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/1504322
VOLUME ISSUE JULY , P127 seen anything like this before." As you can expect, Honda was cautious as to who got to ride the high-dollar Rune when it first came out. Honda had pulled aside only two press bikes, and Cycle News was one of the few magazines that got the chance to ride one—albeit a short morn- ing cruise, under the watchful eye of a Honda rep, that started and ended at Honda's corporate head- quarters in Torrance, California. Besides its looks, the Rune's unique trailing-link front suspen- sion system, beautifully sculptured radiator and rear fender, single-side swingarm, and highly engineered exhaust pipes are just some of the things that stood out, even to this day. Good luck finding any plastic on this bike. I'll save you the time— you won't find any. The attention to detail is mind-blowing and noth- ing on this bike comes cheaply. The forks alone will set you back about the cost of two modern-day CRF450R motocrossers if you ever have to replace them. For a "show" bike, we said the Rune's performance was surpris- ingly impressive. We wrote, "... just remember that [the Rune] is a Honda. No matter how radical a beast the company builds, it's going to work, which goes without saying, and the Rune is no exception." The first thing you think about when riding the Rune is its size, specifically its length. It just goes on and on. "That front end is way out there," we wrote in our review. "At least that's the feeling you get from the mile-long headlight stretched out in front of the cock- pit. At times you feel like a medi- eval knight with a jousting lance, just trying to keep the thing from jabbing the taillights in front of you. The bike is so long that at times you feel like you're being chauf - feured around, and then you snap to your senses and realize that you're the one riding the thing." The massively large Rune, how - ever, was a pussycat maneuvering at both slow and higher speeds. "I will go on record and say that I was shocked by how well the Rune handles," our test editor at the time, Blake Connor, said. "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 respon - sive. I guess I wasn't prepared for something with a 68.9-inch wheel- base to handle at all." He added, "... the bike was able to achieve a fairly cranked-over angle before drag- ging anything ... we were on some tight roads, so I was quite happy with the Rune's ability to, dare I say, carve the corners." The Rune's 1832cc six-cylinder motor was impressive, as well. But that was no surprise. We had already ridden the latest Valkyrie and Gold Wing motorcycles, so we knew what to expect when it came to the Rune's similar motor, and we weren't let down. At the end of the day, or in this case, morning, Connor was impressed with the Rune. "After spending a long morning on the bike, I came away impressed," he said. "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?" The Rune is a rare bird. There aren't many of them out there; you just never see them on the road. I've probably only seen one. You must believe that anyone who owns a Rune, is too afraid to take it out of the garage. I know I'd be sweating bullets every time, but I also know it would be worth it. Happy 20th, Rune. CN Subscribe to nearly 50 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives