Honda’s new MotoGP challenger for 2027 is ready to be christened the RC214V and can mark the newest chapter in its lengthy and profitable historical past on the earth championship.
With this new prototype, the Japanese producer hopes to hold the momentum of 2025 (and certain 2026) into the brand new 850cc period of MotoGP.
For the reason that starting of the brand new millennium, Honda has skilled cycles of serious highs and lows within the premier class.
In 2001, it received the title with the NSR500, beating Yamaha and Suzuki within the constructors’ standings and launching a younger Valentino Rossi to stardom.
That was the ultimate season of the 500cc period earlier than the championship was rebranded as MotoGP in 2002, introducing new 990cc four-stroke prototypes (though their 500cc two-stroke counterparts have been allowed to race for another 12 months).
Honda named its first MotoGP bike RC211V [RC: Racing; 21: 21st century; 1: first bike of the 21st century; V: V-engine], a prototype that had a lifetime of solely 5 years, till the 2006 season. Throughout this tenure, Honda received each constructors’ world championship besides in 2005, when the title went to rival Yamaha.
In 2007, the technical rules have been revamped as soon as once more, decreasing the engine capability to 800cc – a rule that got here to be generally known as the ‘Pedrosa legislation’ because of the comparatively small stature of Honda rider Dani Pedrosa.
The aesthetically hanging RC212V was initially extra stunning than aggressive, and Honda went 4 years with out profitable the producers’ title. That was till the arrival of Casey Stoner, who delivered the group each riders’ and constructors’ titles within the last 12 months of the bike’s life cycle in 2011.
Probably the most dominant RC
The third main technical shift of the century got here in 2012 with the introduction of 1000cc engines, and was accompanied by the RC213V – Honda’s longest-lasting MotoGP prototype up to now, working from 2012 till the tip of 2026.
With the RC213V, Honda reclaimed the constructors’ title and, from 2013 onward, it captured six riders’ and constructors’ doubles in seven years with star rider Marc Marquez. The one exception was 2015, when the titles went to Jorge Lorenzo and Yamaha.
Nevertheless, after profitable seven titles in eight seasons, Honda was plunged into its greatest disaster in premier class historical past by the emergence of Ducati as a severe rival and, most significantly, Marquez’s harm at Jerez in 2020. Whereas Honda was largely struggling in the previous few years, Ducati romped to 6 straight titles to emerge as MotoGP’s new benchmark.
Aleix Espargaro, Honda Racing
Picture by: Miquel Liso
The RC214V: Honda’s bike of the long run
The subsequent rule cycle begins in 2027, stipulating new 850cc engines, a discount in aerodynamic results, elimination of ride-height units and a change to Pirelli tyres.
This new bike, which Honda has already been engaged on for months, will probably be known as – barring any drastic last-minute modifications – the RC214V, persevering with the naming conference established in 2002 and used for all the Tokyo manufacturing facility’s racing bikes over the previous 25 years.
Honda will put its new prototype on monitor on Wednesday because it hopes to drag itself out of the deep gap it has been in since 2020.
Different new bikes
In contrast to Honda, different producers are anticipated to retain the identical names for his or her new machines regardless of the regulation modifications. KTM will proceed to name its MotoGP prototype the RC16, Aprilia will preserve the RS-GP branding adopted by the 12 months (RS-GP27) and Yamaha may even proceed with the legendary YZR-M1 tag. Ducati may even retain the Desmosedici GP title, emphasising that unofficial designations comparable to GP24 or GP25 originate from the media and followers, not the manufacturing facility itself.
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