[Aircooled]

As I'm finally registered, I don't really care for talking about myself right now (Minus one post in the lounge). What brought you to buy an RC51 over any other bike?

 

[5.4 speedster]

I have always been a big fan of torque. My mustangs have a bunch and I got tired of riding inline 4's that you had to rev to the moon to make power. That and I always liked the 916/996/998 ducati models but never wanted to deal with their valve adjustment intervals

 

[SubSailor]

Why an RC51?
1) I've always liked twins over I-4's.
2) The racing history and heritage of the bike.
3) It's very well engineered (old school HRC design).
4) It sounds super!
5) It's more visceral and raw compared to the ultra-refined new bikes.
6) Great throttle response
7) It isn't an I-4.
8) It's relative scarcity compared to other Japanese sportbikes.
9) I dig gear drive cams.
10) Super reliable.
11) Colin Edwards vs. Troy Bayliss at Imola 2002. Nuff said.

 

[garysol1]

I have had many Ducatis in the past. Loved the torque and the sound but hated the reliabity. Now I have the best of both worlds

 

[Modidy]

The sound from the twin has always been one that ignites excitement from me! Sounds like an old hotrod going down the street. Heard a TLR back in 98! Never did buy one, then Honda introduced the RC51, which was unobtainable for me financially. Fast forward 12yrs, came across the right situation, and bike's..... made a swap, and now I have that beautiful sound in my garage! Oh yea, I love the torque and acceleration from the twin's compared to the I4's.

 

[misiek]

its so rare to see another one no matter where you go so thats always a good feeling and its a honda

 

[StickS]

I like the twins over I-4s...I can "feel" the bike
A buddy of mine had one when I lived in Cali and I dug it (I had a SV650s)
I wadded my SV on the track and the RC was the best deal (thankfully) I could find
Rare...I've only seen 3 in a 50 mile radius of my place...and one is 90% track ridden
Sounds awesome (another reason I like twins over I-4s

 

[darisb]

It was my father-in-law's bike, and one of his most prized possesions. The RC51 wasn't running when he passed away last summer. His wife asked me to get it running so she could sell it. After I got it running, I asked her if I could take it out for a ride. He always told her not to let family ride or buy it if anything happened to him. At first she said no, but a few minutes later she changed her mind *IF* I promised to be careful. Their house is on the side off a hill, off a logging road. I had to ease the bike down a steep 50 yard dirt road, then out a 2 mile twisty wet road with blind curvs to get it to the highway. Once I got it on the highway, I was amazed at the way it handled and road. When I asked her how much she was going to sell it for, she wanted high blue book. I couldn't justify spending that much money on another toy, so the bike went to a consignment company. I couldn't stopped thinking about the bike. A couple months later when I asked about it, she said that she had been thinking about it a lot and really wanted to see it go to someone that would appreciate the bike as much as my father-in-law did. My wife and I already owned three other bike, so she knew that I shared his passion for motorcycles. She told me if I wanted the bike she would sell it to me for much less that what she originally wanted. I talked it over with my wife. It was an emotional decision for her, but in the end we decided to buy it.

 

[bgup619]

Ive had a couple of ducs but loved the rc from the first time I saw it.. I had a 954 that was stolen leaving me bikeless.. I told myself I wouldnt buy another sprtbike unless it was an RC.. Well I had some cash, found a deal and violia here we are..

 

[GlennCauley]

My first bike when I returned to motorcycling in 2005 was a 1998 Suzuki TL1000R. I rode the street, started doing trackdays again, then finally returned to racing. It evolved into a really nice machine, and I LOVE the torque of a V-twin racebike.

At the end of last year's racing season I was given the opportunity to buy an RC51 SP2 racebike that had been crashed but otherwise was very fit. I had always known that in a slugfest of stock machines, an RC51 was always touted as a better trackbike than a TLR. So I decided to get the RC51 and have been getting it ready over the wintertime to be a serious racebike this season: www.gdracing-canada.com/RC51.html

X'ing my fingers that I'm not disappointed.

 

[analyticworm]

Well for me back in aug of 2009 I got hit on my 929 by a drunk driver. I started thinking about all of the stuff I could do to my 929 in the rebuild and seen that I would not have the bike ready for the 2010 season.

So I went looking for bikes, now I choose the RC as I wanted something totally different then what I have if i was going to keep the bike. If I was going to sell the bike once mine was done then I was just gonna get a 1000RR (after all they are a dime a dozen) I looked at the ducatti, apilla, the TL1000R then noticed the RC51 in a old v-twin comparison guide. I did some research seen that they were a bit rare. Found that a friend of a friend has a 2002 RC51 I talked to him did a bit more research and ended up buying a 2003RC51.

Buddy of mine has a TL1000R and he loves it he would have bought a RC but he is a suzuki man so whats the point.

Funny thing now is after taking the 929 comepletely apart all the way down to the frame, turns out there is a bend in the frame up by the neck of the bike and the wife has told me that I cant spend any $$$ on a different bike work with what I have so I hope I like it. This will be my 1st season with it. Heck I havent even brought the bike home from the dealer yet gonna do that monday depending on if it snows.

 

[yellow00tlr]

I have a TL1000R and love the v-twin, always have a smile on my face everytime I ride it. Got sick of having to share the bike with the wife so bought a RC, was going to give her the TL but after riding it back to Las Vegas from Phoenix she will not give it back...lol. We get alot of comments about both bikes as you do not see alot of either one of them here.

 

[5.4 speedster]

those tillers have a nice motor but the rear shock is bogus. i hated that shock setup

 

[mckn99]

Why an RC51?
1) I've always liked twins over I-4's.
2) The racing history and heritage of the bike.
3) It's very well engineered (old school HRC design).
4) It sounds super!
5) It's more visceral and raw compared to the ultra-refined new bikes.
6) Great throttle response
7) It isn't an I-4.
8) It's relative scarcity compared to other Japanese sportbikes.
9) I dig gear drive cams.
10) Super reliable.
11) Colin Edwards vs. Troy Bayliss at Imola 2002. Nuff said.

all very good points i can relate too, in Copenhagen in 2000/2001, only very few RC51 was sold, mainly due to the 49090 dollars price tag (no really, it´s not a mistake, the danish veichle prices are insane, we have a 180% tax fee to get bikes, cars registret for street use) but my colleage got one and i fell in love at first sigth, and wanted one eversince, but first got one in 2008

cheers

IV

 

[RJ7]

I always wanted one its the sound of it and to boot its a Honda. I have owned every honda f serise and have never had a single problem with them. Then being on this forum and seeing the love that everone has for their bike I just had to get one

 

[mill sp1]

1 of the reasons why i bought an RC51 is because my dad has 1,but my main reason is when i saw the great Joey Dunlop win the Isle Of Mann TT,as he came past at Ramsey,my god the soundas well as that they will be a future classicand that its the only production bike with HRC stamped on the casing

 

[SubSailor]

Yeah there's youtube video of Joey on the RC51 at the TT.
Who knows how many more titles he would have won if he hadn't died.
He had good form over Ago's leap.

 

[Sranang Mang]

mine were a combination of reason as to why i got the RC.
1. my uncle has had a RC30 for years
2. my cousin has a RC 51
3. my Ex gf Had a Rc 51.
4. the bike is sexy asF**K
5.didnt want a " me too" bike
6. the history behind the RC
7. fisrt race i ever saw was at daytona bike week, they debuted the RC 51 with nicky hayden and matt mladin going at it. to me that was the defining moment. but that was all the way in 2000
i hav eto admitt that i didnt know a lot about it, bikes to me are a whole new ball game, but now that i got it, i could't imagine having anything else, and why every one else does not have one. i love the bike so much i want to buy a second one. just incase something happens to this one. its soo much fun. hopefully when i am finacially set one day i will purchase a second one
*note. never rode a 4 cyl bike and the RC is my fisrt

 

[VFJAYRC51]

To steal most of Subsailers list...

I am on board with most of these:

1) I-4 is boring... Everybody has one
2) The racing history and heritage of the bike.
3) HRC engineered
4) It sounds super! Especially when you are on the go
5) visceral. You KNOW when you are on this bike.
6) Great throttle response
7) Completely planted front end.
8) It's relative scarcity compared to other Japanese sportbikes.
9) I dig gear drive cams.
10) Super reliable. HRC Engineered.

-Jay

Why an RC51?
1) I've always liked twins over I-4's.
2) The racing history and heritage of the bike.
3) It's very well engineered (old school HRC design).
4) It sounds super!
5) It's more visceral and raw compared to the ultra-refined new bikes.
6) Great throttle response
7) It isn't an I-4.
8) It's relative scarcity compared to other Japanese sportbikes.
9) I dig gear drive cams.
10) Super reliable.
11) Colin Edwards vs. Troy Bayliss at Imola 2002. Nuff said.

 

[erbgottie]

First sport bike I ever had was the SV650S over a cbr600, man I was glad I choose the V-twin. They are way more dominate in the turns putting out tremendous torque and the sound is so sexy!! I've always wanted an RC and i had found one for a good deal, said screw it, got a loan...............never been happier!! Now I have both the SV and the RC and never want to go I4........ever!