Post Sale Update: This RC51 sold for $5,000 after 1 bid on eBay.
The RC51 combined Honda reliability with the joy of a V-Twin engine, beating Ducati at its own game with multiple World Superbike Championships and a AMA Championship. In 2002, Honda made some revisions to create the SP2 variant.
The short story is that Honda took what they learned in WSBK to improve the SP2, resulting in a loss in weight (Honda shaved weight off many individual parts – the frame lost 280 grams, for example) and a two horsepower bump. The windshield is 1.2 inches taller, the swingarm is 16mm longer – it’s just a combination of a lot of little changes. For more on the changes to the SP2 RC51, check out this review on Motorcyclist Online.
This example (VIN: JH2SC45313M301603) has 6,552 miles and it’s claimed to be in excellent condition. It’s got my favorite modification for these bikes: a Jardine exhaust which makes the motor sound tremendous. I’d probably ditch the aftermarket turn signals but otherwise this feels like an example that’s worth the time and the dough.
Find this RC51 for sale in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina with bidding up to $5,000