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Driving report: Honda VTX
Cruise missile
With a displacement of 1800 cm3, 97 hp and 155 Newton meters, the new Honda VTX is the absolute high-flyer among the large V2 cruisers.
Fans of large V2 cruisers can quickly upgrade. The VTX will be available at Honda dealers from June. And it shows off the current two-cylinder competition in several ways with superlatives. With 1795 cm3 displacement and 155 Newton meters of torque, it shows Yamaha’s Wild Star and even the six-cylinder power cruiser F 6 C from their own company, which is where the hammer hangs. With 97 hp, it degrades Harley’s big V2 by lengths, and even in terms of wheelbase it beats Suzuki’s VL 1500 Intruder with 1715 millimeters.
With other chassis data, however, it proves to be cautious. 146 millimeters of caster and 58 degrees steering head angle are downright modest in these circles and make the driving dynamics in the cruiser clientele sit up and take notice. In addition, the appearance is more factual than that of the competition, with the upside-down fork, the disc wheels and the composite brake more technically oriented.
During the first seat test, however, this impression is quickly forgotten as the VTX can no longer deny its home country USA. With his buttocks sunk deep into the wide seat hollow, his arms spread wide to the wide handlebars, his feet placed far forward on the pegs, the lonesome rider can finally let the many Mustangs run free. When the starter button is pressed, the horses come out of their hooves very moderately. Only a subtle humming escapes from the huge silencer on the left.
When you turn the throttle, the new Honda starts to move unspectacularly because it is completely smooth and yet confident. The expected eruptions of the Big Twin do not materialize. Even if the rider gives the Honda the spurs, there is no hectic. Completely atypical, with almost no annoying vibrations, the V-Twin easily shakes its performance out of its sleeve. The gas forces only cause slight vibrations under full load. In the absence of a rev counter, the VTX driver repeatedly drives the engine to its speed limit. Because while large V2 cruisers usually look tormented in the upper area, this feeling does not arise with the 1800s.
Obviously, the engineers have perfectly trained the 52-degree V-Twin with a crank pin offset of 76 degrees and an additional balancer shaft. So perfect that the driver doesn’t feel the brutal punch. Only a look at the speedometer makes it clear how vehemently the engine actually pushes the 350 kilogram load. Due to the cultivated engine, the passage doesn’t seem sensational either. Although the long overall translation is certainly in the way of outstanding values. Which two-cylinder cruiser is designed for well over 200 km / h in the last gear?.
The shift box completely misses the superior culture of the engine, at least in the lower gears. Engaging the first gear is acknowledged with a strong clone, as is the change to the second. No matter whether with or without a break, at low or high speeds, the sound experience of the proverbial step into the metal bucket is inevitable. Only after the third does the whole thing work without any noteworthy acoustic background. The rotating masses ?? the crankshaft alone weighs a whopping 15 kilograms ?? cannot be denied. And the five shock absorbers distributed over the entire drive train have to do the hard work. They give the VTX smooth gliding even just above idle speed. The disadvantage: the Honda responds to sudden opening of the throttle with rough load change reactions, supported by the powerful elevator effect of the cardan drive.
A reaction that reinforces the unsuccessful suspension setup at the rear. As in the early days of the chopper era, the motto is: hard and undamped. This leads to the inevitable rodeo ride on bad roads. Again and again the stern hits the driver hard in the back and then catapults him out of his feathers. Even the neatly appealing upside-down fork cannot do anything, as it quickly runs into its spring travel reserves on uneven ground.
On the other hand, the VTX shows its best side on good roads. For cruiser conditions, it surprises with outstanding handiness and neutral cornering behavior. The clumsy self-steering behavior of large V2 cruisers is alien to her from walking pace. The driver immediately finds a clean and round line in curves. At most, the early footpegs put a stop to lively cruising.
If the ride degenerates into an uncontrolled gallop, the well-known CBS composite braking system curbs the horses through, but in a modified form. The handbrake only acts on the front wheel, only the footbrake activates the brakes on the front and rear wheels. As is typical for America, decent delays require a firm handshake, the pressure point is doughy. The rear counterpart works rather inconspicuously despite the compound brake. But compared to the braking systems of other V2 cruisers, the VTX stoppers meet high demands even at top speed.
And at around 200 km / h, the VTX is pretty quick on the move. Although this low-level flight requires strong holding forces from the driver and ultimately only serves to confirm the existing potential, it does not trigger any existential fears in the pilot due to the good driving stability. After an extensive lap, he is completely relaxed thanks to the unobtrusive character of the V2.
It is precisely with this characteristic that the VTX is preparing to launch a new generation of cruisers. According to the maxim “more being than appearance”, it serves performance-oriented crusaders as a real sportster among the Criusians. It’s just a shame that it still has reminiscences of its kind such as the unsuccessful suspension setup with insufficient lean angle and the permanently uncomfortable seating position.
Und also with its price of 31580 marks, it ranks between the established competition from its own country and a Harley Fat Boy. But for a high-tech rocket with the latest exhaust technology such as fuel injection and a regulated catalytic converter, this is definitely a fair offer compared to the outdated low-tech mortars.
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