Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/527805
2016 HONDA RC213V-S FIRST RIDE P54 exhaust valve likely to assist with engine braking. But the 80 percent of com- monality is claimed to include the RC213V's chassis and swingarm, as well as the carbon- reinforced plastic bodywork with titanium fasteners; Marchesini forged magnesium wheels shod with Bridgestone R10 rubber; Brembo brake calipers; fully adjustable Öhlins suspension, with a gas-charged TTX25 fork up front; and TTX36 rear shock operated by the same Pro-Link linkage as the racer. Inside the V4 999cc mo- tor, alongside the shared 81 x 48.5mm dimensions and sand- cast crankcases are the same titanium valves and conrods, with the same twin injectors—one top-spray mounted above each throttle body, another at the side above the butterfly—in the quar- tet of 48mm PGM-DSFI throttle bodies. The RC213V-S is the first Honda to be fitted with an RBW/ ride-by-wire digital throttle, and its sophisticated ECU pack- age includes five distinct riding modes—three-stage 'power selector' throttle variability, nine- level traction control, and four- stage engine braking control, as well as a quickshifter; though no auto-blipper. This is also the first V4 sport- bike produced by Honda in the past 15 years since the demise of the RC45. Asked if the introduction of this model represented a return to Honda's V4 traditions dating back to 1982 that would be replicated on other less expensive models, Mr. Suzuki smiled broadly and replied, "We never forgot the V4 at Honda—and we never will." CN off the revs. While each motorcycle will be individually numbered, Honda has not imposed a production ceiling beyond a commitment to terminate manufacture on December 31, 2016. In 2017, there will be the introduction in Europe of Euro 4 compliance for all new motorcycles, which the RC213V-S cannot meet. This means that if Honda's target is achieved of manufacturing one bike per working day in a dedi- cated workshop at its Kumamoto factory, a maximum production volume of around 400 bikes can be constructed. At the Barcelona launch, the COO/Chief Operating Officer of Honda Motor Japan, Tetsuo Su- zuki, was at pains to stress that the mechanical core of the bike is indeed closely linked to Mar- quez' racer, with around 80 per- cent commonality of its compo- nents. The 20 percent changes include reduced compression, the substitution of the Marquez bike's pneumatic valve operation with valve springs, metal Brembo disc brakes rather than carbon ones, a conventional six-speed gearbox rather than the racer's seamless shift transmission (albeit with the same assisted dry slipper clutch), and forged three-ring pistons rather than the racer's two-ring ones. Amongst the minimal street equipment that's been added are separate 2-1 exhaust systems for each bank of cylinders, each con- taining its own catalyst and an