I always felt like Honda’s road-going RC213V-S got an undeservedly bad wrap. Despite the machine being touted as the best-handling sportbike in existence and boasting top-of-the-line, well, everything, many seemingly honed in on the elite two-wheeler’s surprisingly underwhelming horsepower output. The reality is that the RC213V-S isn’t a road bike that borrows DNA from the company’s race program, it is a straight up MotoGP missile that’s been tuned-down to meet various emissions standards, and had the necessary street-legal bits tacked on.
First unveiled in its prototype form at EICMA in 2014, the RC213V-S was powered by the same 1,000cc, 90-degree V4 found in Honda’s world-championship-winning RC213V. Even though this V4 was first released in 2012, it’s far from outdated. Because of different emissions standards in different regions, Honda opted to release several versions of the V-S. The Euro-spec model (which retailed new for €188,000 or £137,000) made 157hp at 11,000rpm, while the US-spec (which had an MSRP of $184,000) made a disappointing 101hp at 8,000rpm. Japan got the shortest end of the stick, with the JDM-spec V-S only making 68 ponies at 6,000rpm.
Upon the V-S’s release, there was no shortage of websites and bloggers pointing out the six-figure Honda’s horsepower figures were comparable to that of a decade-old (and markedly more affordable) CBR600RR, though the RC213V-S puts down nearly double the torque, and weighs in at roughly the same weight despite the RC’s engine’s displacement being 400cc’s larger. But again, the V-S is about more than just power figures, as explained by Honda’s V4 project leader, Yosuke Hasegawa. “We’re not aiming at a quality that comes from horsepower. Of course, horsepower is important, but of greater importance is precision. We wanted to replicate the precision that you have on a MotoGP bike.”
And in that regard, Honda knocked it out of the park. Big Red took its cutting-edge premier class racer, made a few changes to bolster reliability, and watered it down just enough to make it street legal. According to Honda, approximately 80 percent of the parts found on the V-S are interchangeable with the MotoGP bike its derived from. After completing a track test in late 2015, Cycle World’s Don Canet called the V-S “The best-handling sportbike in the world”. MCN’s Michael Neeves also spoke very highly of the top-shelf Honda, stating: “It’s not just more agile than a 1000, it makes 600s and 400s seem like lumbering hippos. It turns like a 250cc GP bike and there’s no sense of mass-produced bulk or flab. It’s hand-made, blueprinted perfection—and a bike made to flatter the rider.”
The V-S’s laser precision is possible thanks to an array of the best components money can buy. Housing the compact, race-bred V4 is a state-of-the-art chassis which is paired with ridiculously trick suspension; a gas charged Ohlins TTX25 fork up front, and TTX36 monoshock with a special remote preload adjuster out back. The braking hardware is comprised of top-shelf Brembo units, the controls are all adjustable, 17 inch Marchesini magnesium wheels come standard, the bodywork is carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, the fuel-cell is located under the seat, and even the “tank” is a press-formed, welded aluminum unit.
Hand-assembled by specialists in a workshop within the Kumamoto factory, the V-S boasts the same cutting-edge electronics and rider aids that are found on the Repsol racer. Throttle-by-wire, selectable power mapping, four-way adjustable engine-brake control (which works with Honda’s selectable torque control), and traction control (with position-detection sensors) are all found on the V-S. The V4 is also paired with a dry slipper clutch which reportedly requires service every 2,000 miles — a task that, according to Honda, should only be performed by one of three designated service centers.
Increasingly strict emissions standards forced Honda to make some major sacrifices when developing the V-S, mainly in the horsepower department. While the bike was hampered by road-going restrictions, the same limits aren’t applicable on the track, prompting Honda to produce a supplementary (€12,000) race kit, though said kit sadly wasn’t made available in the US. (Granted, if you have six figures to blow on a motorcycle, you can probably find a way). The kit genuinely transforms the V-S into the machine it was intended to be. The kit bumps the bike’s redline up to 13k, increases torque to 87 ft-lbs (from 75.2), adds a bit of lightness, shaving an extra 22lbs off the V-S’s 375lb dry weight, and most importantly, allows the full potential of the V4 to be unlocked, putting down a cool 212hp!
The kit also includes various trick engine covers and cases, indicator removal plugs, an airbox inlet channel that takes the place of the LED headlight assembly, an adjustable rear ride-height shock link, quick shifter, a few carbon fiber bits, higher-spec Brembo pads, data logger, and a myriad of final-drive sprockets. The most important aspect of the supplementary package is its replacement ECU, race spark plugs, lower-temp thermostat, and full titanium exhaust setup—the latter of which shaves more than ten pounds off the bike’s weight. The kit also activates the machine’s launch control option.
The RC213V-S (pronounced RC, twenty-one, three, V, S) gets its name the same way the rest of Honda’s RC machines have. The “RC” part designates its a “Racing Corporation” model (which Honda has been doing since 1958, starting with the RC71), the “21” means 21st century, and the “3” represents the third version. The “S” part obviously signifies that it’s a “street” model.
It’s a little unclear as to exactly how many units were made, but it appears the most consistent number cited is 213—which if true, is pretty cool. Many sources simply say “less than 130 examples were made”, but we can definitively say this is an extremely rare, elite motorcycle. While these are seldom found bikes, one has just popped up for sale on eBay in the UK. This V-S is production number “007”, and is in mint condition. Making the sale that much more tempting is the fact the supplementary race kit is included, as are the rest of the factory goodies that came with the original sale (indoor cover, front and rear track stands, keyless ignition fobs, charger, etc). According to the seller, this example is brand new too.
It probably won’t come as a shock to learn this example’s asking price is way steep, however it may be more than one would expect, seeing as the seller is asking more than $100K over the V-S’s MSRP (minus the price of the kit). While I do think the red, white, and blue livery looks good, I’m a much bigger fan of the murdered-out, bare carbon fiber version of the bike. Either way, this is an incredibly special motorcycle.
You can find this 2016 Honda RC213V-S for sale in West Yorkshire, England with a price of $289,650 (£219,995)