The RC213V succeeded the RC212V, which competed under the earlier 800 cc regulations. The most significant engineering changes for the 1,000 cc formula were the increased displacement and a new 90-degree cylinder angle, widened from the 75.5 degrees of its predecessor. The wider angle allowed displacement to rise to 1,000 cc without raising the centre of gravity, and also improved primary balance sufficiently to eliminate the need for a balance shaft, saving weight.
The initial RC213V employed a forward-rotating crankshaft, described at the time as operating in a "screamer" firing configuration to prioritise outright power. As electronics regulations became more restrictive from 2016 onward, Honda transitioned back to a heavier reverse-rotating crankshaft and a big-bang firing order to improve corner-exit traction in the absence of the sophisticated software aids that had previously managed chassis behaviour. By 2019 all major MotoGP constructors had reached similar conclusions about crankshaft configuration.
The model designation encodes Honda's naming conventions: RC denotes Honda's four-stroke racing prefix, 213 identifies it as the third works racing machine of the 21st century, and V designates the V-engine layout.
The RC213V won the MotoGP constructors' championship in its debut season of 2012, with Repsol Honda riders Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa combining for 12 race victories from 18 rounds. Stoner subsequently retired and was replaced for 2013 by reigning Moto2 champion Marc Marquez, who won the riders' championship in his premier-class debut year. Marquez went on to secure five further riders' titles with the RC213V — in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 — creating a sustained period of dominance rarely seen in the sport.
The RC213V's constructors' championship titles with Honda span 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, totalling seven in eight seasons. The Repsol Honda team won the teams' championship six times across the same period. In total the RC213V accumulated 85 race victories and 86 pole positions through the 2025 French Grand Prix, figures that place it among the most successful machines in Grand Prix motorcycle racing history.
After Honda's constructors' title in 2019, the RC213V entered a period of significant competitive difficulty. Ducati won the constructors' championship in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as Honda fell to fifth, fourth and sixth in the standings respectively. Development struggles were compounded by injuries to Marquez, who missed most of the 2020 season after a crash at Jerez and suffered further physical setbacks in subsequent years.
Honda's project manager Takeo Yokoyama acknowledged for 2022 that the team had chosen to rebuild the engine from scratch following persistent rear-grip problems in the preceding two seasons. Independent reports suggested the engine was tilted rearward as part of the redesign. Despite the changes, the machine's difficulties continued, with Pol Espargaro describing the 2022 variant as having no particular strengths and test rider Stefan Bradl characterising its heat management as unacceptable.
HRC developed production-racer derivatives of the RC213V for satellite and independent teams. The RCV1000R, unveiled in November 2013, was a simplified version lacking the seamless-shift gearbox and pneumatic valve actuation of the factory machine; it was used by the Gresini Racing, AB Motoracing and Aspar teams in 2014 with the standardised Dorna-issued ECU. For 2015 the RCV1000R was replaced by the RC213V-RS, which adopted pneumatic valves while retaining the conventional gearbox.
A road-legal version, the RC213V-S, was released in June 2015 in a limited production run as a MotoGP replica. Honda stated the street machine shared approximately 80 percent of its components with the racing version, with differences including steel valve springs in place of pneumatic operation, stainless brake discs replacing carbon items, a conventional six-speed sequential gearbox, 17-inch Marchesini wheels rather than the 16.5-inch racing units, and a wider steering lock. European market RC213V-S machines are limited to 12,000 rpm in standard form, with an optional Sports Kit raising the ceiling to 14,000 rpm.