Honda has announced that the prototype Moto GP replica it showed at EICMA last year is to become a road-going reality. Based on the RC213V that MotoGP champion Mark Marquez won two championships on, the RC213V-S is billed by the company as its "absolute MotoGP machine for the street." Some of that depends on what country the street is in (more on that in a moment), but there is no arguing with its collectability, exclusiveness or desirability.
Priced at €188,000 and $184,000 in the US, an application only gets you a consultation with no promise of a motorcycle whatsoever. Production is expected to be kept to less than 250 units.
Manufacturers use racing as their laboratory on wheels and the RC213V-S is a direct result of Honda's track to road policy, but there are some compromises in this transition. Pneumatic valves have been replaced with coil springs, the famous seamless gearbox was exchanged for a more standard road version and output from the extremely compact 1000 cc, 90 degree V4 varies by country, depending on public road eligibility rules and regulations. Europe and Australia are offered a 160 hp version, the American market gets roughly 100 hp and in Japan, it's an even paltrier 70 hp.
The fix for this is an as yet to be priced optional race-track only kit that jumps the power up to a massive 215 hp. The kit will not be available in the USA.
The RC 213V-S is 12 kg heavier than the GP racer (170 kg compared to158), but that includes lights and street equipment. With the kit option it drops back down to 160 kg.
Honda will begin accepting "order entry" for the RC 213V-S on July 13.
Source: Honda
