[GuntherZX-9R]

I found three European magazines that have been able to test the 2002 RC51. The consensus is that it is a better all around bike for the track and street. The throttle response and vague feel from the rear were both addressed. I still have one question....why is it every time I read something about the RC51..even something positive....I leave feeling like I am going to face a serious let down in terms of the power it makes. I am waiting for the 2002s to come in. NO dealership around here will let me ride one before purchasing and the only V-twin I ever rode (duc 996) I HATED. I hope I am not making a mistake. One day I think I should stick to what I know (inline liter performance!) and other days I feel like I will never know till I try something new. Awful big investment to wind up disappointed. The waiting is making it worse...this sucks. Someone brag about how fast their RC is quick before I bail and grab the 2002 GSXR1000! Hehe

Wheelies don't necessarily make you a squid, but bitchin about em' sure makes you a sissy!

 

[redtwin]

If all you are after is big high-end hp numbers stay away from V-twins...any and all V-twin. They were never designed for that and they can never compete with an open class inline 4 or even a few 750s (assuming stock configurations). I have ridden a 996, a TLS, and the Mille, and the 996 felt weak in comparison, so I wouldn't look upon your experience with the 996 as being indicative of all open class V-twins. If you want a bike as fast as your ZX-9 don't even bother looking at V-twins. If you want a different riding experience then I cannot recommend anything better than a V-twin. If you really want to try something new get the RC, but don't even try to think of it in the same light as the GSXR1000 because it isn't even close, you are essentially comparing a 750cc class bike to a 1000cc class bike which just isn't fair.

Take care,
Gregory

I could have been a squid, but I was too busy posing.

 

[IanR1]

116-120rwhp is just that. Don't expect any barn burner. It's fast as hell, but if you are expecting the liter class whomp up top you will be let down.

 

[LordJim]

Totally agree with redtwin and IanR1 (sheesh again /images/icons/wink.gif)

You are comparing apples and oranges. I'm afraid to say that you're probably going to be disappointed with the RC.

Do you ride your inline on the track? If not, are you using all that litre class HP on the street?

Later

 

[GuntherZX-9R]

Yeah yeah yeah..I tell myself the same damn thing every day. If I could just get the thing and start enjoying it I wouldn't be agonizing like this!

Wheelies don't necessarily make you a squid, but bitchin about em' sure makes you a sissy!

 

[WinkoR1]

hey GuntherZX-9R do you have any friends or know anybody who has a RC51? If so see if they will let you ride it to see if you like it or not. Personally I would never buy a bike without ever riding one because to me it's just too much of an investment to end up with something that you don't like.

 

[jmoney]

You will be disappointed as far as power goes coming from your 9 in-line to a V-twin. That doesn't mean that you won't like the bike. Just in a different way.

Let other people be right sometimes...it soothes them for being nothing else!

 

[SBW-F4iEECS]

hmmm yes, the power will not be good enough for you. It's not a drag racer bike. I doubt if you'll see many at a strip... I think at lower-end, city riding, the twin is great for torque and usability.

But I've ridden a liter bike a few times... and it's wayy more powerful than an RC51, especially high RPMs. Liter bikes have this way of 'getting away from me'. That is, they accelerate, and it's so fast that it throws me back... then I grab more throttle to hang on, and it gets FASTER... then I enter this speed dimentia thing and get tunnel vision. The RC doesn't do that to me.

It feel more like driving a V6 pickup truck around the city. It's damn fast still, but you can't compete with an inline-6 M3 on the freeway.

 

[redtwin]

V-6??...I'm hurt. I always thought of it as a V-8 /images/icons/laugh.gif

Take care,
Gregory

I could have been a squid, but I was too busy posing.

 

[jmoney]

Not only that, but a lot of people are still stuck on the idea of a V-twin having more low-end torque for city riding. That's not the case anymore. The liter bikes now put damn near the same amount of low-end torque as the V-twins do, if not more. But the liter bikes pretty much kill them from the mid range on up.

Let other people be right sometimes...it soothes them for being nothing else!

 

[IanR1]

Exactly jmoney... The only thing the Vtwins might have is better tractability...

If getting from point a to point b as fast as possible and having as much fun as possible is your thing, then an RC51 will be perfect for you.

If you like to just cruise the freeways and city streets the RC is a horrible choice.

Just my .02 cents. I only wish the RC had about 10rwhp more up top, I would own the SP2 right now. But it's hard to go backwards at this point.

 

[SBW-F4iEECS]

I've seen many guys that dyno their RC's at 135 horsepower ranges. I think it costs about 2000$ to give it that much more horsepower, as it involves exhaust systems, PCII, and a high-flow airbox or modified air filters.

 

[SBW-F4iEECS]

ps. What is "tractability" and why are v-twins better at that?

 

[IanR1]

It costs alot more than 2000 bucks to get an RC into the 135rwhp range.

Tractability means how the bike puts the power down to the pavement... Granted the bike has some issues with the rear end, but in general the twins have power pulses that don't break the tire loose as easily as the inlines do. The power delivery is basically nice and linear. Where the inlines are not

 

[LordJim]

Just a little reality check here. I'm part of a group of RC51 owners. I think there's a little over 300 members at this point. Out of those 300 I can count on the fingers of ONE hand the number of guys who have 135+hp. And the ones who do, spent waaaaaaay more than $2000.

Don't let people talk schite. Next time those guys tell you that Donoman, tell 'em to prove it. /images/icons/wink.gif


Later

 

[SBW-F4iEECS]

hm... it's hard to see because i just look at the dyno's and believe them. of course, we all know that dynos differ from place to place. and of course, a manufacturer's site is the wrong place to be collecting dyno information, right?

from what i've heard, the RC makes something like 120 hp stock (magazines) and it's pretty easy to get about 7 hp with simple mods.

I don't care much, personally, for super high horsepower on an RC.

Sorry for the misinformation!

 

[jmoney]

hey donoman...Your cat's got an F4i too...ssssweeet/images/icons/laugh.gif.

Let other people be right sometimes...it soothes them for being nothing else!

 

[plasti]

My name is plasti, I am an RC51 owner.
:RESPONSE:"Hi plasti"

OK- enuf w/ the "AA" stuff.
I love my bike.
I would buy the "OurSeaFiddyJuan" just for the sound alone!

I have owned other bikes b4.
Just today- in the cold north (30deg outside temp) I was crusing downtown in a 40mph zone going 40mph cuz it was cold- and a dude in a truck came up next to me and slowed down and stared and cracked his window---TO LISTEN TO MY BIKE!

I don't care what others think, but I never got the reaction with I4's....
peace
plasti


2001 Honda RC51

 

[IanR1]

RC's are typically 116-118rwhp stock, some might reach the 120rwhp, but they are a minority in my experience. A set off slipons will run close to 1000 if not more and gain you maybe 5rwhp through the rev range, fuel mapping just improves response and doesn't do much for total gains. Full exhausts really don't seem to help twins like they do inlines either.

So unless you go with high comp pistons, full exhaust, remap, maybe a cam and a few other things you will not see 135rwhp... At least that's what I've gathered through following the RC's aftermarket progression.

 

[GuntherZX-9R]

I agree the sound alone makes the power sacrifice worth it. I have heard it accurately described as "the voice of God!"

Wheelies don't necessarily make you a squid, but bitchin about em' sure makes you a sissy!