HONDA RC212V (2007-Present) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Honda RC212V was a Japanese racing motorcycle created by Honda for road racing in the 800cc MotoGP series. The bike was developed by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) and was officially introduced in 2006 as a replacement for the RC211V.

The RC212V racing machine started officially racing in the 2007 season. It was powered by an 800cc liquid-cooled four-stroke DOHC four-valve engine placed in an all-new chassis, focusing on mass centralization and handling.

In 2007, The issue with Honda's GP machine was which team and rider would receive the best parts and if performance differences were due to the rider rather than the machine. After a few rounds, the riders did not achieve the results, so the leading HRC chief admitted that they had made a mistake in developing the RC212V.

In 2008, Honda used pneumatic valve springs and a new chassis. The 2008 model with pneumatic valves was only available to the Repsol team, which in testing, it proved to be very problematic.

In 2009, Pedrosa and Dovizioso were the factory team riders, while Elias, De Angelis, De Puniet, and Yuki Takahashi were the Stateline team riders. The 2009 racing machine was similar to the 2008 model, and all six RC212V machines used pneumatic valve powerplants.

In 2010, Pedrosa and Dovizioso were again the factory team riders, while Hiroshi Aoyama, de Puniet, Melandri, and Marco Simoncelli were the Stateline team riders. The riders used Ohlin suspension, an updated electronic system, and a shorter bike with a higher center of gravity.

For 2011, the frame geometry and rigidity were the same as the previous model, with an improvement to the seamless transmission, making the machine an evolution of the 2010 model.