Cameron Donald: 'RCV can win TT'

The only man to ever ride a MotoGP bike around the Isle of Man Mountain Course, Cameron Donald, reckons a MotoGP bike could win at the Isle of Man TT. 

It was announced on Wednesday that Bruce Anstey would ride a hand built £150,000 Honda RC213V-S around the TT course in the Senior and Superbike races on a bike run and supplied by Padgetts Motorcycles. The V4-powered RC213V-S is the nearest we have ever got to a true road-going MotoGP bike for the road. It’s essentially a production version of Marc Marquez’s MotoGP bike.

And speaking exclusively to Bike Social, two-time TT winner Donald said he thinks a MotoGP-based bike like the RC213VS could well be a winner.

The Australian is well qualified to comment, having recorded a staggering 127mph lap of the TT course from a standing start on a Rizla Suzuki GSV-R MotoGP bike back in 2010. Donald, who at the time raced alongside Anstey at the Relentless Suzuki squad, had never even sat on the MotoGP machine before, while the bike itself had been ridden exclusively on ultra-smooth MotoGP tracks until then.

Riding for Wilson Craig at the TT this year, Cameron said: “I’ve always said that it would be a winner. That bike I rode was so easy to ride was amazed. It was very light and easy to muscle through all the change of directions of the TT course. My only concern was the lightweight components holding up to the abuse of a TT race.”

Back in 2010, as editor of MCN, I was lucky enough to try and follow Cam for his record-breaking lap on the GSV-R. Riding a standard Suzuki GSX-R1000 with a race shift, a Rizla paint job and a pipe, I couldn’t believe the sheer violence when the GSV-R accelerated away down Bray Hill and cleared off into the distance. Afterwards, he said that given a few more laps he’d break the lap record.

Based on a race-kitted Honda RC213V-S which makes a claimed 218+bhp, Anstey’s bike will be beefed up for the TT course with new wheels, K-Tech forks, rear shock, different brakes and specially-made radiator guards.

Ten-times TT winner Anstey has yet to test the RCV but will practice on it along with his superbike-spec Fireblade that he rode to his first Superbike TT victory last year.

Anstey is expected to do his first lap on the RC213V-S this Saturday evening when leading the TT newcomers around for their first laps.

Padgetts will only make a decision on whether or not Anstey will actually race the RC213V-S after putting in some practice laps. Should they elect against racing the MotoGP replica, the team's not-too-shabby Fireblade, which recorded a remarkable 209.8mph at the recent North West 200.

The addition of the stunning RC-V is certainly creating quite a stir in the paddock, though we would imagine that if it provides the pace to match the PR coverage then there will be more than a few race team managers knocking on the door of race control while clutching copies of the superbike rule book.