A pristine example of the Honda RC213V-S has become the most expensive Japanese motorcycle ever to be auctioned with a hammer price equivalent of $238,000. It surpassed the previous sale record set by a 1968 Honda CB750 prototype that fetched around $222,000 in 2018. The 2016 Honda RC213V-S was auctioned on October 31 on a sale jointly organized by Japanese auction house Bingo and Yahoo! Auctions Japan. The RC213V-S was originally unveiled as a prototype at the 2015 EICMA show in Italy and was launched as a limited-production model next year. Honda introduced the race machine as a street-legal version of the manufacturer’s MotoGP bike; after all, it was closely related to the RC213V that Marc Marquez rode to his first two MotoGP world championships.
Only 213 examples of the Honda RC213V-S were ever built in an exclusive workshop in Honda’s Kumamoto factory. Things derived from Honda’s MotoGP bike include its 90-degree 999cc V4 engine with titanium connecting rods, under-seat fuel tank, and carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic fairing. Things like the swingarm, the slipper clutch, the magnesium Marchesini wheels, the Öhlins fork, the adjustable footpegs and controls, and the Brembo brake components were all directly taken from the MotoGP bike. The RC213V-S was launched with a price tag of $184,000 with the race kit costing an extra $12,000, taking the total to $196,000. The record-setting example only has 100 miles on the odometer and even the race kit remains unfitted and stored in the original packaging. Many experts believe it’s the right time to buy a Honda RC213V-S, which is slated to be a favorite amongst collectors in the future.
[Yahoo Auctions via Gizmag]
