Driving report Honda Valkyrie Rune

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Driving report Honda Valkyrie Rune

Driving report Honda Valkyrie Rune

Prestige object

Rare, expensive and currently unique in Germany – the rune. Not a vision, but to be had in a limited edition.

Honda Valkyrie rune. A motorcycle that looks like Batman’s eager helper, Robin, has ordered a new company vehicle. A counterpart to the Batmobile, so that the two of them can go out to save the world in a fitting manner. Science fiction? Batman and Robin do. Not this motorcycle.
That’s what happens when designers are allowed to let off steam. The Valkyrie rune is almost 100 percent the same as the one-off that the Honda creatives put on the wheels some time ago. Usually such a project loses out
from the idea to series production
original spell. Technician for-
mulate security concerns, traders
pull out the red pencil, and market researchers fear for the brand image. Most of time
this ends in a more or less successful compromise. The rune was spared. Maybe it’s hers
Radical that it is reserved for the American market. The German Honda importer is currently not planning a sale. In addition, the number of pieces is strictly limited? for the time being, at least only 1500 pieces are to leave the Honda assembly lines in Ohio.
Nevertheless, one of the first copies found its way to Germany. Enrico Stepan, Head of Gold Wing Parts & More, used his good contacts in
the USA and got hold of one of the rare six-cylinder. At home in old Europe, near the Swabian town of Balingen, the rune looks even more impressive in real life than on the photos published so far. A feast for the eyes. So lush and expansive, wheelbase 1750 millimeters, right down to the last detail, in short: lovingly arranged mechanical engineering and high-quality workmanship in high-end quality ?? which makes the US list price of $ 24,499 (about 22,800 euros) appear in a different light.
Beautiful flowing forms, refined over and over with chrome. A motorcycle, as if milled from solid, with a full tank weighs just under 400 kilograms? hardly less than her distantly related sister Gold Wing 1800. In principle, she only has one thing with her
common: the great six-cylinder boxer, nominally 118 hp, maximum torque 167 Nm. However, clear differences are already apparent when starting. The rune sounds much more aggressive, similar to a Honda F6, only more present. A real goosebumps experience.
Then just 69 centi-
drop a meter high bench? take that literally ?? and benevolence-
lend register that the rune is one of the few cruisers with a truly
Decent ergonomics counts. It integrates its driver almost perfectly. The upper body is slightly forward
bent, the feet find a good grip
the notches that were not brought forward because of the cylinder banks of the boxer. As if made for easy, hours-long gliding. A pleasure reserved for soloists. The rune lacks a pillion seat.
The six-cylinder babbles comfortably to itself, clacks, first gear engages audibly and precisely, the journey begins. It’s unbelievable how spontaneously the engine reacts to the smallest changes in the throttle valve position. In a flash it turns up and pushes the rune forward with power. At walking pace she seems to stagger a little,
but takes place at increasing speed-
in a superb balance. You become one with this motorcycle. Really amazing how well the Honda looks-
is balanced, self-steering is maintained
tolerable framework. She contributes to that-
excellent suspension setup
good part at. The front suspension and rear strut are over-
surprisingly tightly tuned, but they also respond fine to rough strokes.
Who thinks the rune is only for
endless straight journeys on highways
built, wrong. Full and willing, almost with grandeur, she glides over the narrow, winding country lanes of the Swabian Alb. When turning in, a slight oscillation around the longitudinal axis is noticeable, but then the thick ship follows exactly the steering commands of its captain. Remarkable again and again: the above-average lean angle for a cruiser. Every now and then the footpegs that touch the floor remind you to exercise moderation, but long before rigid components such as the characteristic, huge rear silencers or the crash bars touch down.
Another peculiarity of the Honda: when braking in an inclined position or in the case of coarser bumps in curves, the colossus positions itself easily but tolerably. Two 330 mm brake discs at the front and a large 336 mm at the rear act as part of the CBS integral brake system; it comes from the VTX 1800. For appropriate, well-metered deceleration, the front and rear must be the same-
be braked early, only then who-
activated all nine brake pistons. One
Peculiarity that you internalize quickly.
E.as well as the sometimes harsh load change reactions. Which has nothing to do with the cardan drive. He works wonderfully with little reaction. No, the problem is related to the already mentioned spontaneous response of the six-cylinder? and only bothers when the engine has to work in high speed regions. Simply shift down a gear before the next corner, and you’ll be gliding through the bend in a much more relaxed manner.
Nobody has to worry about a lack of steam anyway. The poor 180 tire on the rear wheel might say a thing or two about it. When accelerating out, he surrenders to the torque thunderstorm with regularity and erases beautiful fat black stripes on the asphalt. To illustrate the capabilities of the six-pack: In the last gear, the speed can easily fall below 20 km / h. Fully open the gas and the Big Block pushes forward without swallowing, accompanied by an unbelievable background noise. As a deeply impressed American colleague recently said: “That ?? s torque!” That is torque.

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