# Honda RC51: The V-Twin Motorcycle That Stole Ducati's Superbike Throne

> In the late 1990s, Honda decided to go for the throat of Ducati in making a sportbike for the specific purpose of winning World Superbike Championships. In 1999, the RC51 (full name RVT1000R) was launched.

- **Source:** [SlashGear](https://www.slashgear.com/2122112/honda-rc51-superbike-ducati-killer-history/?utm_source=gearopen.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=feed&utm_content=69b94ccafe4c2d219bda3c6a)
- **Published:** 2026-03-17
- **Category:** Cars
- **Tags:** #ducati #honda #rc51 #superbike #twin #motorcycle #stole #throne
- **Canonical:** http://localhost:4321/a/69b94ccafe4c2d219bda3c6a

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_GearOpen's distilled summary. The full original article is published at SlashGear (source link above); GearOpen does not republish the source's full text._