All Duels – Hot couture or ready to show off? – Born in the USA to be wild

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Hot couture or ready to show off ?

All Duels - Hot couture or ready to show off? - Born in the USA to be wild

Bold and unexpected, the Honda VT1300CX (Fury) could well see its chrome sparkle in a category dominated by US production … To judge its capabilities, we measured it against a rival: the Saxon Firestorm ! Duel.

Born in the USA to be wild

While climbing on the Saxon, impossible not to sing the first notes of the tubes of Steppenwolf or Bruce Springsteen: the arms are high and wide apart, the buttocks level with the asphalt (at 660 mm exactly) and the feet far ahead, despite the "small jigs" kit installed on this test Firestorm !

With the Mikuni carburetor choke previously engaged, the S&S engine is woken up with a starter. A few shots of gas are necessary to get it out of its nap definitively – more or less deep depending on the use – and already, the vocalizations of the two pots enchant the ears..

Next to the 1,566 cc V-Twin – a true American Twin with separate engine and gearbox! -, that of the Honda which cube 254 cc less is not the weight…

And yet, we must recognize the Japanese manufacturer a certain effort concerning the sound of the Fury: the liquid-cooled twin – yes, yes! – sounds really American with its long stroke, but it is sorely lacking in decibels.

The driving position on the Japanese is identical to that of the American, but we instantly notice a difference in comfort in the saddle. That of the Saxon – a single-seater for the occasion, but the two-seater is installed in a jiffy – is so hard that that of the Honda passes for soft and welcoming.

The approval of the VT1300CX controls is very real! The Japanese paw is easily recognizable: the clutch, in particular, is as soft as you want compared to that of a Saxon cut for fairground wrestlers, those with hair on the chest and forearms of the late Mother Denis.

It is only when setting off on the Firestorm that you really notice how the 21-inch front wheel plays the hound! Even before having engaged the first gear – of the six available -, it has already left on the track of a Highway to devour! On this point, the Honda is less destabilizing, even if the apprentice bikers may still be surprised..

Moreover, the first turns of the wheel are not without some apprehension. The sizes of the two motorcycles are impressive: of course, the center of gravity is low, but the weights are substantial (around 300 kg), the wheelbases are infinite (1805 mm on the Honda, 1,980 mm on the Saxon!) And the torque of the mills available at idle is simply truckload.

The Firestorm is particularly difficult to manage: the times at low revs are accompanied by a few sudden hiccups that fail to stall the engine, while the air box plague and backfires to express its discontent: the beauty is also a beast and do not hesitate to let it know! Baptism by fire is therefore not a piece of cake…

Meanwhile, the VT1300CX is already starting to ascend, with caution of course, the unbroken lines of cars enjoying the best turning radius – almost decent considering the dimensions! – and the softness of the injection. But behind, the Saxon-style man patiently bides his time…

At the first stretch, the S&S engine can finally express itself … and humiliate the "little" Honda! Whatever the speed or the gear engaged, therefore whatever the engine speed, the American twin deposits the Japanese twin. Logic, with about 90 hp against 54 !

On the other hand, the pilot of the Firestorm must be satisfied with a more than spartan comfort: invigorating for some, boring for others, the vibrations of the twin are incessant. On the Honda they are much less marked, not to say non-existent. And the debate on "living" motorcycles to start afresh…

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