Rc 51 rvt

I know this is a V-four forum, and I love my '88 750, but I am looking to get a liter bike and was wondering if any 1 here has had any personal experience with the RC 51. If so how does it compare to a 2nd gen VFR(I have the euro model which supposedly has a couple xtra ponies) as far as power,weight,comfort, and of course the super subjective fun factor.

 

RC? fat heavy piece of shit, with short lifespan, uncomfy ergonomics, and electrical gremlins if modified. NOT counting the on/off throttle. there IS NO in between, you're ON or OFF, like a lightswitch.

 

Lots of guys love them. I had a friend that had one. He got rid of it and bought an FZ1 so his girlfriend could ride with him. It does have a rear seat, but almost nobody will enjoy the ride.

Personally, I would love to have one in black 2005 just to have it. They are neat bikes, but like bobthebiker said, not known for their comfort. A power commander helps to make it livable on the street. It is a heavy bike and puts out just shy of 120hp in good tune, more if you mod it be rarely over 130hp. My 954 will out run it. It's lighter and has more top end power. The range is right at 100-120 miles depending on how you ride it.

 

Rc51

had a 95 vfr750
2000 rc51
2002 rc51
big twin has tons more low end than the vfr750
rc51 is bulky and less top end than my 2004 Duc 999S
liked the 2000 rc over the 2002 rc
rc 51 sounds mean, not too expensive
not a passenger bike
if you could find one cheap, they are a fun bike to own.
current street bike is VFR1200.
traded Ducati multi 1200 for VFR1200
VFR1200 with 1st and 2nd gear mod, BMC, and PC V runs pretty good; strong mid range especially.

 

Have you owned one or just ridden one on occasion?

 

Imho one of the most sought after hondas these days...for good reason

 

I havent owned or ridden one much, but I can tell you that the RC51 is a good bike for what it is, but what it is is a straight up race bike adapted for the street with lights and mirrors. It has a really tall seat height (at 5'8", i can BARELY stand on the tips of my toes at a stop light), it has a very aggressive riding position, and many mechanics have told me that when you push it, it handles somewhat piggishly due to its unusually wide stance (for a V-twin) and its weight. That having been said, Nicky Hayden DID ride an RC51 to a world championship in what, 2002, so ya cant knock the bike completely.

In my eyes, its just a track toy. Not really suitable for a lot of street riding, and sure as HELL not a good commuter bike.

That having been said, everybody does have their own tastes and opinions. Some people love the hell out of RC51's, and ride the crap out of them every day. Personally, I'm not one of those people, and I don't ever see myself getting an RC51.

 

rode, worked on, NEVER will own. the fuel mileage figures are pretty horrible too.

 

Let's focus on the original questions OK? He's looking for a litre bike no.1 and no. 2 how does it compare to a 2nd gen? First I'll address no 1. I would never compare it to a modern inline 4 litre bike. They'll blow it away. Yes it's heavy and under powered by today's standards. But still dam good for a 10 yr old bike. A little history on the RC. It won the World superbike chamionship in 00 and again in 02 as well as the AMA title in 02. Honda never continued to develope the bike due to rule changes that favored inline 4's so after 02 the bike was unchanged. Ducati never stopped development of their v-twins. It is their bread and butter. I bought my RC brand new in 00 and it's one of the best bikes I have ever owned. It was built to race, so it wasn't meant to tour, commute or put a passenger on. I don't know of a bike out there that is 100% perfect for every individual, that's why we modify them. The RC makes an easy 118-120rwhp in stock trim. Mods like exhaust, power commander will bring 125-130 rwhp. That and a little change to the gearing will transform the bike and reduce or eliminate the snatchy throttle. Electrical problems? none. short lifespan? bullshit. Don't dog it on the rear wheel. There are far more issues with a VF-VFR's than an RC and they weigh about the same. Here's the thing........Character, they both have character. The sound of a sporting v-twin or a v-4 is awesome. I recently sold my 07 CBR600RR. I obviously could've sold the RC or the 86 VFR750. The CBR was superior in every way but it lacked soul. With the modern litre bikes having 160+hp on tap how many of you out there can honestly say you can use every bit of it? Sure the power is addicting, but without traction control most of you will be at a disadvantage until the next straight away. Most BIKERS simply can't handle that.

 

Low to mid 30's depending on how you ride it.

 

and this coming from a first hand owner (and 11 year owner, no less) of an RC51, thats easily the best run-down of that bike I've heard yet. nobody can say the 51 sucks, it was a FANTASTIC bike for its time. but, like as stated already, there really is NO comparison between the RC26 and the RC51. theyre just 2 totally different animals.

both were competitively fast and well handling for their time (their time being when they were NEW), but if you're going to compare either bike with something else, compare it to stuff from their own era. comparing an 2nd gen VFR to an RC51 is like comparing either of those 2 bikes to a 2011 CBR1000RR....just useless and inconclusive.

 

an 00 is an SP1, which IMHO, sucks. the SP2 has a lot of nice updates.

my buddies RC routinely achieves high 20's for fuel economy.

simply put, I regard that bike as a fat pile, and for anything BUT racing, useless. they belong on a racetrack, not the street.

 

Well, that being said. An RC51 is not for every man. BTW, that's quite a stable you have there.

 

I was looking for an RC51 or superhawk when a friend dropped a vfr on me. I like having a nice strong flat torque curve. The VFR is acceptable for now, I'm only 60 so hopefully will have many more years to try one or something similar.

One of my other road bikes is a 500 single. It doesn't run like my 750 but has an honest torque that starts off idle and weighs just over 300 pounds.

 

the 400F has gone from my stable, I'm just too damn lazy to update. its now a 600F Hurricane a far superior bike for my needs.

 

Love love love the RC51!!! I can't add anything to what Dan (rc24rc51) said he ht the nail on he head. But I would like to reiterate that a modern bike will destroy the RC51 but they don't have the soul that an RC51 has. Unfortunatly, my love affair with my RC51 only lasted 9 months before a patch of gravel took here away. It was the best 6000 miles of my life! If I had a choice between a modern liter bike or an RC51 I would choose the RC hands down!!

 

Love love love the RC51!!! I can't add anything to what Dan (rc24rc51) said he ht the nail on he head. But I would like to reiterate that a modern bike will destroy the RC51 but they don't have the soul that an RC51 has. Unfortunatly, my love affair with my RC51 only lasted 9 months before a patch of gravel took here away. It was the best 6000 miles of my life! If I had a choice between a modern liter bike or an RC51 I would choose the RC hands down!!

 

When are you gonna buy something that has radial tires as standard equipment?

 

never. I dont care for newer bikes at all.

 

I have a friend with an 07 R1 that is considering a trade for a nice 03 RC51. The R1 scares the living crap out of him as it wants to loop over backwards in the first 3 gears.