[SP2MAN]

Originally Posted by Zed

Exactly! Thanks for your thoughts.

I havn't seen one of those RC51's in the flesh down here in NZ, they are not common at all, not sure if we even have any?? As for me and my butt, we will continue our love affair with Mrs 954 thankyou very muchly!

Isn't the RC51 known as the SP1/SP2 in NZ? I might be wrong.

[SP2MAN]

Guys guys guys. RC51 comfort... It's alright. Since I had my RC I had many compliments about it's comfortability. Personally I love it! Better than my previous bikes.

Once you get used to it, it's a dream!

After I've done my mods I'll take on any 1000 I4. The Torque gives you the edge! And on top of it all it's a track tool!

[steveo34]

Originally Posted by SP2MAN

Guys guys guys. RC51 comfort... It's alright. Since I had my RC I had many compliments about it's comfortability. Personally I love it! Better than my previous bikes.

:

It grows on you for sure. I wouldnt suggest the corbin seats for this bike. it seems to put me up a LOT higher then i should be. Makes the bike feel different, a lot different. Not a good different. I am going back to stock today.

The old Inline VS Twin.
Chicks dig twins.

[RCMan]

What year is the thread starter's RC?

[firebladetoronto]

Originally Posted by RCMan

What year is the thread starter's RC?

It is the black one, so I guess 05 or 06?

[rokitt51]

Dam, this thread has been going since 1/02/06 @ 8:4sumthin pm. Bout that time doncha think lol

[gt702]

Originally Posted by SP2MAN

Isn't the RC51 known as the SP1/SP2 in NZ? I might be wrong.

Everywhere but the US. SP1 is 2000 & 2001; SP2 is 2002+. RC51 is a US marketing thing because people here remember the RC30 and RC45 by those designations, not the VFR750R and RVF750 designations those bikes had in the rest of the world.

[ChrisR1982Edin]

Hi all *waves* second post in these forums but its the first thread I saw, its what made me join the site actually while searching for pics/ideas for mods to my bike.

I bought my bike with 9,000kms on it (Italian registered)
and its now done 11,800kms. Iv done no mods to it yet but am planning a few. When I bought it she already had a double bobble screen on her anyway, and that would have been my first mod.


http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/159...kpitwa4.th.jpg

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/9...rontmg1.th.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6...ont2lq7.th.jpg

http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/4...2007mf4.th.jpg

A note on the SP2s comfort... personally... I dont find it as bad as people say. I had a 2001 Ducati Monster 750 before my Honda SP2 and to be honest... I think the Honda is just as comfy! I use my bike for comuting and I also take it out at the weekends for a good blast.

New pipes, complete carbon fibre body work, carbon rims, smoked front screen and have the frame and swingarm powdercoated black. Then I will change rearsets so they are black. So those are my planned mods... gotta sell a few kids for medical experiments first hahahaha

Originally Posted by Monty Pythons Meaning Of Life

DAD: So, you see my problem, little ones: I can't keep you all here any
longer.
GIRL: Speak up!
DAD: I can't keep you all here any longer! God has blessed us so much, I
can't afford to feed you anymore.
NIGEL: Couldn't you have your balls cut off?
DAD: Hohh, it's not as simple as that, Nigel. God knows all! He'd see
through such a cheap trick. What we do to ourselves, we do to Him.
GIRL: You could have had them pulled off in an accident.
CHILDREN: [talking]
DAD: No. No, children. I know you're trying to help, but, believe me,...
CHILDREN: Ohh...
DAD: ...me mind's made up. I've given this long and careful thought, and it
has to be medical experiments for the lot of you.
CHILDREN: Ohh. Oh. Oh...

[Mr_RC]

Originally Posted by steveo34

It grows on you for sure. I wouldnt suggest the corbin seats for this bike. it seems to put me up a LOT higher then i should be. Makes the bike feel different, a lot different. Not a good different. I am going back to stock today.

The old Inline VS Twin.
Chicks dig twins.

I'm have to disagree with the corbin seat comment. The foam of the corbin made a big difference on the RC from stock. I went only lasting at 90 minutes on a ride to a full day rider.

[m0nSteR TwIn]

I couldn't love my RC more. when I got it in June,I found it very uncomfortable but after riding it for a season, I feel totally comfy on it. I have ridden 400km in a day and felt no ill effects. As far as the other stuff...there are 2 kinds of people...top speed/max acceleration guys, and exit speed/low end grunt guys. I used to be a speed guy, but I think grunt is where it's at now.

[robfromsc]

ya know, i hear the "it's such a uncomfortable bike" all the time and its really not too bad for me , maybe its becaus eim 6'3? but its a ok ride.

[drewpy]

the problem i have found is that i am much slower on the rc then i was on my old 636 when i went to the dragon in TN, after 6,000 miles on it since august i thought iwould of learned the bike, guess not

[ChrisR1982Edin]

Originally Posted by deftones156

Is the RC a super-duper gas guzzler? Again, I only have my 900RR to compare, but even with spirited riding I average 45mpg. Straight Hwy about 53. Worst has been 42mpg. When I get a new bike, I just don't want to get less mpg than my other Honda (accord)

OK... in terms of MPG many people are misled!! I got a magazine the other month that explained the quoted MPG for cars and bikes. When cars are tested they are in wind tunnels and tested in a lab to get the best results... whereas bikes are tested on the road in real weather conditions. Tonight I will scan the magazines pages in and upload them here so people can read them and see the truth about MPG


And yeh.. the SP2 IS a gas guzzler LMAO

as an example... from a full tank I rode from a town near me to the beach in a larger city.. heres the info according to the AA router planner website:

From: Sulmona,Italy
To: Pescara,Italy
Distance: 75.1 km
Time: 0 hr 57 min


57mins? yeh... right... I did it in about 45 mins... but I guess it all depends on what road you take... if you take the motorway or if you take back roads... i took motorway. I rode there and back and my tank was empty. I wasnt hammering it most of the time... I was riding with a friend on his Suzuki SV650, and he doesnt ride it fast, so we were probably going.. on average... 150kmph... then for the last... 10 kms or so I got bored and so hammered it and waited on him by the beach.


So... a standard 18litre (2.5L) tank from full did 150.2kms before my gas light came on. Make of that what u will


I probably did my conversion wrong here...

Kilometer/Liter (km/l) - 8.34444444

Converted
kilometer/gallon (US) (km/gal US) - 31.587158309

1 kilometer / US gallon = 0.621371192 miles / US gallon


SOOO... 31.587158309 (km / gal) = 19.6273502 miles / gal

she drank alot... LMAO

[robfromsc]

dam dude? your rc drinks it! while they are kinda gas hogs mine doesnt do that bad... my 02 gets between 105 and 135 to the tank, depending on how much i twist it. i had a 05 sv650 and she got on average 145 to 150 a tank. tank size is close, the rc51 is a million times more fun. its a toy, if you want gas savings get a moped.

[ChrisR1982Edin]

In all fairness it costs me 18 Euros to fill my tank

18.00 EUR = 25.98 USDRate = 1.4435 (inv 0.6928)

So not that bad, compared to prices in the UK where im originally from, but I guess you Americans got better prices right? Anyways...

like I said I probably messed up the calculations... but 150kms for a full tank until the fuel light comes on.... then I got 2.5L reserve right?

To be honest im not all that bothered about how much it drinks... like you said.. if u want economy then get a moped! hahaha On a normal usage I can fill my tank on the Monday and use it all week to get to and from work without having to top her up and only when it gets to saturday and sunday I fill her up 3 times, but thats because I stick the millage in then! So if I weigh up the price of a taxi (Theres no buses at the times I go to and come home from work) my RC51 is a cheaper form of transport. Besides... she drinks less than I do!! hahaha I cna easilly drink 20 Euros in a night let alone a week! hahaha id rather drink less alcohol and spend it on gas! I need to lose weight... LMAO

[1badfish]

I've got an '02 954 with 24k on it and I love it . Awesome bike. I'm looking at trading though for an 2004 RC Nicky Hayden that a local shop has new out of the crate. Unless I hate it (I wouldn't hate it) the RC would probably be the last sportbike I'd ever want again. I can see myself trying to keep it living out of love when parts are hard to find. None of the latest/greatest offers really blow my skirt up. Not interested in a in line 4 liter bike at all. Just too much.

In 2004 the RC's were already dated but for some reason that doesn't matter to me. Now, it's already 4 years old, dated, slow, uncomfortable, heavy, blah, blah, blah... I STILL WANT ONE!! They're advertising it for 8999 or something. Out the door for 10,300. WHATEVER!! I want one, but I haven't lost my friggin mind. I'll have one though. Oh yes, I will have one.

My point is that even though the bike i'm looking at is 4 years old and was dated when it was new, there's something that's special about the RC that appeals to some recessed inner purist spirit. Gotta have one.

[CBR400RR]

If you need help on mods or parts let me know I have a full service shop and I do a lot of RC51s and mine weighs in now with a full tank of gas on the scale at 423lbs. There are a lot of mods you can do and you can get a lot more than 10RWHP.

Originally Posted by azamora954

Attachment 16366

Ok - so 300 miles have passed and this is my report on the RC51 vs 954rr

954RR
Pros:
- Very lightweight
- Wild acceleration
- Easy handling
- Good slipon system - 3 bolts - go from stock to noisy in 1 minute.
- Great red color
- No 3rd party undertail needed
- Great trunk space
Cons:
- Wild acceleration
- Not that high top end
- Freaking valve broke you freaking #$%%##%!!!!!!!

RC51
Pros:
- Very linear acceleration - can't notice that while its on break-in, you hit 170mph!
- Sounds awesome! Just like a muscle car - seems it has a V8 in there.
- Turn very good
- Extremely stable in corners
- Sexy bike - looks like a full bodied woman, not an anorexic supermodel like the 954rr
- Dual exhaust is sexy
- Cavernous trunk space! Fits a six pack.
- Did snake road today and could averave over 110 easy...very stable and very torquey.
- Torque is a wonderful thing - never need to downshift to get that extra power.
Cons:
- Why does it have a choke? It is fuel injected.
- Gas guzzler - roughly 28mpg - 130 miles per tank max
- Dual exhaust makes slipons costly
- From all the websites I have visited, seems like 10 horsepower gain is the max to aspire with several mods - might as well leave it as it is.
- Needs an undertail badly.

I will edit this list as it goes on.
Feel free to add to this list.

[slammp]

Ok I will chime in here mainly because it's spring, my bike has been on the road for 3 days, and I am reminded why I like the RC51.

1) No one, and I mean no one sounds like I do going down the street
2) This bike can turn low and is very fun to ride.
3) Not that many bikers have them and it is nice to not just fit in.

It was said before in this string if you were looking for top end youd get something else, but the pipes are insane. I have a full system Hindle exhaust and it is loud.

I have loved many bikes before, but today at 70 degrees and sunny I love my RC!!

[Chum]

I'm no big bike guru, but theres more to an RC51 than speed. For those of you who see track time, this might not be the easiest or cheapist bike to modify with it being older, but for myself who will only be on the street, I can afford some comfort, because I know when I pull up to the next light, theres a "comforting" chance I wont be pulling up next to another RC51. I'm trying to talk the wife into helping me find the resorces in our budget to buy a new bike. Truth is, I wont buy a "new" bike. I went to the dealership the other day, me and 15 other guys could leave there with the same bike. Hell no! I'll take a well aged, well proven, under appreciated, over achieving, rarely spotted piece of recent performance history. The RC51 is in a rare situation. Its already in the history books, and if you try hard enough, you can still find one brand new in a crate. Better hurry though!

PS. Theres also a RC45 for sale at the local dealership. Very tempting.

[zakim]

well said Chum!! love that; same here.I am from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.Heard that theres only about eight (8) or so RCs circulating in this country.I've been riding my SP1 for the last 18 months and I've not seen two RCs on the road at same time very rare species in this region but just love it.

[jrivas]

ITS A BEAUTIFUL THING WHEN THEY ASK YOU WHAT KIND OF BIKE I HAVE AND THEY THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE I MENTION THE "51" , THEY AUTOMATICALLY THINK IT IS A SMALL BIKE. THE THING IS NOT VERY MANY PEOPLE THAT EVEN KNOW WHAT AN RC 51. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH CHUM. CBR'S , 954'S , DUCATI.... WHO CARES!! ITS NOT KNOWN HOW MUCH THESE MACHINES ARE LOVED UNTIL YOU GET ONE! AND I WILL BACK DOWN FROM NO ONE ON THE STREET.... ITS LIKE THE WHOLE EURO CAR AND MUSCLE CAR THING.... THERE A SMALL MACHINE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LAWN MOWER AND THEN THERE IS THE RC 51 THAT SOUND LIKE A FREAKIN MONSTER NEXT TO MANY BIKES.... AND JUST LIKE MUSCLE CARS THEY WERE NOT MEANT TO SIP ON GAS... THEY WANT TO HAVE ALL THE GAS THEY CAN GET!! I DONT CARE IF IT DOESNT DO GOOD ON GAS... I JUST REV MY PUPPY ONE TIME AND LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF DUAL JARDINE EXHAUST AND FORGET ABOUT EVERYTHING. THAT HOW EVERYONE SHOULD FEEL!!

[1badfish]

I just sold my 02 CBR 954. I bought it new in 02 and put 25,000 miles on it. wish i could have put more.
Tomorrow, I'm picking up a 2004 RC51 Nicky Hayden edition (new, out of the crate). I loved the 954. It was the closest thing to the perfect sportbike ever. I did track days, as well as long week long trips on the thing. What a machine. I know i'm giving up some stuff for the RC but that's ok with me.
I can't wait to put some miles on the RC. I'm sure it's all been covered a hundred times but i'll probably post from time to time.

[Grover130]

Both bikes are freaking awesome - need to have 1 of each

[1badfish]

A man really should have at least 3. 1) Touring bike for he and the little lady
2) Strictly track bike and 3) pristine Sportbike or restored cafe bike. Maybe one day...

[Grover130]

I couldn't agree more

[zakim]

Originally Posted by 1badfish

A man really should have at least 3. 1) Touring bike for he and the little lady
2) Strictly track bike and 3) pristine Sportbike or restored cafe bike. Maybe one day...

ya right I like that " pristine sportbike or restored cafe bike". does that mean the RCs?

[1badfish]

I just mean that in a perfect world a guy could have a beater track bike that he thrashes on track days but a sweet sportbike or maybe a perfectly restored BSA, BMW, Norton, or Bonnie that he makes the Saturday morning runs on to meet the guys for breakfast. I know I used to cringe at the thought of throwing down the 954 at a track day.

Plus the touring bike for the little lady. So little time, so many bikes.