Honda Valkyrie Interstate reviews

A comfortable ride for one. More power than you can safely use. Good riding position, low center of gravity. A 900 lb beast that draws attention everywhere. Especially noticeable when riding with a group of Harleys. Show less

I have only put about 125 miles on my bike so I have a small sample to base this on. The bike is a smooth riding, very maneuverable at both low and high speeds, cruiser. It is well balanced with a low center of gravity. (The Picture at the bottom is NOT the bike I bought. I can't get the picture deleted. Sorry) Show less

Pros; fast, comfortable, easy to maintain, beautiful, cheap. Cons; short range, brakes could be better, it's large and heavy. In my opinion, Best Cruising Motorcycle Ever. Show less

I recently purchased a 2013 Honda Interstate and I really love the bike. I am new to riding so, initially I purchased a Honda CTX 700. It was a great bike, but I felt like the automatic bike took away the joy of learning how to change gears, so after completing riding school, I purchased the Interstate. It shifts gears easily and is very forgiving. There is some vibration and buffeting because of the windshield, but outside of that it is awesome. At first glance the Interstate looks like a Harley Soft-tail, but this bike stands alone and is a joy to ride. Show less

My 2012 Honda Interstate is now set up perfectly for me. It is a marvelous machine. It is incredibly smooth at 80 mph. The bike, as delivered new, has an inherent wind buffeting issue at higher speeds due to the windshield and the narrow gas tank. The wind, at higher speeds, comes under the windshield and up around the narrow gas tank and meets the wind coming over the windshield right about head level, causing an uncomfortable buffeting. As you read reviews on the Interstate, you will see this issue brought up often. That issue is, however, fully resolvable. Once resolved, the bike is a wonderful ride. Here is the resolution. Install MS Fork Wind Deflectors, Honda Line Engine guards with leather Chaps (see Sage Brush Designs) and clear hand wind deflectors. With this setup, the wind buffeting is completely eliminated. Since I am about 5'7", the reach to the handlebar grips was just a little more than optimal. That too was perfectly resolved for me by adding 3-inch risers to the handlebars. Honda would sell many more of these bikes if these modifications were standard. Oh, by the way, a Mustang seat replacement is highly recommended. Show less

I recently purchased my Honda Interstate and have put a few miles on it when the weather was permitting. I use it for back roads, interstate travel to Florence, back and forth to work and home and just leisurely cruises for the sheer joy of the ride. This is my first motorcycle (I had ridden a few before and a lot of dirtbikes, though) and the 1300cc engine hits the sweet spot in my personal opinion. It offers enough power to get moving on the interstate at 80 mph. and remain smooth with obviously more power to take on faster trips if you wish. Being as I am not speed demon and just want to enjoy the freedom, this motorcycle more than fits the bill for what I wanted. There is some slight vibration due to the windscreen when moving above 65 mph., but it is negligible and if the ride wasn't so smooth before hand, I doubt I would notice it. I do get a fair amount of buffeting on my helment when riding, but a slightly more aggressive riding posture elements it completely. The windshield does a fantastic job of keeping the cold off my core though, so that it is a huge plus during the winter months, but I will probably remove it in the spring and summer months (easily accomplished with the removal of four simple bolts) to really get a sensation of additional freedom. The 1300cc engine is also ideal when in town. Some of the large bikes out there are indeed wonderful on the freeway, but you have to use a really fine touch when hitting small towns with low speed limits. The Interstate handles those low speeds with the same rock solid performance as it handles the high speeds and is fairly easy to mainpulate. Keep in mind though, I am a big fellow so that helps a lot when manuevering a 700 lb. motorcycle. The braking and clutch are very smooth and the shaft drive offers a relatively maintenance-free upkeep, ensuring your motorcycle will run smoothly for years to come. Truly, the only real complaint I have about the bike is the seat. While it is low and easy for almost any rider to sit on with both feet on the ground and it looks really stylish, it could use a little more padding as it will wear on your tailbone for longer trips. The passenger seat also almost requires a backrest and the positioning has the passenger sitting a good deal higher than the rider. The height differential isn't a big deal in my case as most people are so short compared to me that I am still significantly taller than them, but it is something to consider for similar sized riders. I still highly recommend the Honda Interstate as a wonderfully priced touring motorcycle that can also handle in town traffic with ease. If you are going to be riding with a passenger, definitely opt for a backrest for them. Happy trails and safe riding. Show less

The Valk is my 11th bike in 34 years of riding. I had a BMW K 1200 RS before which was a fine bike. Valks are not very common here but when I saw this 11 year old beast by a local dealer I was in love straight away. I was not planning on changing bikes but I did after I test drove the Valk. Maybe because I'm getting older and I found myself hanging more and more to retro styling because all this modern futuristic bikes these days I cannot fall in love with. Also self maintenace is getting very hard on modern bikes these days. Back to basics with carburetors my last bike with that was 12 years ago. I never owned a cruiser before. The Valk is more normal with plenty power to have loads of fun. It fits my style of riding. The bike fits my stature more and it does have a great ride with great cornering. I still drive with some BMW friends and they are surprised at first that I could keep up with them even give them a run down for there money. The only disappointing thing was the fuel usage. I think in the states you travel around 75 miles an hour then this bike is great with 3000 revs but here, well everybody drives around 140 km (90 nm) and then the fuel usage is very high. It means a tank stop every hour, that's rough but I can live with that because the fun factor is very high on this bike. Also the look factor - people look at me and start conversations about the bike and that's a first for me. I like it and I will keep it for years to come. And I am on zero now I could get used to milecounter so I chanced it to km counter now I start fresh al km are mine from now on to make. Show less

I've been riding for over 40 years and the list of machines I have ridden or owned wouldn't fit in this review. My 1997 F6 still packs a punch when I need it. Rides better than ANY machine I have been on! Long haul or short. Too bad HONDA was so short sighted! Show less

My 1999 Honda Valkyrie Interstate was the best bike I ever owned. It was smooth, powerful and just plain great to look it. Classic lines of a power cruiser and the motor of the classic tourer made it perfect for short rides and long rides. My wife used to sit in the princess seat in comfort as we rode to places like Nashville and Knoxville Tennessee. Cruising the dragon(Deals Gap) with ease and crusing through the Smokeys in comfort. Overall I cannot say enough good things about this bike except it put a hurt to Goldwing sales so Honda stopped making them. Great Bike and Great Experiences is what I will remember from owning this machine. The sweetest ride on the road and even got the respect of most Harley owners. Hope I can get another one someday. Show less

The Rune is a wonderful ride. It is smooth, comfortable, reliable and fast. The elaborate trailing link fork does not dive - not at all. The engine accelerates effortlessly and on a slow summer day, I've seen 51 mpg. How cool it is to have a flat six cylinders on two wheels! High speed handling is like a locomotive on wheels. The low speed handling requires good form and confidence. The long wheelbase, hardtail style rear end, trailing link fork and 811 lbs dry weight create rock solid feel on two lane roads and highways. This bike will spoil you. Build quality is unbeatable, layer after layer of precise-fitting chromed parts. The only negative thing I find is the lack of a self-canceling turn signal. Show less