Honda VTX1800R VTX1800S reviews

What a wonderful machine. Looks, style and performance all in one package. Can't believe the ease of riding such a massive machine. Carries passenger with no effort at all. My Harley friends hate me as they can't keep up!!!Scary fast if you're not paying attention. Wife loves the ride, makes my life much easier! Show less

With over 65K miles on my X, I think this is one of the best bikes I have ever owned. Visit some of the VTX web sites and you will find the majority of owners agree. I'll expect to put well over 100K miles on it and know several people that have over 100K on their bikes. Show less

I have yet to find something wrong with this machine, well it does get low fuel mileage, (but maybe that's because of the throttle controller, meaning the person doing the twisting) which when twisted responds quite well. With two riders it just glides, and I can't get enough free time to really enjoy it. I bought mine new in June of '06 and then went to Sturgis with a bunch of buddies, what a great time. Mine is a spec 3, S version and I'd buy the same machine for long travel. Piped it sounds awesome, and most newbies think it costs MUCH more than the going price. GREAT BIKE!!! Show less

I purchased a 2003 VTX 1800R holdover in 2005. The power, torque, ride in the wind, all of these things was great. At 12000 I started to hear a rattle in the engine and found that the cam chain was stretched, taking out most of the top end when the cam jumped a cog. So far I know of 2 other VTX-s, all 03s, with the same problem. The cam chain is lighter than one put in a four wheeler and has a long run on top of it all. Still don't know if Honda will or can fix it. Get your chains checked if you have one of these critters!! Damage was estimated at $3,100. Show less

Bought my VTX 1800 R (Black Beauty) from Honda East two years ago. Notice, I'm not even close to Ohio, but, the deal they offered me online was the best anywhere. There wasn't a dealer out here that came within $1k of deal they made for me... and that included shipping. Two years and almost eight thousand miles later and the trade in value of the bike is about what I paid new. This is one of four bikes in the garage, but it is always the first one out, and the others mostly just collect dust now. Love the bike. Although I don't push the limits of this monster, there isn't a cruiser on the road that comes close to its' performance. The stock exhaust is very mild, but, all the folks who ride with me know that sound doesn't equal speed. They know the VTX is relatively silent but definitely deadly. If there is a complaint to be made it would be the seat it's a little hard after about 100 or so miles. Show less

Last year I purchased my first Motorcycle in 25 years. I purchased a Suzuki C50 to get started in the cruiser line. I have passed it onto my Son because he is ready and I purchased the Honda VTX 1800R. All I can say is what a machine. For a big bike (and I mean Big) it is surprisingly easy to handle. When I say easy to handle I mean at low speeds practicing slow manuvers which are most difficult. On the road it is a dream, smooth, and powerful are the words that come to mind. Fuel is used on the low end at 32mpg and high end 42mpg, it is best on fuel on the road, this crusier likes to cruise. The seat is.... well it is a motorcycle seat and takes some getting use to. Honda could have added a clock but over all I love the Bike and would recommend it to anyone that had been riding awhile. This is a real crusier but not a good first bike. If it proves to be half as reliable as my Suzuki (and I am sure it will) it is going to be the standard by which all bikes are measured. Great bike. Show less

My confidence in the bike was greatly inceased after attending the safety course. Way more power then expected, pulled a wheelie going to 3rd gear. All comments from people so far is very positive and many are amazed it is a Honda upon close inspection. My MPG started out at 30 and now has increased to just at 41 mpg. I believe that I will end up with about 45-48 mpg range after the 4000 mile value adjustment during scheduled maintence. I defintely will invest in better seats and pipes in the future. Show less

I've been saving my pennies for about 5 years for a Harley,(Hey I Got Tired Of Saving And Not Riding) so I started looking at other options. I test rode every thing I could find; Yamaha, Kawasaki, Victory, Big Dog, you name it and I probably rode it. What I was looking for was a retro old school cruiser with lots of chrome. Something big and powerful and shiny and loud and well... you get the idea. Then I walked in to a Honda dealership in Dallas, TX. I started walking around admiring all the bikes (As usual) when my eye caught a massive line of about 10 clydsdales. WOW! I sat on one and then another, I didn't want to leave. I was in awe of their size and shape and to be quite honest I sat on a few 1300's but there was just something about the 1800's that held my attention. I've owned and rode a Kawasaki 550 LTD for over 25 years and I've always thought that If I ever buy another bike; It's Gonna Be A Big Bad One. that's it.... the search was on! No not for the bike, I knew what I wanted, the search was for the right price. Through extensive research....Yeah I know your not interested in the boring junk. I now am a proud owner of a Black Honda VTX 1800R, as a matter of fact I'm so proud of it I have already ordered and installed about 30 chrome accessories (It's A SICKNESS)I'm putting my studded bags on tommorrow and I swear that is the last thing I'm adding to it........maybe. I love my bike and I don't regret not buying the Harley. Go and get one! Reaserch it , Ride it, pick it, price it, and buy it, but BEWARE there is alot of After Market SAFETY CHROME(at least that's what I tell my wife)available for these puppies. Chrome...man how do they know that's one of my weaknesses, hey who cares I'm having a ball on my Black Beauty. Ride On Brothers, I know that's what I'll be doing! Show less

I moved up from a Honda VTX 1300R to the 1800R and could not be happier. I gave my wife the 1300R (she moved up from a VT750 Aero) and she couldn't be happier either. We have just returned from a 3 day 750 mile trip and my VTX did an excellent job in every test I gave it. I truly believe I have the best cruiser on the market today. Show less

I love this bike, and it's got power to spare. This machine will do 100 miles an hour and it's not even breathing hard. I'm a little new to cruisers, so I had to get used to not leaning too far in the turns because the floor-boards will drag, but hey... it keeps me alert, and within the speed limit when I'm driving around town. I had to downgrade the VTX a little on the reliability part because my battery cable worked loose, and the bike would cut off and on, but it didn't strand me so that was cool. The mechanic that fixed it said this was somewhat common for this model, but said it should no longer be a problem. As far as comfort, the stock seat left much to be desired. I was starting to get trucker's butt after only about 25 miles riding. I bit the bullet and got the mustang seat with the driver backrest, and the difference was night and day. I feel like I can ride virtually any distance now without any significant discomfort. For those of you that are heavily into touring, a quality seat is a must. Lastly, I think a bike this size needs to have some bark to it so I ordered a set of Vance and Hines bigshots, and a Kuryakyn hypercharger, and oh my, what a difference!! This baby has some serious bark now, and I don't know that the hypercharger did that much for the performance, but it sure looks awesome! Show less