HONDA VALKYRIE RUNE
Honda's Road to the Rune started more than a decade ago, in product-planning meetings where the shape and makeup of future Honda cruisers were being discussed. Honda had used the name "Custom" to designate its first cruisers, but dropped it, in part because a mass-produced custom seemed to be an oxymoron. Still, the idea of making and selling an exotic, highly stylized cruiser was appealing. Honda is first of all an engineering company; it has thoroughly demonstrated it knows how to create motorcycles that function exceptionally well. But functional excellence and the style that defines today's cruisers tend to run in different directions. It was decided early on that the engine should be a flat-six. Not only would this keep it from being another V-twin, but even more than the V-four, the flat-six is distinctively Honda. This motor would stamp the result as a Honda creation like nothing else could. While those American stylists knew they were trying to create something that might go into production, they didn't really have to determine how to meet the regulations and standards.
Honda Valkyrie - Reviews on RateItAll
Avons are longer lasting but slip a little in the rain. Chose you battles. Get a new seat from Ultimate Seats, and sheep skin for a super comfy ride. One of the best things about a Valkyrie is that it looks like a motorcycle.
Popular Mechanics - 2004 Honda Valkyrie Rune
Don't worry about '70s performance, though. Between your (cylinder head-heated) ankles sits a massaged Honda Gold Wing 1832cc liquid-cooled fuel-injected SOHC flat Six and 5-speed shaft-drive gearbox. Six 32mm throttle bodies, new camshafts and revised fuel and ignition mapping feed the hungry beast, while six-into-two exhaust removes the spent gases. Hang on tight before pulling the trigger-the Rune is a torque monster all over its power band.
Frequently Asked Questions about Valkyries.
RUMORS DISPELLED: Use of brands of oils other than Honda brand, so long as they are within viscosity specs, will not void your warranty. These other oils include synthetics, blends and conventional. Changing over to synth oil after the first break-in period of 600-800 miles is satisfactory. Tires for the Valkyrie have a peppered history. The factory supplied Dunlops were the only tires available for about two years. Since then, three other manufacturers have stepped up to the plate with Bridgestone first, then Metzeler and Avon. All tires seem to fall within the "satisfactory" range with the main complaint only of low mileage expectations on some of the models and "noisiness" on others. Though these reports mostly deal with the negative aspects of the tires in question, one should not read into this that tires for the Valkyrie are horrible. Again, all tires seem to fall within the satisfactory range but each has its own personality. NOTE: There are many new "old" Valkyries currently being sold. These are '98 overproduction models with zero miles. These bikes have been crated for sometime and this may cause the OEM tires on them to be out of round and cause a bumpy ride. This "bumpy tire" symptom will usually work itself out after a few thousand miles, but Honda has replaced these tires under warranty in some cases. Check with your dealer if you have this symptom.
DaytonaDirect
Since today's cruiser market leans far over the double yellow line towards style, it made a lot of sense for Honda to explore fresh ideas in this unique manner, terHorst says. The project was directed by Martin Manchester, executive designer at Honda R&D Americas. T4 - Click to enlarge To further push the boundaries of styling, design and fabrication, Honda chose one designer whose expertise lies in restoring Ford Cobra automobiles and vintage aircraft, rather than motorcycles.
Motorcycle Online: Honda Valkyrie Interstate v. Yamaha Venture
Los Angeles, February 15, 2000 - The Honda Valkyrie Interstate and the Yamaha Royal Star Venture are recent entries into the "Chrome Tourer" niche that, until recently, Japanese manufacturers ceded to Harley-Davidson. Both motorcycles are big and fat and replete with chrome, certainly on the hoggish side of the scale, but in many ways decidedly un-hoggish. They are elemental in design yet they don't cut corners when it comes to amenities like full-range audio. The Valkyrie and the Venture pack plenty of motor, particularly the Interstate. However, the Valkyrie Interstate offers a stronger motor, better brakes and superb night-time visibility. The Venture is still a Royal Star and while the V-four engine has been re-tuned for a bit more grunt, compared to the Interstate, it feels underpowered, particularly when riding up inclines or traveling with a passenger. Basically, the Valkyrie engine is a hopped-up Gold Wing engine reconfigured with six 28mm carbs (compared to the twin set found on the Gold Wing), revised camshaft timing and a freer flowing exhaust.
1998 Honda Valkyrie Tourer Road Test
Built around a pumped up Gold Wing engine, the Valkyrie certainly carries it's own special character. The large displacement engine is fed by six separate 28mm CV carbs, the cam timing is more radical, redline is higher, and the cruiser uses a more free flowing six-into-six exhaust system which produces an exhaust note all its own. Valve adjustment is by screw and lock-nut adjusters, camshafts are belt driven and the alternator pumps out a whopping 546 watts. The big Valkyrie likes to corner and transitions from side to side quite well. If pushed too hard, however, the peg feelers touch down in a way that gets your immediate attention as the large peg lifts your foot.
Corbin Motorcycle Seats & Accessories Honda Valkyrie Motorcycles ...
Corbin's new wind management system! Designed to embrace the wind and improve the aerodynamics of the motorcycle and rider for a more relaxed ride and improved stability. Graceful contours look excellent on the Valkyrie as the Trimtab fairing molds over the headlight like the integrated component it was engineered to be. This is a classic example of form and function having equal importance in the design process.
Honda Valkyrie: Information From Answers.com
Depending on your point of view, you could call the Valkyrie the first true `Power Cruiser` motorcycle. Some would disagree, stating that the V-Max from Yamaha was the true original `Power Cruiser` first introduced in 1985.
We are not an official site of Honda. We are just adepts of Honda religion. We own Honda cars, we drive Honda cars, we want to read about Honda cars and finally we want to tell you what news we found about our cars. All trademarks you can find on this site are belong to their respective owners. Honda is trademark of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. You can find official Honda information at official web site.
© Copyright 2008. Best Honda Cars