The Honda RC212V is a road racing motorcycle developed to race in the 800 cc (49 cu in) MotoGP series. Officially introduced on 30 October, 2006 as the RC211V replacement in the MotoGP series, it was developed by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) throughout 2006 and began officially racing in the 2007 season.

The model name designates the following:

The RC212V features an 800 cc (49 cu in) liquid-cooled four-stroke DOHC 4-valve V4 to power the all new chassis built with mass centralization and handling as top priority.

Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden rode the factory-backed versions, while the customer machines were ridden by Marco Melandri, Toni Elías, Carlos Checa, and Shinya Nakano. A perennial issue with Honda’s GP motorcycle is which team and rider receives the best parts and whether performance differences are due to the rider not the machine. Before the racing season started in 2007, Melandri was quoted as saying, "In the past few tests I’ve seen a big progression with Pedrosa’s bike, but we’re still waiting for new parts from Honda."

After a few rounds, Honda riders did not achieve the results expected, leading HRC chief Satoru Horiike to admit that they made a mistake in the motorcycle’s development. Melandri decided to ride with the Ducati team in 2008 and Pedrosa’s dissatisfaction led to rumors that he was leaving Honda. Towards the end of 2007, however, there were signs of improvement, with the Repsol Honda team taking the last five pole positions of the season and Pedrosa winning the last round at Valencia.

For 2008, HRC planned to use pneumatic valve springs and an all-new chassis. The mass centralization of the 2007 model was thought to have gone too far, and instead the 2008 model is more open, reducing heat and improving balance. The factory team riders are Pedrosa (through 2009) and Hayden (through 2008). Satellite team riders are Nakano, Andrea Dovizioso, Randy de Puniet and Alex de Angelis.

The 2008 pneumatic valve version has only been available to the Repsol Honda team, and in pre-season testing it has been highly problematic. The original intent of running an all-new engine and chassis was shelved when the engine did not perform to expectations. Pedrosa and Hayden then tested a 2007 engine in a 2008 chassis, and after still being near the bottom of testing timesheets, the Repsol Honda team used the 2007 version in the first round’s practice for comparison purposes. For the race, Pedrosa chose a revised 2008 chassis while Hayden chose the 2007.