Honda Racing Corporation has unveiled the Honda RCV1000R production racer at Valencia. But before you start assuming this to be the € 100K Honda RCV1000 MotoGP replica that was rumoured for EICMA 2013- let us tell you it is not. What we got to see at the EICMA with hopes of the RCV1000 was a Honda Fireblade with a premium kit. Getting back to the present bike, Honda would be selling the RCV1000R to non-factory racing teams participating in the MotoGP World Championships.
The new Honda RCV1000R production racer has been undergoing tests by none other than former two time MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner who praised the RCV1000R saying the motorcycle was more impressive than predicted. He said that the bike felt like a factory Honda with less power and a slightly different feel in engine braking.
To add further, Honda test rider Takumi Takahashi while putting the new RCV1000R to the paces was half a second slower when compared to the RC213V Factory Honda. With such figures, the bike does feel an impressive package. Obviously not as technically strong as the RC213V MotoGP bike, the new Honda RCV1000R uses conventional spring valve technology and a standard gearbox unlike pneumatic valves and the advanced seamless transmission on the MotoGP bike.
It was being rumoured that HRC would be extremely selective of the team would they be selling the bike to, and most probably they would end up striking a deal with a team with a proven track record.
Nothing has been mentioned on the specifications, which isn’t going to be a secret for long and should be out in a few days time.