"Definitely it was quite fun. When it's like that, the bike's working, the bike has got grip, and the lap comes together, it's a lot of fun to ride the bike like that. I really enjoyed it."
- Nicky Hayden
In the 2002 World Motorcycle Grand-Prix season, bikes with 2-stroke 500cc engines raced alongside bikes with 4-stroke 990cc engines. The result of this new format was as everyone expected it to be, 4-stroke engine bikes like Repsol Honda RC211V dominated. Its V5 engine, the first to ever be employed on a motorcycle, further enhanced the Repsol Honda RC211V. The fuel tank was placed below the seat, and the bike employed Honda's all-new "Unit Pro-Link" suspension design. Packed with revolutionary mechanics, and painted over in flourescent orange, the Repsol Honda RC211V was definitely the bike of the 21st century. From the opening race Valentino Rossi took a 9 consecutive victory sweep. Out of a 16 race series Rossi clutched his 10th victory by the 12th race in Brazil, leaving all competition in the dust, as the Italian rider became the first ever winner in the Moto GP class.
Pictured here is a 2007 Honda RC212V Team Repsol Honda MotoGP Bike driven by Nicky Hayden, 2006 World Champion. This gorgeous replica features a working suspension and removable fairings that reveals an extremely detailed engine. Also includes a detachable kickstand. Two pieces left in stock!
Dimensions:
Length: 7 inches
Height: 3.50 inches
Release Date: April 2010
Historical Account: "The Kentucky Kid" - Born on July 30th, 1981, in Owensboro, Kentucky, Nicholas "Nicky" Patrick Hayden (also known as The Kentucky Kid) is an American professional motorcycle racer and 2006 MotoGP World Champion.
Immediately after winning his AMA Superbike championship, Hayden was tapped to join not only Honda's MotoGP racing efforts, but what was arguably the premier team in MotoGP racing- Repsol Honda. Hayden also became teammate to the defending series champion Valentino Rossi, who many believe to be the greatest motorcycle racer ever. Hayden was seemingly unfazed, and in his first year of MotoGP racing (2003), Hayden finished fifth in the championship points standings while riding Honda's RC211V, an achievement that won him the Rookie-of-the-Year award. In 2005, Hayden finished third in the MotoGP championship points standings behind Marco Melandri and series winner Valentino Rossi.
For 2006, Hayden was charged with spearheading Repsol Honda's championship aspirations, and was the only rider to be handed the full 2006 Honda bike during preseason testing. He led the championship from the third race and looked set to break Valentino Rossi's championship-winning streak, which had dated back to 2001. Capturing the championship was not without peril: in the second to last round at Estoril in Portugal, teammate Dani Pedrosa missed his braking point while following Hayden. The resulting lowside accident took out both bikes, with Rossi claiming second place in that race, finishing 0.002 seconds behind Toni Elias. This left Hayden eight points behind Rossi in the championship with one race left to go. In the last race of the season on October 29th, 2006, the unexpected happened when Rossi fell off his motorcycle on lap 5 trying to make up for a poor start. Hayden, who was challenging for the race lead at the time, was informed of Rossi's mistake and backed off his lap times by nearly a second, winning the championship by finishing a safe 3rd behind race winner Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi. He thus won the 2006 championship, beating Rossi 252 points to 247.
On September 22nd, 2006, Hayden signed a two-year agreement that would allow him to race for and develop with the factory Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) team for the 2007 and 2008 MotoGP seasons. He has already begun testing the new 800 cc Honda RC212V. His MotoGP racing number changes from 69 to 1 for the 2007 season. |
