[Guest]

Just read this article and kinda chuckled to myself. The article starts off by stating all of the changes made to each bike. The list for the Ducati and the Aprilia are about a paragragh or three each and when they get to the RC51 it simply says "The Honda recieves a new black paint job."

In another spot it says the lack of development shows (on the RC), but in every test, the bikes are all nearly equal. Then, the frosting on the cake is at the end the riders give thier opinions and the first two said they would buy the RC and spend the cash they saved to 'fix' the problems and still have money left over. The third guy says he would take the Ducati, but doesnt give any realistic reasoning. I mean come on, the Duc is $18,000! It should be better, in fact, it should be WAY better than the other two.
Anyway, I thought it was pretty cool that the Honda with 3yr old technology is just as good a bike as the State-of-the-art ITALIAN superbikes. Imagine how great the RC would be if Honda had kept up on the improvements. I think at the very least honda should have incorperated a shift light on the newer models. My buddys gsxr600 has one and its great.

 

[Guest]

Re: Sport Rider V-Twin Battle (lokar)

I just got my copy of sport rider and can't wait to read it.

 

[Guest]

Re: Sport Rider V-Twin Battle (lokar)

I really wish that they (Honda) would update the RC and retire the super chicken. Great bike, and I loved riding a friends vtwin/super hawk before I had my RC, but lets get some improvements in the fat little piggy that we call RC, and move forward. I love my ride, first brand spankin new ride, car or otherwise, that I've owned, and goddamn, I had to have her just as soon as I could.

It's the only ride I could justiy, and really felt right about buying brand new. I am looking at Ducs now though. Not to replace the RC, but to add to my collection. I am looking at used Monsters for a little more relaxed ride, and a bit of touring. The RC will always have my heart and be my knee draggin fav. But a bike is a bike, and my soon to be track toy will need a little sibling, i.e. the Duc.

All in all, the RC just gives more bang for the buck than an Italian superbike. I'll get my soul of the Duc in other forms. The RC is my little baby that runs me through a curve in a dream like nothing else. Update and keep makin her!!!!!!

 

[Guest]

And radially mounted brake calipers. I wonder why the '05's don't have 'em.

 

[Guest]

Re: (Hams51)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Hams51 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">And radially mounted brake calipers. I wonder why the '05's don't have 'em.</TD></TR></TABLE>

that would be cool also...

just little touches would be cool. Say a clock how hard is that? BUt yeah..radial brakes along with radial master cylinder from the big RR would be cool

 

[Guest]

Re: (3stripes)

feh, next thing you'll be wanting them to fix the seats too!

Some updates would be good, I'd pay a couple extra hundred bucks, it's still a deal at that.

 

[Guest]

Re: (3stripes)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 3stripes »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

just little touches would be cool. Say a clock how hard is that? </TD></TR></TABLE>

+1 !!!

laughing . . . seriously. i think that all the time (no pun intended). "i can tell how hot the engine is running, how fast the bike is going and how high the engine is revving - but i have no idea what time it is."

 

[Guest]

Re: (5150)

I saw the same thing and thought that if you put the $3000.00 you would save over the Aprilia in the RC it should be just as good if not better. And if you put the $6000.00 you would save over the Duc in the RC it should be better too even though it is older technology.
I think you would have a hard time finding a Duc or an Aprilia for $10.000 that would look, sound and perform as well as the RC51.

 

[Guest]

Re: (CBR400RR)

Did someone say ' a shift light ' ....?

Dude...

Not shitting on you but....you SHOULD be able to shift by 1. Seat of your pants

2. Sound of the engine

3. Tachometer

Now go out and ride...

 

[Guest]

Re: (CBR400RR)

I have heard this before, and it was mentioned in the article, yet I can't for the life of me understand why it's hard to make a lighter v-twin sportbike. Does the vtwin engine weigh that much more then the inline lump? What else really needs to be different about the bike other then the motor and the frame width to accept the "narrow" v-twin motor?

 

[Guest]

Re: (old timer)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by old timer »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Did someone say ' a shift light ' ....?

Dude...

Not shitting on you but....you SHOULD be able to shift by 1. Seat of your pants

2. Sound of the engine

3. Tachometer

Now go out and ride...

</TD></TR></TABLE>
I agree a shiftlight would be nice, but its not necessary. You get lazy once you have one (just sold my 03 r6), and with an unconventional tach (the rc) it takes some getting used to.

 

[Guest]

Re: (GregP)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GregP »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have heard this before, and it was mentioned in the article, yet I can't for the life of me understand why it's hard to make a lighter v-twin sportbike. Does the vtwin engine weigh that much more then the inline lump? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, a V-twin engine is heavier. For one, the crank has to be stouter just to withstand the forces of two 500cc cylinders firing.

 

[Guest]

Re:

Shift light? I simply throttle until I hit the rev limiter, then shift.

 

[Guest]

yes, but the engine makes up a small part of the overall weight difference.

I would guess that the biggest contributor to the RC's weight is its frame. the damn thing is super stout. Also the swing arm. But at some point you have to draw a line between weight and sound structure.

I certainly think Honda could, if given motive, build a light-weight version of the RC. And with say 20 or so more hp, it'd be the baddest super sport ever built. At that point it would truly be in the same league as the new liters from a performance standpoint, but ultimately far more desirable.

if only.....

 

[Guest]

heavy is heavy

How about having 4 cams and two seperate cam drive assemblies?

Not to mention two seperate cylinder heads with with all the extra hardware to keep them bolted to their respective bores???

I just picked up a 2005 kawi 636 motor it was freakish light. It weighs less then a xt 600 motor I have by quite a bit. The air cooled xt motor is pumped up a bit still makes less then 50 hp. the stock 636 motor puts out over 115,... geesh

 

[Guest]

Re: (Eric04)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Eric04 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I certainly think Honda could, if given motive, build a light-weight version of the RC. And with say 20 or so more hp, it'd be the baddest super sport ever built. At that point it would truly be in the same league as the new liters from a performance standpoint, but ultimately far more desirable.

if only.....
</TD></TR></TABLE>

...and most likely far more expensive.

 

[Guest]

heavy is heavy

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GregP »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Does the vtwin engine weigh that much more then the inline lump? </TD></TR></TABLE>
yes, it does

How about having 4 cams and two seperate cam drive assemblies?

Not to mention two seperate cylinder heads with with all the extra hardware to keep them bolted to their respective bores???

I just picked up a 2005 kawi 636 motor it was freakish light. It weighs less then a xt 600 motor I have by quite a bit. The air cooled xt motor is pumped up a bit still makes less then 50 hp. the stock 636 motor puts out over 115,... geesh

 

[Guest]

why more expensive? You can get the more powerful, lighter, newer tech 1KRR for less than the current RC.

You're right, it would be more money, but it wouldn't HAVE to be more.

 

[Guest]

Re: Sport Rider V-Twin Battle (lokar)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lokar »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I think at the very least honda should have incorperated a shift light on the newer models.</TD></TR></TABLE>
weight savings
engine improvements
front mount rads
radial calipers
bigger tank
slipper clutch


all things that would costr Honda a Big Mac worth of work to do to the bike.....but hey are famous for never doing a thing to any bike once it's realeased. I was shocked when the RC got those revisions in 2002, they only did it to improve because of the SBK/AMA bike.
Look at the poor Superhawk or Blackbird (well, discont. now), those two poor bastards are so abandoned is not even funny anymore, same fait the RC will suffer.

 

[Guest]

Re: (Hams51)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Hams51 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">And radially mounted brake calipers. I wonder why the '05's don't have 'em.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Would somebody like to tell me why? The RC's brakes are still among the best I've used.

As for it getting any updates, forget it. Nobody races it professionally. Seems they could sell it cheaper though. Better yet, relax it a little. Scrap the RC and the SuperChicken all at once, and make a dedicated streetbike with the RC's mill.