Road Test: Honda VTX1800C Motorcycle

Honda's on-paper release of the VTX 1795cc V-twin was like a wet kiss on a summer night. Needless to say we at Motorcycle Cruiser were left wanting. It's been a long winter, but the foreplay is finally over, and the big cruiser is on the street.

We didn't want a casual affair with this bike, and call it a test. We owed it to you to have a real relationship with the cruiser market's latest heartthrob -- to find out if it put the cap on the toothpaste, so to speak. After 3500 miles of seat time in less than two weeks, the Honda VTX is left with few secrets. From burnouts to buttache, we honestly can attest to whether (and how) it fulfills its grand intention as the ultimate V-twin cruiser.

Taking the biggest production V-twin on the planet to the biggest cruiser rally in the world seemed like an obvious (and timely) destination. Daytona Bike Week is a veritable banquet of V-twin possibilities -- a proving ground with standing room only. I'd leave California on a freshly assembled unit (from Marysville, Ohio) with only three and a half days allotted for travel to Florida. We'd already clocked city miles and seen some back roads aboard another VTX test bike and would sample yet one more in Daytona. Three test units, every imaginable riding condition. Here's what you can expect if you dish out 12.5 grand for a 2002 Honda VTX 1800.

Big Pond, Bigger Fish

There are plenty of large-displacement V-twin cruisers on the market these days, and until this launch, Honda was conspicuously missing from the scene. Sure, life rumbled on, but we often paused to wonder when the most respected manufacturer of high-efficiency vehicles would join the party; never doubting that knock on the door eventually would come. And, of course, we speculated about the effect Honda's mystery dish would have on the potlatch. For years we'd heard rumors of a monstrously large displacement V-twin brewing in that burrow. And given the Jones effect in the cruiser market, bigger was certainly going to stir things up.

Well, after several years of marketplace chatter, and more than five years of closed-door development at Honda, the cruiser world has its enormous new entry. A street rod-styled bike, more bruiser than cruiser, driven by a dynamic 1795cc 52-degree, liquid-cooled and injection-fed V-twin -- a motor that dwarfs Yamaha's 1600cc push-rod design, previously the hot-ticket for those inclined toward the big at heart. With impressive horsepower (we got 88.9 at 5250 rpm) and enough torque to pull trees -- 100.3 foot-pounds at 3000 rpm (by God) -- we're talking about cutting into a new dish of mustard here folks.

Answer to Question A

Yeah, it's fast. On paper or pavement, Honda's VTX is much faster than any stock V-twin cruiser on your dealer's floor. With its 12.3 seconds at 105.5 mph quarter-mile time, the only large displacement cruisers in the running are Honda's own six-cylinder Valkyrie at 12.13 seconds and 107.0 mph, its V-4-driven Magna (12.21 seconds at 107.6 mph) and, of course, Yamaha's yahoo-inducing V-Max -- which eats a quarter-mile in a mere 10.87 seconds, crossing the line at 124 mph. But remember all of these bikes have at least a two-piston advantage over the VTX. The closest V-twins we've timed are Harley's FXDX at 13.62 seconds and 96.2 mph, and on the metric side, Kawasaki's Classic FI which pulled a 14.07 seconds at 92.6 mph. The VTX beats them all in the torque department.

Impressive indeed, but maybe not as notable as having your head snapped back when you accelerate in fifth gear. It's guaranteed to make you cackle. Nothing on the block beats the VTX's acceleration figure of 79.6 after 200 yards from 50 mph (even the Valkyrie) and this V-twin moves forward just as fiercely from 80 mph, 100 mph and above. Way above.

OK, so we've established that the motor lives up to our lofty expectations. We're still astonished by its creation, however, and Honda should be applauded for the heroic effort. We're talking 1800cc, man. The pistons are 101mm in diameter (that's 4 inches), each pumping through a 112mm (4.4-inch) stroke. To put this in perspective, Honda's all-new Civic engine is 127cc smaller (and also makes less torque). How do you damp the ensuing vibration, or quell the eminent thrust ripping through the drive train? How do you even fit a V-configuration of such outlandish proportion into a vehicle when you can't cut a hole in the hood?

These are the tasks that have kept the world waiting. Honda literally spent years chasing vibration from this bike. The dual-offset-crankpin design certainly helps, as do two counterbalancer weights that spin on the primary shaft. Four 60mm rubber mounts bracing the motor mop up what's left. You know, it's kinda spooky. The V-twin buzz is all but gone. Like the devil from Linda Blair's body, the vibration has been exorcised right out of the VTX.

So, in addition to being highly entertaining to throttle around, this new cruiser is smooooth. But not eerily vacant of feeling, a characteristic sometimes associated with Honda machines. VTX designers may have staunched the V-twin's vibration (even the mirrors stay clear), but they've actually managed to amplify the combustion pulses. Like a drum, that engine's big rhythm comes right up through the seat. And when you roll on the power, it gets very, very visceral. The pulse is there to remind you that you're sitting on the biggest production V-twin on the planet. The matching exhaust rhythm emits the deepest most aggressive stock note we've heard, while the volume remains sedate. Engine noise is minimal, and what's heard is melodic. The result is sexy and charming all at once.

Now sexy is a word that may never have been applied to a Honda cruiser before, but we think the VTX looks hot in its stark street rod-styling. Perhaps you traditionalists won't agree, but we've been valanced to near death over the last few years and a little nip and tuck is a nice pick-me-up. The VTX visuals draw from possibility, not the past. From the hooded headlight to the arched tank, sculpted seat and stylishly svelte rear fender, the VTX reveals a sexy curve, like the profile of a stalking panther with its head down and shoulders enunciated.

And there you have it. The three imperatives of an ultra successful cruiser -- power, grace and beauty. These are certainly the things we found most remarkable about Honda's new VTX -- at least on the initial ride. But that first impression is also the thing that grows rose-colored glasses, right? Remember, we've hoed a long row with this baby since that first date.

It's Hard to See the Forest When the Trees are so Big

Interstate 10 from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, Florida, may well be the most continuously boring thread of pavement in the world. Eight states and nothing more interesting to look at than a giant plaster roadrunner (New Mexico's state bird) and a few tourist tee-pees. Well, there is "The Thing?" in eastern Arizona. Billboards advertise it as an oddity for 30 miles fore and aft. I stopped to investigate The Thing? on this trip -- but the thing is, I can't tell you what I saw because then you'd have nothing to look forward to if you ever get stuck on I-10. It is a popular shopping spot, however, especially if you're in market for rattlesnake heads and cactus candy.

Before burdening the beautiful lines of the VTX with an inordinate amount of soft luggage and pointing the hooded headlight east, we'd been able to ride the bike around the city and along the beautiful rolling hills and coastal plains above Santa Barbara, California. It became readily apparent that Honda had to make some concessions to accommodate the vertical dimensions of the motor, while retaining a very friendly and stylishly low 27.3-inch seat height. It seems both ground clearance and suspension have paid a bill for the compromise, leaving the bike with somewhat limited travel and lean angle. Honda has high standards for clearance, but even John Boy Walton would touch the footpegs of the VTX eventually. (Note that the usable cornering clearance of the 1800 is still more generous than what's offered by the majority of current cruisers, and it's always a soft touch first -- the retracting peg, or your heel, depending on your posture.)

It could have been worse. Honda went to great lengths to shorten the lofty twin. VTX designers created a sophisticated dry-sump system to cut inches from the motor's height, locating the oil tank right below the tranny output shaft, but still within the engine cases. Honda also reports that using simple screw-and-locknut valve adjusters saved space on top. A more compact engine allowed the seat height to remain impressively low. However, most of us wish the whole works was a little taller. Suspension has suffered for the sake of what? It's immediately obvious that Lilliputians won't be able to heft the 756-pound bike off the sidestand anyway (which holds the bike at a profound lean).

So the bike's suspension reaches the end of its travel more often than we'd like (excessively when loaded) and what damping is offered from the technically trick inverted fork (4.3 inches of travel) and dual externally-mounted shocks (3.9 inches) feels stiff, which makes the ride less than gentle when the pavement isn't mirror smooth. There is a five-position adjustment for preload out back, but even when it was set at its most yielding position, we were dissatisfied. There's a discernable amount of shaft effect as well, which in concert with the taut suspension and drawn out rake and trail makes matters worse. The cruiser occasionally bucks over chuckholes and will rock irritatingly when subjected to repetitive concrete freeway furrows. We think that static friction in the fork and an abundance of unsprung weight also contribute to the uncompliant ride. Nothing dangerous, just grating. The VTX offers solid feeling communication with the ground in every riding situation thanks to Honda's almost magical propensity for delivering well-balanced motorcycles (those attractively fat, sticky tires don't hurt matters either).

Tumbleweeds usually make me laugh out loud, and hitting them can make me shriek with delight, but when one the size of a minivan rolled into my path in West Texas I had to admit I was intimidated. The ensuing explosion was remarkable. Texas is so big the wind can't even decide which way to go. But despite the infamous gusts, you've got to love cruising through this middle-of-everything. Even the most boring coast-to-coast ride allows you to comprehend the enormous proportions and texture of this amazing country. It's empty enough to provide anonymity, and big enough to get lost...if only in your thoughts.

The VTX is remarkably easy to live with. Just one push of the starter button makes that big twin sing like it's been on stage for hours, no enrichening needed. It's hard to imagine that 41.4-pound forged steel crankshaft being so easily motivated (they had to create a special hoist at the assembly plant just to maneuver the monster into the cases). The fuel-injection system Honda devised for the bike uses a new, dual 12-nozzle orifice system with tandem regulators. A new sophisticated vacuum sensor measures minor changes in the throttle opening and is dedicated to balancing the first 10 percent of throttle application, while the main throttle-position sensor (TPS) doles out proper mixture for decisive throttle action. It works with flawless efficiency, although response is so crisp off idle it requires a very smooth hand on the juice to avoid jerkiness. Smooth application is also vital in low-speed cornering situations since a little throttle adjustment can produce an exaggerated amount of weight transfer.

We all found the ergonomic layout on this new cruiser to be very agreeable, although the low, slightly swept-back bars may be a reach for some. After riding the VTX 1750 miles in two days, my only bodily complaint was a stitch between my shoulder blades, a result of the forward stretch. No butt-ache in 3500 miles, which is a surprising accomplishment for any stock seat, given that I have no actual butt, just bones and a bit of muscle. It certainly helped that National Cycle supplied me with a windshield (a Valkyrie-intended #N2250 which adapted perfectly to the VTX fork legs and worked wonderfully). I put an additional 1000 freeway miles on the bike without a shield and it was excruciating in comparison.

But maybe that's because the bike just begs to cruise at hyper highway speeds. Above 80 mph you'll find none of the front-end wandering some cruisers dole out on the high end of acceleration. Above 90 mph and still not a twitch from the VTX, and even at 120 mph, the thing is totally stable and -- unbelievably -- asking for more. In fact, the VTX is able to cruise for hours at an unprecedented 125-plus (although law enforcement officials have informed me I am not). The bike was amazingly stable at high speeds, even through the infamous Texas crosswinds (and I couldn't walk a straight line at the gas stations).

I pass this Harley guy in east Texas, all swaddled in leather -- blow by him pretty good in fact. Before I know it he's dogging me, hanging on my tail even as I throttle away. His Evo is obviously beefed and he wants to put me in my place. I let him pass, thinking how funny he looks with that black beanie helmet catching air. "See you and about a quarter-million other guys just like you in Daytona, man." But then he slows down in front of me, like he wants to play Dennis Hopper (and I suppose I'm Harry Dean). I blow by him again, my feet on the rear pegs just so he has a better view of my 1800cc powerplant. He gives chase but can't keep up.

"Nyah, nyah," I think.

Even at high speed, with a giant windshield and shipload of gear strapped on, the 1800cc delivers adequate fuel mileage. The worst figure I saw on my cross-country sprint was 31.3 mpg. During normal cruising we consistently saw around 42 to 45 miles per gallon from the VTX and it delivered an average range of 194 miles. The yellow fuel warning light, housed in an integrated chrome-like cluster on the tank, comes on prematurely, however, and the ominous light is hard to ignore. The bike's aviation-style filler is easy to remove and replace but it's difficult to get gas into the bike without suffering some back spray. The bottom of the fuel capsule is only millimeters from the opening, yet it is slanted so that you can fire fuel cleanly into the tank when you point the nozzle low and to the right.