Who crashed Honda’s party?

Wednesday 23 August: This year Blue Wing Honda celebrates 40 years of sole distribution in New Zealand. The occasion was the annual national dealer conference and held in picturesque Queenstown earlier this week.

The ‘crasher’ was non other than RC212V, the 2012 winning MotoGP bike of champion rider Casey Stoner. This is the first time a bike this high profile and race specification has been to New Zealand.

Motorcycle media were 'sworn to secrecy' and we were priviledged to view RC212 last Friday in Auckland before it was ‘secreted’ to Queenstown.

To commemorate this special ‘40th year anniversary’ Blue Wing Honda was also joined by Mr Inuma, General Manager of the Motorcycle Sales Division of Honda Motor Corporation, Japan.

We were introduced to Honda’s family of Championship winning machines before RC212V was revealed, under a cover disguised with a motocross handlebar.

Blue Wing Honda's Technical Manager Bruce Nielson explains.

Apart from the surprise of standing in front of this stunningly beautiful, multi million dollar machine, the first thing you noticed is the size of the swingarm. Over the 5 year evolution of this bike, the shape has changed – the reinforcement was on top. Riders wanted a lower seat position and in 2011 this change was made. Steal a secretive tap on the aluminium and of course it’s hollow.

The frame itself takes 50 hours and only the very skilled know when to apply the welding rod as temperature differences between the different areas may lead to distortion or strain in the metal because aluminium is such a good conductor of heat.

The RC-V engine is a hand built, water cooled DOHV V4. In 800cc (2007 to 2011) displacement it had a maximum 220hp, allowing riders to reach speeds up to 350 km/h on the faster circuits. 2012 in 1000cc form - we weren't told.

The exhaust sytem is complex in order to get the tuned length, note the carbon fibre.

The lower exhaust and more use of carbon fibre.

Money can't buy the twin front calipers. The carbon rotors optimum operating temperature is 400 celcius!!

This is Casey Stoner’s #27 and the differences between his footrest holders and the handlebars to those of Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Daviziosa and the late Marco Simoncelli’s were explained by the BWH Execs.

The office. There is a system of coloured lights that indicate + or - for each sector time - designed to give the rider a psychological advantage.

Thankyou Blue Wing Honda for the priviledge.