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/128224
On the left is the T3, and on the right is the T4. bikes with another journalist, to try out the other bike with the more sweptback handlebars (which I preferred). Then we headed out to Malibu. I was a little surprised by the selection of roads that Honda chose for our ride. Primarily because many of them are roads that we use for our sportbike testing, meaning really tight and twisty. But I gave them the benefit of the doubt and figured they knew what they were getting into. As it turns out, they knew exactly what they were getting into. I will go on record and say that I was shocked by how well the Rune handles. It still handles like a cruiser, but like a really good handling cruiser. What surprised me the most was the fact that the steering felt so light and responsive. I guess I wasn't prepared for something with a 68.9-inch wheelbase to handle at all. For comparison's sake, a Harley-Davidson V-Rod has a 67.5inch wheelbase, while an Indian Chief measures in at a close 68.4 inches. Those are the two longest production bikes that [ could find in our 2003 Cycle News Buyers' Guide. The front fork works very well, which was a pleasant surprise. I figured it would be really stiff and jarring, but it was rather plush. As for the rear suspension, [ thought it was a little on the bouncy side. After hitting a bump, it would bounce up and down for a second after impact. This I'm sure can be tuned out, but I didn't have time to mess with the rear compression-damper adjuster on our short ride. It was too soft and didn't have enough rebound damping to stop the bouncing. The Rune is unique in that unlike a lot of bikes that only have a preload adjuster, the Rune only has a compression adjuster, primarily for packaging reasons. I'm sure the extra-long wheelbase was contributing to the bouncing, but in most cruising situations [ don't think it's that bothersome. Another area that I thought would be a limiting factor is the bike's ground clearance. One thing that is unique to the Rune and the standard Valkyrie is the location of the footpegs, which sit under the rider and not way out front. This, of course, is dictated by the flat six engine layout, and although unique for a cruiser, in my opinion it's much more comfortable. If you know anything about me at all, you don't need to ask if I was dragging the pegs - that's a given but the bike was able to achieve a fairly cranked-over angle before dragging anything. Remember we were on some really tight roads, so I was quite happy with the Rune's ability to, dare I say, carve the corners. As for the brakes, they are the largest that Honda has ever fitted to a production bike, with twin 330mm rotors up front and a single giant 336mm unit out back. They work. Hauling the 770-plus-pound bike down from speed was never an issue, and [ never touched the rear brake all day. Just like any Honda, it doesn't compromise performance just because the bike is a cruiser. One thing that I was completely prepared for was the motor. I've ridden Valkyries and have spent limited time on a Gold Wing, so I knew what to expect from the powerplant. Smooth, seamless torque and power is the reward for twisting the throttle, and lots of it. The motor's low-end torque is a blast, especially in the lower gears. I don't think that too many buyers will complain because it lacks oomph. The motor is really tractable throughout the rev-range, but shifting a little early seems to be the hot ticket to smooth acceleration. Running it into the rev limit!!!? just seems counterproductive, but short-shift it and ride the torque curve, and the reward is wonderful acceleration. As for vibration, there isn't much of any. [f it weren't for the rumble from the side-exit exhausts (which are almost too quiet at idle), you might be tempted to jab the starter button again to make sure the bike is running. [f you want to hear the motor roar, and trust me you will, just whack the throttle WFO every now and again to hear that wonderful flat six sing. It sounds like nothing else in motorcycling, sounding more like a high-performance flat six Porsche, as it should. During my morning on the bike, every single person I spoke to asked if the Rune was a one-off custom or if it was actually a production bike. People wanted to sit on and above all stare at it. People seemed mesmerized by it. The first clue that the bike wasn't a one-off special was the fact that there were two of them sitting there. Then [ had to field the long list of questions about price, performance, etc. One guy in Malibu guessed that the bike must cost around $35,000, which to him seemed quite reasonable. I informed him that he was about $10,000 too high and that there weren't any $35,000 cruisers on the market that could hang with the Rune in terms of overall performance anyway. The bike can be ordered with one of two handlebars, the straighter bar or the pull-back bars. As [ said above, the pull-back bars were my preferred choice. The seating position was quite comfortable with a soft seat and comfortable footpeg placement. The front headlight and low seating position combine to offer a decent amount of protection from the wind. I never felt like [ was hanging on for dear life due to the windblast. One really cool detail about the Rune is the LCD instrument display. The bike just wouldn't look right with some stupid retro-fashioned gauge cluster. The display is backlit blue with white numbers and is shaded by the recess that it sits in, so glare isn't an issue. It's in an easy-to-read location at the top front of the tank. Another nice touch is the chromed hand control assemblies that house the starter, lights and horn buttons, just a nice detail. The tank is beautifully sculpted and combined with the badass rear fende;- seem to account for half of the bike's visual mass. Both the Illusion Blue and the Candy Black Cherry paint schemes are stunning, even more so in person than in print; no expense was spared in throwing on the color, that's for sure. After spending a long morning on the bike, I came away impressed. I'm sure that if the bikes aren't spoken for yet, they soon will be. All I can say is that I'm sure that the lucky 1000 or so individuals who get a hold of one won't be disappointed. The Rune looks outrageous, handles above expectation, and accelerates like a jackrabbit. What else could one need from something as cartoon-like as the Rune? eN Below are some of the designers' original sketches for the "T" series. @[j)@@D(JD@@(JD@[fD0 2004 VaUqrrie Rune NRXI800 UST PRICE $24,499-$26,999 DISPLACEMENT 1832cc ENGINE TYPE Liquid-cooled, horizontally opposed six-cylinder BORE x STROKE 74 x 71 mm COMPRESSION RATIO 9.8:1 VALVE TRAIN SOHC, twe valves per cylinder CARBURETION .............••••••••••••....PGM-FI w/(6) 32mm throttle bodies IGNITION Digital with 3D mapping TRANSMISSION Five-speed STARTING SYSTEM ...•••........................................E1ectric FUEL CAPACITY 6.2 gal. WHEELBASE ............•••••••••.••............................68.9 in. RAKElTRAlL .............................••..•.....................N/A SEAT HEIGHT ..........•.•••.••••••••...........................27.2 in. FRONT TIRE ..............••••••••••••••.•••.•................ J 50/60-18 REAR TIRE .............••••••................................180/55-17 FRONT SUSPENSION ..............••.••••••.••••..•....Trailing bottom link FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL ................••••••••.•..................3.9 in. REAR SUSPENSION ..........................••••••.........Unit Pro-Link REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL ...................•••••••••................ .3.9 in. FRONT BRAKE Dual 330mm disc REAR BRAKE .................................••...... .single 336mm disc FINAL DRIVE Shaft CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT 769.6 Ibs. COLORS Illusion Blue, Double-clear-coat Biack, Candy Black Cherry cue I e n e _ 50 • JULY 23,2003 35