Honda RC213V-S 2018 — Specifications

Some motorcycles are not intended for sale. They exist to demonstrate that the possible exceeds the reasonable, that paddock technology can descend onto public roads, at least in theory. The Honda RC213V-S belongs to this extremely rare category of absolute prestige machines, those that are bought not out of need but out of conviction, almost out of faith. The Honda RC213V-S technical specifications speak for themselves: a 999 cc V4 engine, a perimeter aluminum twin-spar frame identical in philosophy to those of MotoGP prototypes, Öhlins suspension at both ends, and a compact wheelbase of 1435 mm. All this weighing 188 kg, fully fueled, for a dizzying price: €188,000, the equivalent of three new Panigale V4 R models.

The price of a new Honda RC213V-S is not a gimmick or a marketing provocation. It is simply the cost of technology when it leaves the brand's garage alongside Marquez to join the public road. Honda proceeded as Ducati had done with its Desmosedici RR: adapting the prototype into a limited series, with the minimum necessary concessions to obtain homologation. A headlight blocks the forced air intake, an electric starter appears, a side stand, a muffler with a catalytic converter. The silhouette remains that of the prototype, intact, intimidating, with its high 830 mm seat and 21-liter fuel tank.

What divides is the announced power. The V4 engine in road configuration delivers 159 horsepower at 11,000 rpm and 102 Nm at 10,500 rpm. On paper, this is less than a contemporary CBR 1000 RR, and significantly behind the 200 horsepower now standard among current hypersport bikes. Honda sacrificed pneumatic valve actuation and a seamless gearbox to make the machine civilizable. The logic is understandable. The reality is difficult to accept when you have paid such a sum. But like the RC 30 and RC 45 before it, the Honda RC213V-S reveals its true temperament with the optional racing kit: an additional €13,000 to reach 215 horsepower at 13,000 rpm, lighten the machine to 160 kg, and enter the realm of prototypes. It is there that the V4 regains its true nature, where the theoretical maximum speed of 350 km/h ceases to be a figure on paper.

The chassis deserves attention. The Öhlins telescopic fork and the Öhlins Pro-Link monoshock represent the best available in series production. The carbon discs at the front are impressive on paper; they are, however, poorly suited to low daily temperatures, which rather summarizes the positioning of this machine. The Honda RC213V-S is not a road bike, nor even a road sport bike in the strict sense. It is a rolling collector's item, intended for a handful of enthusiasts who can afford to own what others watch on television.

The question of how much the Honda RC213V-S costs often arises, with a hint of incredulity in the voice. €188,000 new, a confidential Honda RC213V-S used market, prices that do not really collapse. This is the paradox of these out-of-the-ordinary machines: inaccessible to purchase, they retain a heritage value that ordinary sport bikes will never reach. For the average rider, the RC213V-S will remain an image of the paddock, a V4 growl in a Barcelona turn. For the few chosen who signed an order in July 2015, it is a museum piece that still accepts being taken out in good weather.