Honda confirms new RC213V-RS won't be ready until February

Honda has confirmed its all-new production Honda RC213V-RS machine will not be ready for  Jack Miller and Eugene Laverty to debut until the first MotoGP showdown of 2015 in Malaysia.

The RC213V-RS will replace the current underpowered RCV1000R next season, but the new production bike will not be ready to test in the traditional post race test session in Valencia next month.

The RC213V-RS is essentially this year’s factory machine raced by reigning world champion Marc Marquez without the seamless shift gearbox and it will have to run the standard Dorna-supplied electronics.

But LCR rider Miller and Aspar rider Laverty will have to wait until early February to assess the new RC213V-RS for the first time.

HRC boss Shuhei Nakamoto confirmed the bike would not be ready for the forthcoming Valencia test when he spoke to MCN during last weekend’s Japanese GP at Twin Ring Motegi.

And Aspar Honda boss Gino Borsoi told MCN: “We would like to try the new bike with Eugene as soon as possible but we don’t know when we will receive it. I hope we can make some test with it before the end of the season but we don’t know about the 2015 bike. I have heard it won’t be ready for the Valencia test.”

Honda will field four RC213V-RS bikes next season for Miller, Laverty, Nicky Hayden and Karel Abraham.