Riding Legends: Honda’s RC45 and RC51

Admin · August 19, 2022

Honda’s RC51 and RC45 homologation specials both found success on the race track—one in endurance racing and the other in superbike. ( Phil Steinhardt/)

Grand Prix bikes will always be considered the pinnacle of motorcycle racing technology and performance, but racebikes based on production machinery may actually be more exciting. These are race machines that look just like the bikes you can buy and ride on the street, and the performance gap from showroom model to a factory superbike is far smaller than the gap between a GP bike and any bike you can buy. In theory, the better the standard road bike, the better the racebike, so it’s the manufacturer’s job to give us regular riders better bikes.

Of course, like all racing rules, this one was bent as closely as possible to the breaking point. One way to do that was by producing special-edition versions of a bike, or even complete special models, to incorporate performance stuff the race teams needed. Suzuki had “RR” versions of its GSX-R. Ducati had various SPS and R versions of its twins. And Yamaha and Honda overachieved by building special models like the OW01 and RC30.

The RC30 was designed using an exquisite 750cc V-4 motor with the sole intent of racing and winning, able to go straight from the showroom to the racetrack and be instantly competitive. In roadracing, endurance racing, and domestic championships, the RC30 was a formidable weapon. For the first two years of the World Superbike Championship, it was enough motorcycle for Honda to take top honors with Fred Merkel in the hot seat.

But soon Ducati started to capitalize on the 250cc displacement advantage given to twin-cylinder bikes and dominated the following years of the championship. Honda needed an update.

The RC45 won six World Endurance Championship titles. (Phil Steinhardt/)

That brings us to the older of the two bikes here. The exquisite RVF750R RC45 was built around a high-revving short-stroke fuel-injected V-4 and designed to carry on the incredible racing success of the RC30 and snatch back the world title from the Italians. And best of all, if you were prepared to pay the equally exquisite price tag, you could buy one from your local Honda dealer and ride off on it down the road.

Although the RC45 saw success at the Isle of Man TT and won six World Endurance Championship titles, it was hindered by World Superbikes’ 750cc capacity restriction for four-cylinder bikes. John Kocinski rode one to a WSB title in 1997, but was unable to break Ducati’s dynastic chokehold on the series. Eventually Honda realized it was stubbornly sticking with an engine configuration that put it at a disadvantage in the rules, put its V-4 pride on the shelf, and played Ducati at its own game.

The RC51 VTR1000R SP1 (known as the RC51 in the USA and SP1 everywhere else) took the title from Ducati in 2000, and the updated SP2 won again in 2002 after a truly legendary season-long battle between Colin Edwards and Troy Bayliss. Having proved their point, Honda’s official factory team packed up all their toys and headed back to Japan. And with that, an era of HRC racing homologation specials came to an end, making the SP2 the last in a lineage of incredibly special bikes.

In 2000, the RC51 ended Ducati’s domination of WSB. (Phil Steinhardt/)

Don’t Hide ‘em, Ride ‘em

Bikes like this were poster fodder for my generation, culminating in the classic season-long duel between Ducati’s Bayliss and Honda’s Edwards for the 2002 world title in 2002. The Hondas share a purposeful look; they’re not ugly, by any means, but the totality of their form has clearly been driven by function, from the big endurance-racing-friendly single-sided swingarm of the RC45 to the large central air intake on the face of the SP.

The RC45 definitely feels a little more special, reminding you that it was once the pinnacle of Honda V-4 engine development. It fires to life with the same switch gear fitted to pretty much every ‘90s Honda, but that engine note is unmistakable. Blip the throttle and the whirr of gear-driven camshafts is drowned out by a surprisingly raspy intake noise. Revs build and fall quickly on this short-stroke motor, which feels exciting and willing despite its reasonably modest 118 hp. Bikes sold in the US were restricted to around 100 hp, but this was easily rectified.

US models of the RC45 were limited to 100 hp; most were quickly converted to the European configuration with 118 hp. (Phil Steinhardt/)

The riding position feels quite alien compared to modern bikes, with more of a reach around the bulky fuel tank to higher bars and a lower seat than is the current norm. Most striking, initially, is the number of familiar features on what was a very premium bike when it came out. Handlebar grips, switches, footrests and indicators are all very default Honda, but on the road there’s nothing default about the feel. That engine is the most evocative part of the riding experience; it’s by no means fast by modern standards, but that means the noise and feel can be savored as the revs wind up to redline, howling gloriously along each straight.

Dashes have come a long way in 20 years, but watching the tach needle jump to life with each crack of the throttle still feels special on the RC45. (Phil Steinhardt/)

Each crack or release of the delightfully direct throttle sees the revs rise and fall sharply; the bike has proper racebike immediacy. The gearshift is precise, light, and naturally, quickshifter free. The chassis feels stable, planted, and neutral, Honda doing what Honda does so well. Age notwithstanding, the RC45 makes a stunning chassis for road riding, not quite darting into apexes like a modern bike, but rolling smoothly and predictably into turns as the rider builds confidence and with it speed. As with so many collector bikes, this one has spent a lot of time as an ornament, and there’s nothing like a set of 15-year-old tires to sharpen the reflexes. Despite this, the RC45 inspired trust, a predictable platform for getting the most out of the grip available.

While not as quick to respond as a modern superbike, the RC45 is still a stunner on the road. (Phil Steinhardt/)

After the addictive sound and feel of the V-4, it’s easy to be underwhelmed by the RC51′s V-twin. In fact, for some, it’s all too easy to dismiss the bike altogether as not a true HRC homologation special. At the time, a Honda VTR1000 Firestorm could be had for less money if riding a V-twin Honda road bike was the goal, and that could take some of the blame for the RC51 not commanding the same status as the RC30 and RC45. But if only for being one of the most enjoyable, classic road-going sportbikes money can buy, the RC51 deserves attention.

While the RC51 doesn’t draw the crowds at bike hangouts like the RC45, it is better on the road. (Phil Steinhardt/)

Tug the cold-start cable out, hit the big square starter button, and the RC51 rumbles into life every single time. There’s no holding your breath while a lazy starter motor fights compression, no waiting for 20-year-old engine management systems to struggle through aging start-up protocols. Say what you want about the reliability of various brands these days, but bikes like this are what Honda’s reputation has been built on. The sweeping digital rev counter, coolest thing on the planet when it came out, has now been around for long enough to have an almost cheesy retro feel. The instruments as a whole give you only what you need to know, and to contemporary eyes, the information they provide feels a little sparse. There’s a modern parallel there, something about the difference between constant social media updates and receiving the year’s bullet points in an old-fashioned Christmas card.

A digital rev counter dominates a straightforward and simple dash on the RC51. (Phil Steinhardt/)

While we’re riding the wave of nostalgia, remember the noise that sportbike brakes used to make? That hiss when the pads touch the discs immediately fires me back 20 years. Thankfully the braking performance doesn’t feel 20 years old; 10 years old, maybe, but still enough to get things pulled back into line for the turns. The RC51 is never going to be an exceptionally comfortable streetbike, but by sportbike standards it’s surprisingly good. The angle of the bars feels a little tight, the reach forward to them a little long; tight turns in town need some clever wrist action to clear the tank, but that’s the only awkward bit about riding this in traffic. The clutch is manageable, and the fuelling on this particular bike is spot on. The RC51 is often criticized for awkward fueling, but in fairness it’s an issue that can be rectified with a fueling module and many bikes have already had this done.

Look at this bike with a critical eye and, yes, the clutch is heavy, the bars are low, the gearing is tall. But look at it in the company of its peers, bikes like the Aprilia’s RSV Mille or Ducati’s 998, and the RC51 is an absolute gem. If you’re going to buy a classic V-twin sportbike to ride and enjoy, the Honda is a solid bet. Out on flowing roads there’s a really distinctive feel to this Honda, starting with the flat, wide seat and the large slablike sides of the bodywork. It feels made to work with you, all large easy surfaces to work with under braking and hanging off for corners. There’s no drama at all when riding the RC51; it has a useful turn of speed throughout the rev range, the suspension is stiff enough to push it on the fun stuff without smashing your undercarriage to bits on rougher roads, and the riding position is plenty comfortable enough for a few hours in the canyons or an hour or so of highway riding.

The RC45 may not have the performance of the RC51, but it has a mystique that the V-twin can’t match. (Phil Steinhardt/)

Riding both of these bikes was every bit as special as I had hoped, but for very different reasons. The RC45 has the evocative noise and feel to match its reputation and justify its place on countless teenage bedroom walls. Many have spent too much time as static displays, inviting a host of fuel corrosion problems if they haven’t been laid up appropriately. But get a good one, keep the tires fresh, keep it running, and you’ll have a bike that makes you smile from the moment you leave the garage. As a pure and involving sportbike for the road, the RC45 is a very special ride.

The RC 51 is still an exhilarating ride. (Phil Steinhardt/)

But for the ultimate in rideable classic superbikes, the RC51 SP1 and its SP2 successor are hard to beat. Ignore the uninspiring spec sheet and actually take the thing for a ride. Genuine Honda racing heritage, a stunning V-twin soundtrack, and a chassis that transforms a hard push along a winding road into absolute joy. Buy yourself some retro leathers and go hunting modern metal.

This isn’t an investment. It’s a motorcycle. Go ride it.

Riding a homologation special classic is more satisfying than looking at it sitting in a collection. (Phil Steinhardt/)