Honda Valkyrie Rune NRX1800 reviews

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

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

I was 17 when I bought my first used bike (2001 Yamaha R-6). I was 19 when I bought my first new bike (2004 Yamaha R-1). Man that R-1 could move! I sold that bike after I turned 21 and thought about getting out of riding the sport bikes, but I knew that I would always have a need for that sport bike power. I stumbled on to a 1999 Honda Valkyrie. Wow, was I swept off my feet when I laid eyes on this beautiful, yet beastly dragon. I had to have it. I was 22 years old in my town riding with kids my age that would laugh at me when I pulled my bike into the group for a Friday night ride. But when I got to the front of the line and was waiting at the next stop light for them to catch up, they didn't laugh much after that. I'm glad I made the switch to the Valkyrie. I've had more guys tell me that if I ever want a good bike that I should never sell my Valkyrie. I listened to them and I plan to ride this bike for a very long time. Show less

I bought this bike new 2 years ago. I split lanes on the 405 the first day. It has heavy steering and requires very deliberate force on the handlebars to corner tightly at slow speeds but the amount this bike can be laid over in a smooth turn is amazing considering how low it is. Get it out on the freeway and this cruise missile keeps up with the crotch rockets to about 120mph where I tend to start to contemplate my mortality. Longest ride was to Big Sur with a couple Beemer guys. It is not hard to ride at high speed without a fairing. The stretch of the headlight creates a laminar flow of air that if you lean forward into it holds a full face helmet up nicely with no buffeting in the head or chest. It turns heads in Brentwood here in West LA and that's not easy with all the Aston Martins, Lamborghinis, etc. People ask me what it is all the time or just stand and stare at it. Always remember to stand up over big freeway bumps. The rear sport suspension can pound you. Show less

I purchased this bike without ever riding it or ever seeing one in person. I knew from the day my friend emailed a photo of it to me and said 'THIS bike is YOU' I had to have it. Once I took delivery of it and straddled this beast and fired it up, the grin did not come off my face for hours. My inaugural ride was over 500 miles from the dealership to my home and I could not have been happier. It performs even better than it looks. I have only owned it for 5 months now, and already have 10000 miles on it. The power from the HO six engine is super smooth and the torque is unbelievable, and the linked braking system is awesome. The only thing I wish Honda had done better is spec'd a more durable front tire for this beauty. I've had to replace the front after only 5800 miles and I am close to replacing the front again, while the rear tire still has lots of tread. That said, this is the most refined, elegant, and complete bike I have ever owned or ridden in my 40+ years of riding, bar none! Show less

I never knew that this bike even existed until my son told me to go and take a look at the 2004 Rune. After the test ride I said, "Let's make a deal.I had just seen the Harley Rocker C pictures on the web site and bike fever started to come over me. But I'm very glad I did not make that choice now. My 2004 Rune had only 4 miles on it when I bought it the month of September 2007 and I've only put 400 miles on it so far. But I can tell you I've found my friend for life. My wife likes a cool looking bike and I doubt I'll ever find one that looks better than this one. The ride is smooth, the look is great, and people strain their necks to get a look at it. Show less