An RC-51 is one of the machines on my list to ride.
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Oct. 3, 2011 12:31 p.m. pilotbraden HalfDork
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Oct. 3, 2011 3:38 p.m. rotard Reader
Hmmm....looking at what the parts on this thing go for, I might just part it out....lol
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Oct. 3, 2011 6:18 p.m. alex SuperDork
Standard Honda playbook: build a cool niche bike but make it expensive, then kill it after a couple years, solidifying the cult. They must make bank on parts. But their record speaks for itself: NX650, Hawk GT, Trans-Alp, 919, Hornet, RC51...I know I'm missing some.
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Oct. 3, 2011 6:40 p.m. Rusnak_322 HalfDork
Or buy a bike that not a lot of people want to own. I bought a CBR929 in 2000 and could have had the RC for just about the same price. I got my order in early, before there was anyone marking them up over retail.
I did ride a friends RC several times that summer and liked the bike, but for the street the CBR and the R1 that came out was a better street bike for a lot of people.
the RC did awesome 2nd gear wheelies.
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Oct. 3, 2011 6:50 p.m. MitchellC Dork
How does the TL1000R stack up against the RC51? The former seems a lot less common than the Honda.
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Oct. 3, 2011 8:04 p.m. rotard Reader
I've seen more TLR's than RC51's. The first year TLS's had stronger engines, if I remember correctly. The weird rear suspension on the TL bikes is a deal killer, imo. I guess they're about the same, with the RC51 having better suspension and being better built. It also sounds better. The TL has more low end torque, if I remember correctly.
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Oct. 3, 2011 8:16 p.m. rotard Reader
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Oct. 3, 2011 8:16 p.m. rotard Reader
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Oct. 3, 2011 8:18 p.m. rotard Reader
Crappy cell phone pics; I can't find the cable for my digital camera. The bike has 12063 miles on it. It has massive chicken strips, has never been down, and sounds like sex. Hopefully, only one of those things will change.
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Oct. 4, 2011 9:10 a.m. Xceler8x SuperDork
The TL-S rear suspension is that bike's achilles heel. Hence the later SV1000 that was the TL-S but with a real rear suspension.
ON TOPIC - The RC51 is one hell of a ride. Great for blasting up some roads. Gorgeous exhaust note. I think they're only failing is a short range but if you're not touring it doesn't matter. Just enjoy riding the hell out of a great design.
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Oct. 5, 2011 8:28 a.m. pinchvalve SuperDork
rotard wrote: sounds like sex.
I've heard an RC51 at full song. I must be doing sex really wrong.
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Oct. 5, 2011 9:22 a.m. alex SuperDork
"WOOOOAAAAAARRRRRHHHHHH!!!!"
"Honey, are you all right?"
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Oct. 5, 2011 9:40 a.m. 92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
For some reason i was hoping this was going to be an RG500 Gamma.
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Oct. 5, 2011 10:23 a.m. rotard Reader
Hey, this thing is bad-ass. It should be around 120-125 whp, has the cool magnesium bits, and I'm about to start searching for some lighter wheels. My family was like, "Why did you buy a rice-rocket?" The questions stopped when I started it up, lol.
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Oct. 5, 2011 10:43 a.m. rotard Reader
Hmm...should I put the rear seat and rearsets back on? I'd need to relocate the exhaust, but then I could cart around sexy females on the back. Of course, then there would be the issue of everyone being able to check out dat ass.
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Oct. 5, 2011 10:47 a.m. 92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
Ok, i just looked up videos of RC51s. Those sound incredible.
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Oct. 6, 2011 9:06 a.m. chaparral Reader
I wonder why they get only 30 MPG - great bikes otherwise, designed for people to actually ride them hard.
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Oct. 6, 2011 9:59 a.m. rotard Reader
chaparral wrote:
I wonder why they get only 30 MPG - great bikes otherwise, designed for people to actually ride them hard.
Most sport bikes don't do better than 30mpg when ridden hard. My SV650 was only good for 45mpg while commuting. That dropped to 40mpg for spirited mountain rides. The GSX-R1100W only got about 25mpg. The GPz550 got like 50mpg. I need a ZRX1200 now.
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Oct. 6, 2011 1:37 p.m. Xceler8x SuperDork
Rotard speaks the truth. Carb'ed bikes got better mileage than the injected bikes available these days. It might be due to other factors as well such as higher redlines and the required steeper gears to utilize them.
My early 00's Buell's would get 50mpg while commuting. My TL1000S struggled to get 40mpg.
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Oct. 25, 2011 6:09 p.m. redrabbit Reader
I rode a friends TL. It scared me compaired to my Hawk GT.
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Oct. 25, 2011 9:35 p.m. TuffWork Reader
I so want an RC51. Okay, I so want a v-twin sportbike in general. Ducati 999 has been a unicorn of mine for a while, but I would totally take an RC51 as a close second.
I would be much more motivated to buy one, however, if there was a track in driving distance. That's where v-twin sportbikes shine. It's like having an always on traction control without sacrificing power.
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Oct. 25, 2011 11:49 p.m. MitchellC Dork
I already asked about the TL, but how does the SV1000 compare? Is the RC51 in a completely different league? I know that the SV650 has some value-driven bits compared to its 600 CC counterparts.
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Oct. 26, 2011 2:35 p.m. Rusnak_322 HalfDork
TuffWork wrote:
I so want an RC51. Okay, I so want a v-twin sportbike in general. Ducati 999 has been a unicorn of mine for a while, but I would totally take an RC51 as a close second.
I would be much more motivated to buy one, however, if there was a track in driving distance. That's where v-twin sportbikes shine. It's like having an always on traction control without sacrificing power.
I hated V-twins on the track. I loved inline 4 and 2 strokes. I had a SV650 and a Aprilia Mille that I tracked.
The twins on the street are great. Even my wife has been shocked at how much fun the twin is on the twistly roads and even in the city and on the highway. She used to love 600cc sport bikes and raced 125GP and rode 80cc dirt bikes. Now her Ducati allows her to stay in third gear on unfamiliar roads and concentrate on the road and not gear changes. She can push harder because the engine braking slows the bike with less drama then hitting the brakes mid turn. And then tractor out of a turn at 4k or 8k rpm and still have great drive (unlike her CBR600).
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Oct. 26, 2011 4:39 p.m. rotard Reader
MitchellC wrote:
I already asked about the TL, but how does the SV1000 compare? Is the RC51 in a completely different league? I know that the SV650 has some value-driven bits compared to its 600 CC counterparts.
The RC51 is in a completely different league from a performance standpoint. On the street? The SV1000 has more comfortable ergos for most people. The SV is down about 10-15hp on the TL bikes. It also has budget suspension, but not as budget as the SV650. The suspension on the RC51 is much, much better than both. All three will get outran by most riders on a newer 600cc supersport, around a track. The RC51 is faster in the hands of a pro, but takes a lot of skill to extract. I got the RC51 because I think they're cool and I've always wanted one.
