Honda RC51 | First Ride & Surprising Facts (well... never before "considered-facts")
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 มิ.ย. 2020
- After 20 years of vigorously eyeballing the RC51 I've finally got my Honda RVT 1000R SP1! I'm crazy excited to do this first ride video and decided to go ahead and throw in 5 “never before considered facts” about Honda's RC51 - SP1 (around 6:08)
Video Time Codes:
0:38 Delivery
1:23 First Ride
3:50 First Impressions
6:08 Five never before considered facts
8:30 Scenery worth turning around for
PLEASE LIKE & SUBSCRIBE to fuel my madness!!
#RC51 #hondamotorcycles #ride #rebuild #coutersteer
Disclaimers for movie clips from the following sources:
• Video
• Monty Python - The Bla...
• "It's alive!"
• Nice bike
• Lenny Leonard licks a ...
• Video
• Sony FS700 Slow Motion...
• RC51 Track Day in 4k
• Video - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
I love my 2001 SP-1, she's a bike I'll own forever. Between the sound and the emotional connection of riding such an icon, it just can't be replicated. Saddling an RC51 is an experience, it's a lot more than just a ride. Maybe it's a generational thing, but this is a bike that can never be replaced
Totally agree! I was just thinking last night... man, this is STILL my favorite bike
That bike was a dream back when I was in high school.
I rode a 93 Nighthawk 750 and then a 919 (Hornet).
The RC51 was an insane level of performance for it's day.
Still got the torque to put a smile on MY dial
I love thumpers, since 1972, have a 540cc single racer,
A pro build 89 gt650. And my 01 RC51. On the the race track, i am more comfortable with tq power control than 18k rpm power. The 916, SV1000 were on the list with the RC. Life span of equipment, quality, type of equipment, price.
The Dukes are very nice, the quality Honda is better, when a engine taken care can go 120k miles with very little real maintenance.
Honda hit the bullseye with this bike. Cheers
Exacto, Honda for the win!
As a lover of my 97 VFR750 may she RIP (man that just rips me up) and loyal owner of my 2000 RC51 (money down before they were released), I say to you good sir, that you do indeed have immaculate taste. My brother had a 98 CBR900RR and that was a beauty as well. Cheers!!
Much obliged! I do wish I had a bigger garage... much bigger... so I can live amongst them.
I just purchased on with 5,000 miles never modded and always garage kept. It does boggle the mind when you finally have one and can experience it first had. I am already looking at purchasing another. Love your content keep pumping it out!
Thanks Ashley! A special beast indeed with a lot of unique character...
I had an ‘04 Nicky Hayden edition which I proceeded to upgrade with a power commander, titanium slip on pipes, lower gear ratio, LED front signals (got rid of the huge signal stalks), undertail/fender eliminator, Corbin seat, and some other goodies.
Probably the most beautiful bike I’ve ever owned, comfortable to ride long distances, very stable and easy to ride. Unfortunately it was not for me, so I sold it. Maybe if I got on one again after all these years I might feel different.
Only one way to find out... ;p I promised myself to stop selling & upgrading things I love, hopefully the universe lets me stick to my guns!
I love the look of the ‘04... if I could find one for a reasonable price I would probably have gone there but the last year prices have been going bananas.
Love the RC, such a great piece of engineering. ❤️
Agreed! I love the stock HRC cases :)
Nice man, I just picked up an 05 with 40k on it. Wow is all I can say. I LOVE THIS BIKE!
Thanks dude, couldn’t agree more!
Great video dude i was looking into these the other. Looks awesome
Thanks dude, gotta say... I’m loving the RC!
Nice bike, RC51❤. You're lucky man
Thanks, still my favourite to ride… so far so good!
loving my SP-2 definitely a bike to respect, that torque will humble you.
No doubt, gave her the ‘ol double clutch for $@ts & giggles & realized I didn’t have too!
I'm in the process of bringing my new to me 2002 RC51 back to stock (mostly) already have lots of parts. Having the wheels powder coated is the biggest factor. That, and trying to decide what exhaust to run. I'm leaning towards universal two bros mufflers but I have a leaky link pipe, so I don't know. Wish I had a pipe bender... Safe travels, nice work. ✌️
My friend bought a gem RC51 and let me ride it on Thanksgiving vacation when I went to see him I absolutely loved this bike I had a on my face the whole time funny enough I own a 93 cbr 900rr in black yellow and purple just love these older bikes
Right on Mike! Yeah the new styling these days really don’t appeal to me… I prefer a bike designed by one guy that has talent, as opposed to a panel of judges ;p
Nice, I have a VFR1000F. The V Twin riding experience is unique. I would like to ride an SP2.
Right on, I’ve heard only good things about the performance of the big VFR.
Awesome! Never knew about the SP3 testing... sounds dangerous LOL
Thanks! ...secret testing
Awesome vid man. If I see a good specimen available near me... this is probably my next bike.
I may go for that SP3 though after seeing this!
Thanks man! You gotta jump all over that... like donkey on kong. You won’t regret it.
Besides, prices are going to go through the roof when they find those crates full of never-released SP3’s!
@@counter-steer I want to either find an 80s VFR700/1000.. or an RC51. Your video is helping sway me towards RC51. Gear driven cams is a requirement.
What kills me is that I probably could have picked one up 10 years ago for peanuts, but I didn't realize why they were special at the time. It was my cousins and he was moving across the country. I still remember straddling the bike and looking at that very unique tachometer.
I'm not much of a speed demon, but the RC51 just seems special to me. Your vid helps solidify that. BTW, i fucking love this style of video, so cheers for the effort you put into filming, editing, and uploading it.
Appreciate the feedback, thanks dude! I love making these but need to find more time...
Can’t say enough good things about the earlier VFRs but unless you’re doing long rides the RC51’s just more fun with so much low-end torque... if you have a bit of space I’d suggest you get both! VFR prices are really low right now & their owners generally take really good care of them. My ‘95 is like new & I got it for a song.
Great bike and fun video. Thanks for that!!!
Thanks Paul, glad it was your cup of tea!
Still have my 2003 with less than 10k original miles... LOVE this bike!
You sir, have great taste! I’ll never get tired of mine… they come from a time when perfection wasn’t just a marketing blurb and bikes weren’t designed by a panel of mechanical engineers
Absolutely one of the most beautiful bikes Honda produced and they have made some beauties. Your scenic roads look pretty amazing too.
True that! It’s a great stretch of road... just lots of wildlife out on the West coast.
Great video..l love mine rc51
Thanks man!
this is the bike that made me a L Twin fan for Life.. and is the one bike I would take over all others
Nailed it
Interesting Facts , I never knew 😮
Makes perfect sense if you don’t think about it ;p
It sure does
Love your vid!! I am kicking myself for selling mine!! What SP3!? need to get it!😍😍 more info please!!😍😍
SP3 is very rare, they only made 0. I have a full spec sheet here but if I tell you they'd have to kill me ;p
I'm a Ducati guy from way back but always dug the RC51, though never had the opportunity to ride one. Really impressive bike.
I didn't watch the entire video here, so maybe he issued a correction; Colin Edwards was the "Texas Tornado," not Nicky Hayden who was from Kentucky. May he RIP.
Yeah, rad bikes. I’m merely mentioning both legends in the same breath.
Everywhere I look it seems like the smaller clutch resivior sock is harder to find.. Have a link to where yours came from?
Hi Eric! I was lucky enough to get the bike with the HRC socks… not sure where they came from though.
I grew up through 70s 80s 90s, my first sport bike was the 82 seca 550, i have had several bikes after that, most 4 cyl, i have the ZZR 1200 it is faster and accelerates quicker than the RC, the power is amazing sometimes too much, but when I got my RC51 I found my lover, she is the last bike I will ever want, not for travel but pure enjoyment of what a bike is. Speed power corners perfect.
Couldn't agree more, she's one of a kind!
VI Honda key chain? Is this shot on the island? Nice looking ride.
Thanks! Well spotted. I bought it off a really nice guy from the island... I’m just across the water, on the coast.
I bought an 04 Nicky Hayden RC brand new in winter of 05. Had it for 3 years and regret selling it every single day.
Ouch, yeah that hurts... They’re still marginally affordable (in the states) if you’re lucky but prices are on the rise. I almost got my hands on one but would have had to ship it 3.4k miles!
Let's get this out there... Stunning camera work mate. Are you photographer or something?? 👍
Got an SP1 myself, here in blighty. Had an SP2 in Australia. A 954 in NZ. I did watch and think... 'Wind her on bit mate, you'll have more fun!' So glad you saw the light and tried a bit harder after ya break 😉
For what it's worth, my suggestion is, a power commander and taking the time and effort to set the suspension up for you. It's not a quick bike by today's standards, but it'll corner on rails and exit a bend/apex with the taps fully open, once the tyres are warm. At that point, you'll be on the look out for a second bike, just to have in the garage and appreciate whilst you ride the first one. Look up fun in the dictionary. I might have the exact quote slightly wrong, but it's something like: Fun is best experienced by way of a twisty road in the summer and an SP that's set up for its rider. ...I'm sure it goes something like that 🤣
Cheers mate! I’m just starting to play around with the cameras a bit but find it takes the fun out of it if you’re focused on filming as opposed to riding.
The knee-down crowd have given me grief about my riding style on the vid. Not knowing I had a camera strapped to the tank so had to sit upright like a possum with a carrot up his non-gentleman area... and the bike had 16 year old cracked tires on squarer than a 1962 Hardley-Dangerous with 4” chicken strips.
Still had a blast ripping round the twisties though!
About to get an sp1. The prices are rising fast already the sp2 is out of my budget 😮
@@TheVaughan5 Yeah you gotta jump on that! Almost got an '04 myself but wasn't meant to be! Yet...
Great Vid Countersteer! I worked in the m/c biz wheb these came out and wanted one ever since. I somehow managed to never get one until last year. Picked up a clean, bone stock ‘01 sp1 with only 5k miles on it 🍆 ❤️
Kicking myself in the arse for not buying one earlier. Best all around sport bike I’ve ever riden when it comes to all around performance. At a banged up 49yrs old...it hurts after about 300 miles but the pain is worth the miles of smiles 😉
Just had it out in it’s first track day and it’s surprisingly still “competitive” in regards to speed & handling.
I run into so many people that regret selling theirs. I’m likely gonna keep it forever. It’s so damned sexy to look at!
Dropped it in parking lot earlier this year (F**K) 🤬....but minor damage/scrapes. Oh well...it’s on now. Will likely start modifying it a little, but torn between keeping it stock. Since I don’t ever plan on selling it...I’m not interested in max resale value.
Thanks for the great vid! I’m subscribed now 👍
Awesome man! I'm a fan of older bikes being stock... just 'cause everyone and their dog has a tail tidy and a flapper mod. Makes me feel extra special being stock ;p That being said, I've seen some mods worth doing. Rear turn signals and tail light shaped to be part of the rear cowl for example. Performance mods are a little lost on me as I've gained a healthy respect for deer strikes the last couple of years (living in the sticks). I recon as long as you keep the stock parts, you can always sell those when you retire and buy a small island off the coast of Cuba or something? lol.
Never sell! Never surrender!
Countersteer hey...thanks for reply. Appreciate your dedication to your vide and comments. For some reason I can’t select on the read more portion where you talk about the mods.
Countersteer I hate to be a pain in the ass… But can you retype or copy and paste what you wrote but in a separate small reply. Maybe 2-3 replies if needed for length?
Countersteer I too live an old, classic stock bike...for originality purposes as well. But struggle with the tail section as it’s SO DAMNED SEXY when it’s opened up. And Honda may have had the worst, largest stock turn signals on sport bikes known to man 😂
Probably could drop my track day times by 1 second without those alone 😂
@@gnf22193 No doubt... creates a great slipstream for the guy behind you though!
I'm in the market for a sports bike and torn between RC51 sp2 and Duc 996s. I know its a matter of preference but I would greatly appreciate your take. Thanks.
Hmmm, can’t speak to the Duc although I have great respect for the 916-996 as a species. As a real world bike (to actually ride and enjoy) I would definitely go for the RC51. I was honestly shocked at how comfortable it is. Don’t get me wrong it’s not a VFR or blackbird but I found it in a different class to the CBR and even GSXRs or the same era. Strangely civilized yet balls-to-the-wall if you’re looking to tickle it a bit.
As an investment, better than the Duc.
Aesthetically, hard to say… very subjective but I love the fit & finish on these. Unmatched by the new stuff today. Ducati’s always going to be a head turner but kinda like Uma Thurman… gorgeous but you’re not quite sure why. It’s got a stripped out racebike feel from a visual perspective where the RC51 is just perfect.
Can’t say you can go wrong with the RC. If you change your mind down the line… you’ve made a couple grand for having it in yer garage. Or living room. Or bedroom
@@counter-steer thanks for the input...enjoy and ride safe😎
Nicky is not the Texas tornado. That’s Colin Edwards. Nicky is (was) the Kentucky Kid.
Love that bike!
Yup... just mentioned them both in the same breath is all :)
I must have owned around 15 bikes over the years but none of them came anywhere near the awesome RC51. Nothing to do with power, top speed etc because today´s in line fours are faster but they don´t have that unbelievable ride quality as though you´re part of the machine. If you´ve never ridden one you won´t understand but once you have there´s no going back, HRC for the road and the last of the mostly hand built Hondas.
You said it man… she took me by surprise for sure. Unique mix of things we’ll never see again.
I just bought a 2006 rc51 today. Advice?
Yes! Get off the internet and go for a ride ;)
Dunno if height matters....I'm just shy of 6'2" and my bike feels and fits perfectly.
I hear ya... I wasn’t expecting it to be so forgiving on the joints. Just about have to dislocate some stuff just to get on some of the higher-pegged bikes.
@@counter-steer yeah I have a 94 GSXR1100 and a 90 GSXR750 and the foot/leg positioning is waaay tighter on the Suzuki's. Have a 96 YZF750R as well but cant use it for comparison as I haven't completed the rebuild yet.
I have one, so i know what you feel when riding her...
Nicky Hayden was Not Texas Tornado
Yup, just mentioning both legends in one breath
Bro, the Texas Tornado is Colin Edwards, not Nicky Haden.
Yup, I just mentioned them both!
Looks like Vancouver island ?
Hey, close enough! Just opposite the water on the Coast.
@@counter-steer awesome! I’m on the island. Love the RC51 special Machine! Ride safe 👍
Right on! She has taught me respect already :) You might just hear me over the water on a clear day.
I used to run my 2004 RC51 on the track over in Hawaii before they closed it, and my front wheel would never come up when I'd pull hard out of a turn, even the one right before the straight away where most people's wheels got up. Man, I'm fighting to get mine back. The VA illegally towed it from me, I got the charges dismissed, but the towing company refused to give it back without me paying, and the cops wouldn't come make them give it back, since they get kickbacks from them. There's gotta be a way to force that fucking company to give it back, as they are blatantly breaking the law by failing to return the bike to the rightful owner, storage of stolen property, bike theft, extortion for forcing me to pay when CA law says if there's a dismissal or aquittal the owner owes no towing or storage fees. I have a carbon fiber/magnesium dymag on the rear wheel, sato racing banzai carbon fiber exhaust, PC3 which had been dyno'd, and several other parts I paid a lot for. I should just find out where it's being hidden, use my key to take it back, but I'd need help. I just had to say this in a group of RC51 lovers. That bike is my baby, and we've been through a lot together since I got her brand new out of the box in 2004. Anyone with any ideas would be greatly appreciated! If the channel reads this, can you pin this comment please? Thank you much!
Hey Rex! Don't get me started on the towing companies man. Arg.
@@counter-steer I know man. I wish we could all organize something as riders or something like that to expose those criminals! Have you seen at all what Star Wars fans have done to Disney? They worked together and made themselves heard.
U hm Colin Edwards tex tornado!
He’s the man, man
Tornado Texas Colin Edwards...not Nicky Hayden :(
Yup, I'm implying both fine gentlemen... not the sort of fellas one would befuddle
I know you may want to keep it a secret....but where oh where is this road????
Always happy to share vague specifics with a fellow rider ;p Little unknown “Island” off the west coast of Canada . Only has one main road with a ferry boat at both ends.
Why do you let go of the gas through the curves? You are losing grip and control by doing so.
Yup… deer season up here fella. Need to scrub speed before the exit in case there’s a surprise after the bend, chewing something… ready to pulverize what’s left of my knee cap. I miss the open roads of the interior!
Per pochi appassionati
grandi menti pensano allo stesso modo
Great footage. Terrible music choices. It makes me despair that such a lack of taste is so endemic in North America nowadays.
My ignorance amuses me.
Short shifting, ride like a single small bore
Nice keychain why don’t you just drag a hammer cross the triple clamp
Hmm... if it was a soft acrylic hammer with a gel-coating over top, sure.