The Honda RC51 also known as the RVT1000R in the United States, and VTR1000 in Europe is a racing motorcycle powered by a 999 cc liquid-cooled 90° V-twin engine.
It was designed as the motorcycle to be used by Honda's racing teams in the Superbike World Championship. The 2000-2001 models are designated SP1 while the 2002-2006 models are designated SP2 (the latter having updated fuel injection and suspension).
In 1988, new rules in superbike racing allowed V-twin engines up to 999 cc's to compete. Prior to the rules change, 750 cc four cylinder motorcycles were the dominant force in World Superbike racing. The first two years, Honda continued to win the World Superbike Championship with their RC30, powered by a 750 cm3 V-4. In 1990, however, Raymond Roche secured Ducati's first world title aboard the Ducati 851. Throughout the next 11 years, Ducati would go on to win 8 World Superbike Championships with their V-twins (Honda won two and Kawasaki just one).
Despite having an excellent engineering team and a significant amount of money, Honda was unable to win consistently, particularly because of rival V-twins' displacement advantage over Honda's V-4. In 2000 Honda released the RC51, powered by a 998 cc liquid-cooled V-twin engine. That year, it won the World Superbike Championship with Colin Edwards riding for the Castrol team. In 2001, Ducati regained the title, but the RC51 was still a contender boasting reliability, speed, and power. The RC51 won again in its final year of factory-supported racing in World Superbike in 2002 and that same year also captured the AMA superbike title with Nicky Hayden
Honda stopped official support for Superbike racing in 2003 (though various teams have had some factory support) and as Superbike rules changed to allow 1000 cc 4 cylinder bikes the RC51 was replaced by the CBR1000RR Fireblade as the Honda superbike racer
Honda stopped manufacturing the RC51 in 2005, 2006 being the last model year.