Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127987
(Left) Shown here in action is a nonaccessorlzecl Interstate. (Above) Compact but confusing to operate Is the audio system's control module. nearly two gallons more than the Valkyrie Tour and 0.6 gallons more than the Gold Wing. Swinging a leg over the large Valkyrie Interstate and settling into its cockpit for the first .time, I couldn't help but think I was on a Gold Wing - a strange Gold Wing, true, but a Gold Wing nonetheless. Visually, things looked plenty different from the seat the smaller windshield, the readouts, the controls, the handlebars - but once 1999 Honda GL1500 Valkyrie Interstate SpecIlicaIIons Engl_ type .. Liquid·cooled. horizontally opposed. flat·six. 12·valve. SOHC H_po r (claimed) 107 bhp @600rpm 102.7 ft.·lbs. @4500rpm Bore x stroke 71mm x 64mm DIspIa.......... . 1520cc Cerburetlon 28mm Keihin (6) Camp n ..110 9.8:1 Clutch type Wet. multi·plete Clutch .ctuatlon Hydraulic T..nsmieslon 5·speed Fine! reduction ..tlo 2.833:1 Final drive .. . . . . . . . . . . Shaft ignition Solid·state digital ACG. Output 546 watts F..me type . . . . . Diamond F..me meteri.1 Steel Rake/trail . . . .. 32 0 /5.98 in. Torq_ (cIal.-cl) Suspension Front .. Showa, Inverted telescopic fork Rear .showa, dual·shock. swingarm Wheelt .... Front .. . .5.1 in. Reilr .. . .4.7 in. Wheel size Front .3.5 x 17 in. Rear .5.0 x 16 in. n ... Front . .Dunlop D206F, 150/80R17 72H Rear ... .Dunlop D206, 180!70R16 77H B..kes Front .Dual disc, 296mm Rear Single disc, 316mm Wheelbase . .. 66.5 in. O/A length , 104.7 in. O/A height 58.7 in. 0/ A width .. 38.2 in. Ground clear.nce . 5.9 in. Seat height 28.7 In. Dry weight (cl.lmed) 771 Ibs. Gross vehicle weight ..tlng 1252 Ibs.. Tumlng ..dlus , 10.83 feet Fuel capacity 6.9 gal. (l.1 gal. reserve) . . . . .Black. pearl clerk green/ metallic gray, black/red ...$15,499 (black) MSRP $15,999 (two·tone) W nty Transferable. three-year . unli,!,ited·mileage limited warranty Colors you're on the move, you can't mistake its Gold Wing ancestry. The first time I rode the Interstate was a day after I had logged about 150 miles on a Gold Wing SE, and two things immediately came to mind, the first being the Interstate's slightly firmer ride. Though still plush by most streetbike standards, the Interstate's suspension certainly lets you feel what the road ·is made of. And that was fine with me. The second thing I quickly noticed was the Interstate's heavy-feeling steering, much of which of course had to do with the fork-mounted fairing. Even though the Gold Wing weighs approximately 50 pounds more than the Interstate and has an obviously heavier front end, due in part to gigantic framemounted fairing, the Interstate feels heavier at slower speeds and, at times, less stable. I still take roJ..4r;l .. to .'.. stops very seriously on the Interstate, espe- . cially with a passenger on board. Lucki-' ly, the Interstate's low 28.7-inch seat height makes it easy to plant your feet· firmly on the ground' to help . stabilize things. Anything more than a fast-run- . ning pace, howeve.r, is no problem. In fact, the Interstate's highspeed stability is quite good. Overall, the Valkyrie Interstate handles surprisingly well for such a behemoth, but, like I said, ' it takes some strength to steer the bike around at slow speeds. At a claimed 107 bhp and 103 ft.-lbs. of torque, Honda alleges that "the .. hea.rt of the Valkyrie Interstate is' the most powerful engine ever placed in a touring motorcycle." You won't hear. me argue. Despite the added poundage, the Valkyrie Interstate actually feels a little bit snappier than either the Valkyrie Or the Valkyrie Tour, and certainly perkier than the Gold Wing, but not any less smooth. It does, however, sound meaner. The exhaust system produces a distinctive and unique snarl that will make even the other two Valkyrie models step back. Blipping the throttle becomes a fun pastime on the Interstate, especially if you want to turn some heads. At speed - say, droning along at 70 mph, turning a comfortable 3000 rpm the fairing does a fine job of keeping wind blast off the rider's midsection and hands, though I would prefer the wind- * shield to be a few inches taller for my 6foot-l frame. Unlike the Gold Wing, very little, if any, back pressure can be felt. Down below, there is a small gap between the fairing and lowers, so it does feel a little breezy around the knees. Comfortwise, the Interstate is every bit as cozy as the Gold Wing, even for the passenger. My wife has already logged some serious time in the Interstate's passenger compartment and has enjoyed every minute of it. She noted that, compared to the Gold Wing, the Interstate felt "more like being on a motorcycle." The lower windshield and stiffer suspension of the Interstate probably had a lot tei do with that. The Interstate's audio system works well, but not great. It's powerful enough to listen to, but if s(jund quality is what ': .. i ..... you're look'. ing for, well, . stick to yoUr .: home sys:- tem. It's not ··even in the :.same league :as the Gold ing's as ar a"s !,sound ·';:quality is ../:concerned, "'and the j" overall sys';',tem is not '" nearly as .' asy to '. perate. (Above) The State's trunk Is large enough to house a pair of full-face helmets. (Right) Honda accomplished its goal of giving the Valkyrie Interstate a distinctive "face." Figuring out how to use the control module and its many multi-function buttons is about as frustrating as trying to figure out how to work your VCR. At night, the frustration doubles, because the module doubles as a "black box," since the control buttons have no illumination. Overall, the audio system itself seemingly has 101 different functions' and modes, one of which is an automatic volume-control option. Operating the saddlebags and trunk is simple enough. The rear compartment can be opened or closed via a hidden lever underneath the trunk. With the locking mechanism kept turned to the right, the key is not needed to operate the lid. Conversely, turning the key to the left position unlocks the trunk, at which time the key can be removed from the opened trunk if so desired. At this point, however, you're entering dangerous territory, since the trunk locks automatically when you close the lid and the lever is no longer functional. It is not impossible to accidentally lock the key inside the trunk. I know; I speak from experience. The saddlebags use the same type of latching method as the Valkyrie Tour model. I averaged roughly a generous 30 miles to the gallon of mostly open highway riding on the Valkyrie, which equates to approximately 215 miles before you have to put on your walking shoes. As far as accessories for the Interstate go, Honda will be offering plenty of thingamabobs to personally customize yom bike. In fact, the Valkyrie Interstate we used in this article already came ,fully accessorized, '. 'including a fiont . ose mask, chrome addlebag guard . ils, foglights, sad.lebag mats and a dded custom seat. . The Valkyrie Interate has three differt color schemes chose from: all 'ack, pearl dark een/ metallic gray', d black/red. Overall, I enjoyed iding the Valkyrie terstate. Even though onda says the In ter.tate is an extension of e Valkyrie series, to e it's more of an 'x tension of the Gold ir;g - a Gold Wing . ith Valkyrie like perrmance and a hint of . uiser mettle.