The Honda Superbike That Costs More Than A Lamborghini (2024)

When talking about Honda sports bikes for the track, a large majority of us think about CBRs. And it’s not wrong, considering the CBR has been an integral player in a variety of racing verticals like WSBK, WSSP, and Isle Of Man. But when it comes to true-blue racing, nothing comes close to the Honda RC lineup.

These bikes have famously won multiple MotoGP world titles with legendary riders like Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez at the helm, creating a tale of success unbeaten by any other Japanese company. And when you have such a strong motorcycle, some show-off is completely acceptable. So after Marc’s crazy 2013 and 2014 world titles, Honda decided to give us–the general public–a taste of the MotoGP machine.

It birthed the RC213V-S in 2015, heavily inspired by the #93’s race bike. At the time, Honda asked a whopping $184,000 per piece, which was downright crazy and out of reach for a majority of folks. However, whoever bought one must be thanking the gods today. That’s because clean examples of the RC213V-S sell for well over $250,000 today. Yes, more expensive than a new Lamborghini Huracan. Here’s everything that makes this bike so special.

Why Honda Built The RC213V-S

MotoGP Powerhouse Between Your Legs

Layout: 90-degree V; Cylinders: 4

Jumping straight into things, the ‘V’ in the RC213V-S denotes the engine layout. It employs a 1,000cc, 90-degree V4 engine derived straight from Honda’s title-winning MotoGP bike piloted by Marc Marquez. Honda claims the engine is as compact as an 800cc powerhouse, the crank angle is 360 degrees, and there are fewer mechanical losses than an inline-four engine of similar capabilities.

Diving deeper, you get titanium connecting rods for high rigidity and low weight. This is accompanied by a high-strength alloy for the crankshaft and bridge-type pistons to keep weight low. The head valve comes straight from the RC213V race bike but pairs up with a conventional coil spring setup instead of a pneumatic system for road usage. Likewise, the seamless transmission has made way for a standard six-speed shifter.

Likewise, the cam-gear train comprises an eccentric adjustment mechanism with coaxial cam-gears instead of the gear backlash adjustment on the race bike. Another key change on the RC213V-S is the road-legal exhaust. It has a four-into-two layout, complete with an air injection system and variable exhaust valves (driven by a servomotor). These work in tandem with the ECU to keep the output, noise, and exhaust emissions in check for road usage. The result is an output of 157 HP (at 11,000 RPM) and 75 pound-feet (at 10,500 RPM) in a road-legal avatar.

Enter The Sports Kit

Disappointing, right? Well, that’s what emission norms do. Luckily, Honda has a bespoke Sports Kit for true-blue enthusiasts. The key engine-related parts in the kit comprise a race-spec ECU, a titanium free-flow muffler (10 pounds lighter than the road-legal one), race-spec spark plugs, and a ram air intake.

All of it worked together to boost the peak output by nearly 50 ponies to over 212 horsepower at 13,500 RPM. The torque also rose to “over 87 pound-feet”. These figures aren’t too shy of Honda’s current most powerful sports bike: the 215-HP CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. But they’re still a fair bit down on the RC213V’s claimed “over 235 HP”.

Honda RC213V-S Engine Details

A Riding Experience Like No Other

Chassis Material: Aluminum; Swingarm: Triangulated

Most of us think the most baffling aspect of MotoGP bikes is their sheer performance. But anyone who has ever ridden a MotoGP bike will tell you the real difference is in the riding dynamics. After all, 250ish horsepower isn’t all that difficult to achieve nowadays when 210 HP is becoming the standard norm for liter-class bikes. But breaking lap records left, right, and center? Now that requires a lot of mechanical wizardry (and rider talent, too, of course).

This is why much of the real mind-bending bits on the RC213V-S are present in the underpinnings department. The sports bike hides an aluminum twin-spar chassis, derived from the MotoGP concept. Each piece of the chassis is joined via a manual TIG welding process while all bolts comprise a titanium alloy material for weight reduction. Next is the fuel tank. Instead of the conventional place (between the handlebar and the seat), it sits right under the seat pan.

This helps in holding the fuel low, near the bike’s center of gravity just above the swingarm. Like the chassis, the tank is handcrafted with TIG welding by Honda experts. Speaking of the swingarm, this aluminum work of art comes directly from the RC213V race bike. It has a triangulated shape like no other sports bike, a shape achieved by combining press-formed aluminum and machined aluminum bits. It’s said to strike the perfect balance between torsional rigidity and transverse stiffness.

Top-Shelf Ohlins Suspension With Magnesium Wheels

Equal attention has been paid to the suspension and wheels, ensuring all of it is right off the top shelf. Up top, you get rare Ohlins TTX25 USD forks with golden stanchions, and at the rear is a TTX36 monoshock with a bespoke preload adjuster. Each end joins hands with 17-inch forged magnesium wheels from the specialists at Marchesini, housing two 320 mm front discs and a single rear rotor. Honda claims “the RC213V-S uses the same Brembo components used on the RC213V for its front and rear brake calipers, front master cylinder, and clutch master cylinder.”

Honda RC213V-S Dimensions

• Wheelbase: 57.6 inches
• Ground clearance: 4.72 inches
• Saddle height: 32.6 inches
• Weight: 374 pounds (dry)
• Tank capacity: 4.3 gallons
• Rake: 24.6 degrees

MotoGP-Inspired Design And Technology

Fairings: CFRP; Instrument Cluster: TFT

Finally, there’s the design and technology. Although the road-legal trim of the RCV isn’t too powerful, it still has Honda’s finest electronics from 2015. The centerpiece is a five-inch color instrument cluster (Honda’s first-ever TFT), complete with functions such as a lap timer, display modes, and even a “mechanic mode”. The latter shows numerical values for the tachometer, gear position, grip opening, throttle opening, water temperature, oil temperature, oil pressure, and battery voltage.

You can also use the display to toggle through the rider aids on offer. There are five ride modes, each with selectable parameters such as power level, selectable torque control (traction control), and engine brake control. The traction control has nine levels, the engine brake has four levels, and you have three power modes. Rounding off the technologies is a two-way quickshifter–a first for Honda at the time.

As for design, the RC213V-S takes heavy inspiration from the beautiful race bike. The front headlight area has the same shape as the race bike’s air intake, the exhausts match the race bike layout, and the CFRP fairings follow the same aerodynamic shape as Marquez’s machine. As a result, you get a gorgeous sports bike which is the closest thing ever to Honda’s MotoGP machine. Oh, and all the LED lights you see here (headlight, tail lamp, turn signals) are removed once you put the Sports Kit.

Honda RC213V-S Notable Features

• Nine-level traction control
• Four-level engine brake control
• Three power modes
• Five ride modes
• Five-inch TFT instrument cluster
• Quickshifter