Rc51

RC51

On-track with Honda's V-Twin Superbike

HOW YOU LOOK AT HONDA’S ALL-NEW RC51 V-TWIN depends upon which side of the World Superbike wars your allegiance lies.

For reigning series champ Ducati, it’s the classic, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” argument. The small Italian manufacturer has humbled the Japanese giant and forced Honda to play by its rules. And since imitators are seldom more than mere shadows of the original, Ducati purports to be unconcerned by this latest assault on its crown.

Honda, of course, has a very different viewpoint. It has long argued that the rules are inexorably tilted in favor of Ducati’s 996cc V-Twin. So rather than continuing to cam-

So rather than continuing to campaign its 750cc V-Fours in what it feels is an impossibly uphill battle, Honda designed and built its own V-Twin racer. Hey, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

Upon initial inspection, Ducati’s viewpoint appears to win out. Rudimentary inspection of both bikes’ spec sheets reveals remarkable similarities: Both share 55.5inch wheelbases, identical tire sizes (120/70-ZR17 front, 190/50-ZR17 rear) and 43mm inverted forks. Both sport four-piston front calipers gripping 320mm rotors. Weight-wise, the bikes are within a couple of pounds^!30 for the 996, 432 for the RC51.

In the engine department, the Honda boasts a 2mm-larger bore and a 2.4mm-shorter stroke, presumably promising higher revs. Both share EFI specs, with dual injectors per cylinder. The RC51 does one-up the 996 with 54mm throttle bodies, compared to 50mm trumpets for the Duke, but a quick perusal of the upgraded 996 SPS brochure reveals identically sized inlets.

Spec sheets close enough to qualify for National Enquirer “Separated At Birth” headlines aside, though, the two bikes are as different as sushi and pasta primavera.

The RC51, after all, is a Honda. So despite its racetrack intent, it is immensely civilized. Grip the handlebars and you’re immediately impressed by the relatively relaxed riding position. Thumb the starter button and the big Twin sparks immediately to life with nary a grumble or cough.

As I ambled out of the Roebling Road pit lane, my first impression of the RC51 is how much effort Honda must have invested getting weight over the front end (this, of course, to alter the traditional rearward weight bias of a 90degree V-Twin). The bike feels very short-coupled, the steering razor-sharp. And unlike many purebred sportbikes, the RC works well at various suspension settings, requiring neither an engineering degree nor a team of labcoated technicians to find a comfortable setup.

The second surprise is more profound: Twins are supposed to be all about torque. Great waves of the stuff pulling from subterranean revs, letting you treat the tachometer with complete disdain. Not the RC51. While there is significant bottom-end grunt, the combination of hyper-sensitive fuel injection and an ultra-light flywheel makes for a somewhat nervous disposition below 4000 rpm. Roll meekly into a corner at low revs and the Honda is decidedly skitty, reacting immediately to even minute movement of your right wrist.

The solution is to ride it like a Four. In my next session, I kept the revs above 5500 rpm and pitched the RC into Roebling’s esses with all the gusto a 42-year-old newspaper hack can muster. As a result, the RC was magically transformed from reluctant participant to fully committed partner in crime. Prior twitchiness was abated, replaced with creamy-smooth power delivery that had the bike literally catapulting out of comers.

In side-by-side top-gear roll-ons with Honda’s new CBR929RR, the RC more than held its own. And this wasn’t just at low speed, the V-Twin’s acknowledged forte, but all the way down Roebling’s long front straight. Starting with the CBR at about 6500 rpm and the RC spinning a hair more than 5000, the Twin got the initial bikelength jump expected. But the super-light Four didn't begin reeling in the Twin until well beyond 100 mph.

Which means that the RC51 will most assuredly eat a 996 for lunch, at least in a straight line. Considering that Ducati’s top-of-the-line Twin puts out about 106-110 bhp at the rear wheel, my finely tuned seat-of-the-pants dynamometer estimates the RC’s output in the range of 116-120 ponies.

All this musing as to whether the stock RC5 l is faster than a production Ducati is to miss the point (though Honda is tickled pink that the RC5l is being considered

as exotic as the ultra-trick Ducati). Likewise, it matters not a whit that the base RC may be a superior sporting motorcycle to a stock 996. Or that it is surely a more practical streetbike.

The RC51 is first, last and foremost a racebike. And while concessions have been made for the Walter Mittys of the world, its sole intent is to bring glory back to the Honda Superbike camp. Honda didn’t design the RC51 to be its ultimate sportbike-that’s the CBR’s job. The RC’s mission is to win races.

Only when either Messrs. Slight or Edwards sits atop the World Superbike throne will Honda’s vociferous lust for winning be satiated-and its long-held contention that the WSB rules are unfairly biased toward Twins vindicated.

David Booth

Canadian newspaperman David Booth was one of the first journalists in the world to ride Honda 's much anticipated RC51. The track test took place at Georgia ’s Roebling Road Raceway. Look for CW’s full-on riding impression of the U.S.-spec bike next month.