I've just seen what may possibly be the most individual, and maybe a little scary, motorcycle ever built. And it's a Honda! The Valkyrie Rune looks like something that leapt out of the pages of a 1980's sci-fi comic. Or a Sylvester Stallone film based on it. Wide tyres, wide tank, wide bars, wide everything! It's a beast which begs you to break the law. So it can judge you.
It's the look of the thing that first grabs your attention. It's huge, it curves elegantly everywhere and there's just *so* much chrome! This is one Cruiser that knows which target audience it's aiming at. Big, brash and glittering it shouts 'look at me' with every beat of that throbbing exhaust note.
Honda's other huge Cruiser offerings don't exactly fire the imagination it has to be said. But they've never built one like this before either. 6 cylinders and 1.8 litres of solid thumping motor in a beautifully styled retro chassis. Then they've built all the weighty bits into the base keeping the centre of gravity low and well placed. When you sit on her she doesn't really feel heavy at all.
The engine is smooth as ice cream after being whisked. And there's just so much torque it's ridiculous. Leaning into a bend and squeezing the throttle pushes you back into the comfortable seat and drives you out to the straight with punch. It can keep you entertained for hours and without the aches and pains you might expect from a long road ride.
The only down-side to this incredible machine is the availability. Honda doesn't make them any more and never officially imported them to Europe either. The only ones that made it to our shores were personal imports. So on the odd occasion one pops up on Ebay for sale or Bike Trader but that's about it. The only other way of sourcing one would involve a rather costly and lengthy expedition to the USA. Good excuse for a long holiday though I guess.
However, a bit like waiting for 'Nessie' on the shores of Loch Ness they do from time to time show their faces and at the time of writing there's one up for sale in the Midlands based showroom of Fasttrack Motorcycles. She's patiently sitting in the window waiting to be bought. Or maybe she's waiting for her next victim.
Seeing a one in the flesh, or chrome, was what prompted me to write this piece in fact. It's not often that a bike stops me in my tracks these days and when they do I can almost guarantee they are hand-crafted custom builds. But the Valkyrie Rune is like nothing else on earth. What an aptly named machine. After all Valkyrie's fly don't they? And so does Joe Dredd's Lawbringer in 2000AD.
But for now she sits there alone with a 13,000 price tag and demands your attention. Not just *your* attention either but in fact the looks and admiration (or consternation) of absolutely *everyone* who walks by. Go take a look for yourself if she's still there and hasn't already been sold. It'll be worth the trip and something you will most probably never see again or ever forget.
It's the look of the thing that first grabs your attention. It's huge, it curves elegantly everywhere and there's just *so* much chrome! This is one Cruiser that knows which target audience it's aiming at. Big, brash and glittering it shouts 'look at me' with every beat of that throbbing exhaust note.
Honda's other huge Cruiser offerings don't exactly fire the imagination it has to be said. But they've never built one like this before either. 6 cylinders and 1.8 litres of solid thumping motor in a beautifully styled retro chassis. Then they've built all the weighty bits into the base keeping the centre of gravity low and well placed. When you sit on her she doesn't really feel heavy at all.
The engine is smooth as ice cream after being whisked. And there's just so much torque it's ridiculous. Leaning into a bend and squeezing the throttle pushes you back into the comfortable seat and drives you out to the straight with punch. It can keep you entertained for hours and without the aches and pains you might expect from a long road ride.
The only down-side to this incredible machine is the availability. Honda doesn't make them any more and never officially imported them to Europe either. The only ones that made it to our shores were personal imports. So on the odd occasion one pops up on Ebay for sale or Bike Trader but that's about it. The only other way of sourcing one would involve a rather costly and lengthy expedition to the USA. Good excuse for a long holiday though I guess.
However, a bit like waiting for 'Nessie' on the shores of Loch Ness they do from time to time show their faces and at the time of writing there's one up for sale in the Midlands based showroom of Fasttrack Motorcycles. She's patiently sitting in the window waiting to be bought. Or maybe she's waiting for her next victim.
Seeing a one in the flesh, or chrome, was what prompted me to write this piece in fact. It's not often that a bike stops me in my tracks these days and when they do I can almost guarantee they are hand-crafted custom builds. But the Valkyrie Rune is like nothing else on earth. What an aptly named machine. After all Valkyrie's fly don't they? And so does Joe Dredd's Lawbringer in 2000AD.
But for now she sits there alone with a 13,000 price tag and demands your attention. Not just *your* attention either but in fact the looks and admiration (or consternation) of absolutely *everyone* who walks by. Go take a look for yourself if she's still there and hasn't already been sold. It'll be worth the trip and something you will most probably never see again or ever forget.
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