SuperBike Magazine September 2020

44 SuperBike
“AT ROSSI’S SPEED THE RC-V’S TWIN-SPAR ALUMINIUM
FRAME WOULD HAVE COME INTO ITS OWN.”
But the RC-V could not be flicked around with quite the
ludicrous ease of the NSR, which at just 131kg was 14kg
lighter still.
Just as with the V5’s speed edge, I was slightly
surprised that the difference in agility was so noticeable
at my rusty ex-racer’s pace. At Rossi’s speed the RC-V’s
twin-spar aluminium frame would have come into its
own, because it was designed to flex slightly in corners,
reducing chatter and increasing feel when the tyres
were at their limits.
Honda’s efforts to make the RC211V rider-friendly
had paid off. I’d barely scratched the surface of its
vast potential, and had the feeling — more than
with previous factory bikes I’d ridden — that I
could have pushed much harder without getting
bitten. But my five laps were up before I found
the confidence to test that theory. Which, given the
RC-V’s rarity and almost incalculable value, was
probably just as well. SB
220bhp
Max power for a weight
barely more than 145kg
Ooooh, they’ve
crammed a lot in
there haven’t they?
Five cylinders, 20
valves, enormous
radiator. And still
under 150kg. Jap
bike firms can barely
make a moped weigh
less than that these
days.
SB
Carbon brake discs,
magnesium yokes,
swingarm like the
Forth Bridge, end
cans off an old
Piaggio...