Honda had taken the lessons learned in the SP-1's first season, producing the SP-2 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. In 2001, Ducati regained the title but the RC51 was still a contender boasting superior reliability with comparable speed and power. That year, it won the World Superbike Championship with Colin Edwards riding for the Castrol team. In 2000 Honda released the RC51, powered by a 998 cc liquid-cooled V-twin engine.
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).[2] Despite having an excellent engineering team and a significant amount of funding, Honda was unable to win consistently, particularly because of rival V-twins' displacement advantage over Honda's V-4. In 1990, however, Raymond Roche secured Ducati's first world title aboard the Ducati 851. During the first two years of the World Superbike championship, Honda won the series with their RC30, powered by a 750 cm3 V-4. Prior to the rules change, 750 cc four cylinder motorcycles were the dominant force in production based competition. 1988–2002 In 1988, new rules in superbike racing allowed V-twin engines up to 999 cc to compete. The RC51 was designed as the motorcycle to be used by Honda's racing teams in the Superbike World Championship.[2] The 2000-2001 models are designated SP1 while the 2002-2006 models are designated SP2 (the latter having updated fuel injection and suspension systems).
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).[2] Despite having an excellent engineering team and a significant amount of funding, Honda was unable to win consistently, particularly because of rival V-twins' displacement advantage over Honda's V-4. In 1990, however, Raymond Roche secured Ducati's first world title aboard the Ducati 851. During the first two years of the World Superbike championship, Honda won the series with their RC30, powered by a 750 cm3 V-4. Prior to the rules change, 750 cc four cylinder motorcycles were the dominant force in production based competition. 1988–2002 In 1988, new rules in superbike racing allowed V-twin engines up to 999 cc to compete. The RC51 was designed as the motorcycle to be used by Honda's racing teams in the Superbike World Championship.[2] The 2000-2001 models are designated SP1 while the 2002-2006 models are designated SP2 (the latter having updated fuel injection and suspension systems).
