Honda RC211V
| Honda (motorcycle) | |
|---|---|
|
|
| RC211V | |
| Manufacturer | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. |
| Production period | 2002 to 2006 |
| class | Racing motorcycle |
| Racing series | MotoGP |
| Motor data | |
| V5 - four-stroke engine | |
| Displacement (cm³) | 990 |
| Power (kW / PS ) | 175/240 (estimate) |
| Top speed ( km / h) | > 360 (theoretical) |
| transmission | 6-speed |
| drive | Chain drive |
| Brakes | Carbon disc brakes |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1,440 |
| Previous model | Honda NSR 500 |
| successor | Honda RC212V |
The Honda RC211V is a racing motorcycle developed by the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) and entered the MotoGP class of the highest prototype category of the FIM - Motorcycle Road World Championship between 2002 and 2006 .
Name abbreviation
- RC = Honda's name for models with four-stroke engines
- 211 = first motorcycle manufactured in the 21st century
- V = V engine
Regulations
The RC211V was the successor to the Honda NSR 500 , a 500- cc - two stroke engine . The motorcycle was specially developed for the MotoGP class, which came into being in the 2002 season , the regulations of which allowed four-stroke engines with three to six cylinders and displacements of up to 990 cm³. MotoGP replaced the 500 cc class , which was held until 2001 , as the premier class of motorcycle racing , in which only two-stroke engines with a displacement of up to 500 cc with a maximum of four cylinders were allowed.
The use of four-stroke engines and the increase in displacement to 990 cm³ had become necessary from the FIM's point of view, since two-stroke engines were no longer seen as contemporary and had long since been replaced by four-stroke engines in the field of large-volume street-legal machines.
engine
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The RC211V used a five-cylinder V-engine for the first time in racing and series motorcycle construction, with the front cylinder bank holding three and the rear two cylinders. This design enables more favorable mass centering and a more uniform torque curve than an in-line engine. The cylinder heads are designed in the classic design with two overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder.
Achievements and statistics from 2002 to 2006
In its debut year 2002 , the RC211V dominated the MotoGP class at will with rider Valentino Rossi . The Italian won eleven of the 16 races and confidently secured the driver's title . In addition to Rossi, his teammate Tōru Ukawa and Daijirō Katō and Alex Barros drove other RC211Vs during the season . All in all, these four drivers won 14 of the 16 races and thus gave Honda the constructors' world championship title with 390 out of a possible 400 world championship points . The motorcycle underwent minor changes over the course of the season, but did not yet have traction control . To do this, it was equipped with a power management system with three settings for different needs during a race.
In 2003 Valentino Rossi successfully defended his world title. In addition to the Italian, Sete Gibernau , Max Biaggi , Nicky Hayden , Tōru Ukawa, Makoto Tamada and Ryūichi Kiyonari started on RC211V. Overall, the Honda drivers won 15 of the 16 races and thus confidently defended the constructors' title with 395 out of a possible 400 points.
The Honda RC211V was considered “unbeatable” on the racetrack. Despite its up to 260 hp (exact performance data for MotoGP motorcycles are not available from any manufacturer to this day) at 165 kg, it was considered the motorcycle that was best to drive. After Valentino Rossi and his chief technician Jeremy Burgess moved to Yamaha for the 2004 season, it became clear that the RC211V could not - as Honda claims - be brought to the world title by every driver. Honda won the constructors' championship with the machine, but Rossi was world driver champion on a Yamaha YZR M1. In the following year , the constructors 'championship went to Yamaha, Valentino Rossi again won the drivers' championship on his M1.
Only through numerous changes to the chassis, the electrical system and the engine management system was in 2006 Nicky Hayden on the RC211V in a dramatic season finale in Valencia the World Cup to decide for himself and Honda recapture the constructors' championship.
Nevertheless, the Honda RC211V represents a milestone in motorcycle racing history. 48 of the 82 MotoGP races held during its service time were won on it, a rate of 58.5%. It was also able to win three drivers 'world championship titles (Rossi 2002 and 2003, Hayden 2006) and four constructors' titles (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006). This makes it one of the most successful racing motorcycles of all time.
For the 2007 season it was replaced by the RC212V , which, with an 800 cm³ four-cylinder, complied with the changed regulations.
Web links
50 cc: Honda RC115
125 cc: Honda RC149
250 cm³: Honda RC162 | Honda RC166 | Honda NSR 250
350 cc: Honda RC174
500 cc: Honda RC181 | Honda NR 500 | Honda NS 500 | Honda NSR 500
MotoGP: Honda RC211V | Honda RC212V | Honda RC213V