The Honda RC213V is a Japanese road racing motorcycle developed by Honda Racing Corporation to race in the MotoGP series from the 2012 season and onwards. Rules for 2012 allow motorcycles up to 1,000 cc (61 cu in) in capacity, with a limit of 4 cylinders and a maximum 81mm cylinder bore.
The model name designates the following:
RC= Honda's traditional racing prefix for 4-stroke bikes
213= third works bike of the 21st century
V= V engine
In 2012, Honda fielded two factory RC213Vs, ridden by Repsol Honda teammates Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa; a third and fourth was used by Álvaro Bautista in the Gresini Racing team, and Stefan Bradl in the LCR team. Jonathan Rea also competed in two Grands Prix as a replacement rider for Casey Stoner, following his crash at Indianapolis.
At the first pre-season test during late 2011, Pedrosa and Stoner were top of the timesheets with the new RC213V.
From their combined efforts, with the Repsol riders winning 12 races of 18, and finishing 2nd and 3rd in the riders championship, the RC213V won its maiden constructors championship, under the first year of 1000 cc regulations.
In 2013, the reigning Moto2 champion Marc Márquez replaced retired Casey Stoner in the Repsol Honda team, and won the riders championship on the RC213V. Dani Pedrosa came third in the riders' championship, and the RC213V won its second constructors' championship in its second year on track.
In 2014, at the first pre-season test at Sepang the RC213V continued to top the timing sheets, with its riders coming 1st, 3rd, 5th and 6th on the first day of the Sepang Test and 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 9th on the second day.
For the 2019 Grand Prix Season, the 2019 RC213V machines were tested by Marquez and the newly signed rider Jorge Lorenzo; there are three specificationss available, which were tested by the riders at the two-day Circuit Ricardo Tormo test held near Valencia, Spain. On the first day of testing, the time sheets recorded 1:31.718 and 1:32.959 by Marquez and Lorenzo respectively, and for the day two, 1:30.911 for Marquez and 1:31.584 for Lorenzo.
