Remember when the Honda RC211V was the fire-breathing of the MotoGP Championship? One of the more intriguing attributes of HRC’s creation was its unique V5 engine.
Despite press speculating that a V5-powered Honda superbike was coming, such a machine never made it to production. This irked the folks at MondialMoto (no relation to FB-Mondial, though the choice in names is eyebrow raising), which now wants to bring a V5 superbike to market.
Announcing their V5 superbike project, this thought by MondialMoto is an interesting proposition, though we suggest curbing the enthusiasm that is surely to come.
First, the good. At the core of the concept is a 1,000cc V5 engine with a 75.5° cylinder head angle. There are no performance figures, but MondialMoto quotes a 13.5:1 compression ratio, four-valve heads, three-ring pistons, and a dual-overhead camshaft in the engine specs.
Two trims levels are going to be created, with a MondialMoto V5R (red) and MondialMoto V5S (white). The specs are mostly the same for the two bikes, though MondialMoto confusingly lists a lower RPM for the “R” bike (13,250 rpm), though it features more premium pieces like carbon fiber wheels and a carbon fiber subframe.
Both bikes weigh 394 lbs (there is no designation if this is a wet or dry weight), and the MondialMoto V4R comes with a €35,995 price tag, while the MondialMoto V4S superbike will cost €27,995. Despite the progress of the project, MondialMoto will gladly take a €15,000 deposit at this point in time.
MondialMoto says that it has the lofty hope of unveiling a complete superbike in time for the 2019 EICMA show in Milan, Italy.
That date seems like a stretch for a company that seems to be showing a product that exists in pixels only. Right now, MondialMoto is soliciting funding on its websites, and it has openings in virtually every role at the company.
Time will tell if this is another bit of motorcycle vaporware, like the Skully helmet project. We are hopeful, but also skeptical. Caveat emptor.
Source: MondialMoto USA
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