Marc Marquez Rides His RC213V Up A Ski Slope
Yes, that's a RC213V with 483 metal spikes in its tires
What do you get when you combine the budget and might of Red Bull, MotoGP champion Marc Marquez, his Honda RC213V, and a ski slope? The title says it all. You get one of the most talented motorcycle pilots on the planet piloting a 260 hp beast through the snow and up one of the toughest slopes in the World Cup of skiing.
Helping Marquez prepare for the attempt was Austrian ice speedway legend Franky Zorn, who fitted the huge spikes – 483 in all – into the RC213V’s tires. As for the attempt itself, Marquez approached it with the enthusiasm one might expect from a 23 year-old, stating “It was really difficult to keep the bike under control, but I’m young and it’s good fun to try some crazy things! We enjoyed it and we could see after a few runs everything that was possible.”
You can tell from the video that Marquez isn’t taking it easy, as he’s revving the RCV liberally to get it to climb the slope. At times the terrain bucks him off the seat, but the spiked tires have so much grip the Spaniard is able to pull a wheelie at one point. Marquez also had to have spikes installed on the heel of his boots so he could put his feet down at a stop without slipping and falling.
As impressive as the feat is, Marquez is not the first to pilot a prototype racing machine up Austria’s Kitzbühel Alps (though he is the first to do it on a MotoGP machine). Formula 1 driver, and fellow Red Bull athlete, Max Verstappen, drove his F1 car up the same slope last year.
Marc Marquez’s talent on a motorcycle is enormous. That’s not much of a surprise, considering his three premier-class MotoGP titles and his exploits in flat track, capped by his recent victory at the Superprestigio over none other than former AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National champion Brad Baker. Is ice racing in his future? Who knows, but we wouldn’t doubt his chances should he decide to take it up.
Check out the video below.
Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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Oh Hell Ya...
Pretty cool even the little Honda bump starter thingy had an orange wheel.