the VFR750/800s. The $12,000 Sport Kit (not available in America) will show the street bike's real potential, boosting power to a claimed 212 HP.
Get in line now, and don't forget your $184,000.
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