Kit Palmer | July 30, 2023
Cycle News Archives
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The Wonderful Rune
What has a nearly six-foot wheelbase, weighs just south of 1000 pounds, displaces about 2000cc, sold for $27,000, and, as we described it, has the looks of some sort of one-off movie machine that a comic-book character would roll up on to save the day? Why, the Honda Valkyrie Rune, of course.
Remember the Rune? If you ever saw one up close and personal, you probably would never forget it. It was Honda’s fantasy, or concept, motorcycle that was actually brought to fruition, if for only a year and a half or so. Everyone loves a concept bike, but these unique and often “out-there” motorcycles rarely see the light of day. But this one did.
The Rune celebrates its 20th birthday this year. It was introduced in 2003 as a 2004 model and was immediately snatched up by those who loved the Rune’s beauty and could afford one, like, of course, Jay Leno, who owns the first Rune that came off the assembly line. The Cycle News staff got its hands on one (but unlike Mr. Leno, only to test) in mid-2003. We printed our review of the Rune in July of that year.
The Rune was an unusual and un-Honda-like motorcycle that the traditionally conservative company spared no expense in building. Making a profit was not high up on Honda’s list of goals with the Rune but designing and building the coolest and baddest cruiser ever, no matter the price, was at the top of their list. Each Rune was rumored to cost Honda about $100,000-$125,000 to produce, but MSRP was “just” $27,000. You do the math. Honda only planned to build about 1000 of them.
The Rune was built around the latest-generation Gold Wing motor and styling influenced by the Valkyrie, Honda’s new power cruiser back then.
“We were looking to take the original Valkyrie to the next level,” said American Honda’s Ray Blank in our review of the Rune. “When it [the Valkyrie] was first introduced, this bike, which had been derived from the 1520cc Gold Wing, had a significant impact on the motorcycle market. The Valkyrie was the first genuine power cruiser, a custom-style motorcycle that had plenty of muscle, great handling, and long-distance touring abilities to go along with its good looks. It really expanded the notion of what a cruiser’s functional capabilities could encompass, and in doing so, the Valkyrie built an unusually strong following. So, we wanted to extend this concept once again and take another cutting-edge motorcycle into uncharted territory, establishing new direction that no other manufacturer had ever attempted. We wanted to set the bar higher than ever, erecting standards that no one else had yet imagined, while also exploding old limitations on what an original equipment manufacturer could mass produce.”
Rune project leader Masanori Aoki said, “To be honest with you, I thought it would be impossible to mass-produce the product without changing the styling design. It was just too radical of a design. And yes, as an engineer I thought the process was completely backward: We’ve never seen anything like this before.”
As you can expect, Honda was cautious as to who got to ride the high-dollar Rune when it first came out. Honda had pulled aside only two press bikes, and Cycle News was one of the few magazines that got the chance to ride one—albeit a short morning cruise, under the watchful eye of a Honda rep, that started and ended at Honda’s corporate headquarters in Torrance, California.
Besides its looks, the Rune’s unique trailing-link front suspension system, beautifully sculptured radiator and rear fender, single-side swingarm, and highly engineered exhaust pipes are just some of the things that stood out, even to this day. Good luck finding any plastic on this bike. I’ll save you the time—you won’t find any. The attention to detail is mind-blowing and nothing on this bike comes cheaply. The forks alone will set you back about the cost of two modern-day CRF450R motocrossers if you ever have to replace them.
For a “show” bike, we said the Rune’s performance was as surprisingly impressive. We wrote, “…just remember that [the Rune] is a Honda. No matter how radical a beast the company builds, it’s going to work, which goes without saying, and the Rune is no exception.”
The first thing you think about when riding the Rune is its size, specifically its length. It just goes on and on. “That front end is way out there,” we wrote in our review. “At least that’s the feeling you get from the mile-long headlight stretched out in front of the cockpit. At times you feel like a medieval knight with a jousting lance, just trying to keep the thing from jabbing the taillights in front of you. The bike is so long that at times you feel like you’re being chauffeured around, and then you snap to your senses and realize that you’re the one riding the thing.”
The massively large Rune, however, was a pussycat maneuvering at both slow and higher speeds. “I will go on record and say that I was shocked by how well the Rune handles,” our test editor at the time, Blake Connor, said. “It still handles like a cruiser, but like a really good-handling cruiser. What surprised me the most was the fact that the steering felt so light and responsive. I guess I wasn’t prepared for something with a 68.9-inch wheelbase to handle at all.” He added, “…the bike was able to achieve a fairly cranked-over angle before dragging anything … we were on some tight roads, so I was quite happy with the Rune’s ability to, dare I say, carve the corners.”
The Rune’s 1832cc six-cylinder motor was impressive, as well. But that was no surprise. We had already ridden the latest Valkyrie and Gold Wing motorcycles, so we knew what to expect when it came to the Rune’s similar motor, and we weren’t let down.
At the end of the day, or in this case, morning, Connor was impressed with the Rune. “After spending a long morning on the bike, I came away impressed,” he said. “I’m sure that if the bikes aren’t spoken for yet, they soon will be. All I can say is that I’m sure that the lucky 1000 or so individuals who get a hold of one won’t be disappointed. The Rune looks outrageous, handles above expectation, and accelerates like a jackrabbit. What else could one need from something as cartoon-like as the Rune?”
The Rune is a rare bird. There aren’t many of them out there; you just never see them on the road. I’ve probably only seen one. You must believe that anyone who owns a Rune, is too afraid to take it out of the garage. I know I’d be sweating bullets every time, but I also know it would be worth it.
Happy 20th, Rune. CN
