| Author |
Message |
    
Wolfridgerider
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - 09:30 am: | 
|
That front suspension looks....... "different" |
Bcordb3
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - 12:15 pm: |
|
That front suspension looks....... "different"
Isn't that kind front end called a leading link suspension?
A real old design, I mean real old! |
Wolfridgerider
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - 12:34 pm: |
|
It kinda looks like a upside down girder front end |
Wile_ecoyote
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - 12:39 pm: |
|
Excellent pics, well thought out thread. Thank you for posting. Like an on line magazine 'round here. |
Danger_dave
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - 04:24 pm: |
|
I would have called them 'Girder forks' - but happy to stand corrected.
I read 'somewhere' that there is a point of diminishing return for telescopic forks and weight. (Author mustn't have looked at a jumbo jet).
Whatever - I like the way the Rune front works - normal service. |
Smitty808
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - 10:03 pm: |
|
Glitch, actually the back wheel comes out pretty easily...it's just getting the bike high enough to get it out from under the back fender.
Dave, I was a bit disappointed by the exhaust note, I was expecting more howl(or something!). Sounds too close to the GL1800 Goldwing for me. But the back end scooting around at 40-50 on a hard throttle pull put a grin on my face!.
Did you try the burnout??
|
Danger_dave
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - 10:46 pm: |
|
Funny - i loved the note - maybe they have different specs for US and non-US bikes - possible yours are Californicated?
Nah - nothing untoward - the clutch was already a bit suss on the demo unit - reckon someone had already had a fair go. |
Danger_dave
| | Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 05:29 am: |
|
First draft:
I was 95% of the way to the KR office after picking up the Honda Valkirie Rune from Blue Wing Honda.
Just near the shops along from the office I spotted the Ed, off to do his Ed thing, on one of the Scooters often found in the KR carpark.
A convoluted series of U turns and gutter hops later we held an earnest editorial meeting, straddled over what would be pretty close to opposite ends of the two wheeled universe.
Illustrious leader was aboard a nice, lightweight, economy and practicality package - devoid of personal statements, and there was I, on .365 of a tonne of motorcycling ‘LOOK AT ME!’.
We’d had brief sorties over the phone about how we were going to approach the Rune pages.
‘I do NOT want you to use the word ‘Bl*ng’ in your report Big Dave. Not once. No gold chains – no gangstas, but I don’t know how we are going to approach it.’
‘We treat it like a motorcycle Boss. We’ll think of something, let’s just get it first.’
Not much more was said other than the collection details.
Until there, in the glamorous surroundings of a West Harbour Fish and Chip shop car park, it all became clear.
‘I’ve walked past a Rune at Blue Wing a dozen times and never understood it at all, it always just looked so massive and I wondered ‘Why’. But I just saw you riding down the hill towards me and it all makes sense.’
‘Ah! ‘Big Dave the Epiphany’ I mused. ‘I only use my powers for good…’
‘No, shut up, you look ‘right’ on that motorcycle. It all makes sense, I wondered why anyone would want a motorcycle that big…’
The beaming, idiot grin that I was sporting told him everything he needed to know.
‘We treat it like a motorcycle.’
I did have some gambits and angles prepared for our conversation. There is an Aussie poem about being ‘Rooned’, and I freshened up on the Legends of the Valkyries and had an angle about they could adopt sleek Raven shapes, I could even throw in ‘The Blues Bros – she took the Katy and left me a Rune to ride’. I could avoid ‘Bl…’, easy.
But the Ed was absolutely correct.
It’s easy to get caught up in the hyperbole about a $XX,XXX bike. Particularly one with some of the styling cues sported by the Rune, but as a Big Dave transportation unit, the summary reads: Wow! What a neat motorcycle.
At the heart of the beast is an 1832cc, liquid-cooled, horizontally-opposed six-cylinder engine with 74mm x 71mm bore and stroke and a 9.8:1 Compression Ratio. It’s PGM-FI fuel injection feeds a SOHC, two valves per cylinder configuration. That slings the mass fairly low under what Honda calls ‘a unique diamond shaped frame’.
High tech and a dose of good ol’ made in the USA cubic centimetres. It b-b-b-boogies! – from way down low, and keeps boogie-ing to way beyond where I’d take chances with my licence on a road test.
The co-pilot one-eyebrow-raised quizzed me about the attraction of the bike.
I said – ‘Imagine our triple cylinder, 900cc T’bird. Take the motor, spin it round, and add another one.’
‘I understand.’
The Rune isn’t burdened with a ‘4000 section’ rear tyre, like some power cruisers. I suspect that ‘bathtub’ enclosure of a rear guard serves several purposes.
It fits in with the styling cues from the rest of the bike (That’s a sentence I find I used a lot when discussing aspects of this machine).
The guard also provides some aft ballast as well as housing a neat set of tail light LED’s.
It also disguises the fact that it’s a real world 180/55 rear tyre profile. This is not in keeping with the fat is Phat world of wide-ass customs, but at least you don’t have to ride around it like some of the rear ends in the class.
Once I got comfortable, low speed U-turns around the camera were a feet-up doddle.
‘Whole Life Balance, Daniel San’.
The low centre of gravity and, as the Hippe noted, the bike is almost symmetrical – Virtually the same when viewed from either side - and subsequently, very well balanced.
The Rune’s single sided shaft drive and swing arm unit is one exception, but what a marvellous bit of heavy engineering.
Honda says’ The New Unit Pro-Link rear suspension is patterned after a RC211V MotoGP racer's. The upper shock mount is contained within the swingarm rather than the frame. With no top frame-mount for the shock, this unique system eliminates negative suspension energy from being transmitted into the frame, allowing optimum frame rigidity and better handling in corners.’
The Trailing bottom link front suspension is also unique and effective. I can’t recall a modern motorcycle with a similar configuration.
The ‘shocks’ are mounted in behind the headlight and the whole set-up has an elaborate (and quite beautiful) set of rods and levers to engage them.
It works.
I couldn’t tell any difference from a conventional well-sorted front end. They work well and fit with the style of the bike. (That sentence!).
The brakes and brake feel were not as good as some of the other near two litre jobs we’ve tested, nothing to be critical of - and probably more to do with an advertised mass of 368kg than any shortcoming in the massive Nissens.
I enjoyed the riding position and ergonomic immensely. It’s about as good (and baaaad) as I’ve felt on a bike.
Because there are six cylinders poking out – forward controls and footboards are out, so it has foot pegs in a standard position, matched with the swept back handlebars, it’s a conventional and comfortable, upright riding position.
It lets you ride it like a big motorbike than cruiser, more naturally aggressive, weight shifting and honking it around – much more sporting than a feet forward, footboards job.
The Gunfighter style saddle is supremely comfortable for all day riding (well would you have gotten off it?) and almost devoid of passenger space. Co-pilot went around the block and cried ‘Uncle’.
I stopped only to eat.
Instruments are tank mounted LED and recessed into a chrome enclosure, plus there is a strip of warning lights on the dash. I would have like a tacho, but I’m sure there are a (Mexican Accent) a Plethora of options available.
This is probably the nicest sounding motorcycle I’ve ridden. Big call, but another wow, a new benchmark. I struggled to find an analogy for what the machine sounds like. Still am. I guess it’s fair to close with the report that it is unique, just like the rest…of the…bike. You guessed it - The sentence!
If you overlook the visual and aesthetic aspects of the Rune, and treat it as another bike, you find a capable, large motorcycle.
However to overlook the aesthetics I would need a sharp poke in both eyes.
I think it’s grand. And if I look at the big picture. I see a beautiful machine where the price tag alone will guarantee excusitivity.
It offers high performance (try a 3rd gear roll on) and is a drop-dead, wall-to-wall-gorgeous bit of…bling.
Bugger. |
Danger_dave
| | Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 05:53 am: |
|
FWIW - this is the poem I was referring to:
SAID HANRAHAN by John O'Brien
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
In accents most forlorn,
Outside the church, ere Mass began,
One frosty Sunday morn.
The congregation stood about,
Coat-collars to the ears,
And talked of stock, and crops, and drought,
As it had done for years.
"It's looking crook," said Daniel Croke;
"Bedad, it's cruke, me lad,
For never since the banks went broke
Has seasons been so bad."
"It's dry, all right," said young O'Neil,
With which astute remark
He squatted down upon his heel
And chewed a piece of bark.
And so around the chorus ran
"It's keepin' dry, no doubt."
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"Before the year is out."
"The crops are done; ye'll have your work
To save one bag of grain;
From here way out to Back-o'-Bourke
They're singin' out for rain.
"They're singin' out for rain," he said,
"And all the tanks are dry."
The congregation scratched its head,
And gazed around the sky.
"There won't be grass, in any case,
Enough to feed an ass;
There's not a blade on Casey's place
As I came down to Mass."
"If rain don't come this month," said Dan,
And cleared his throat to speak -
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"If rain don't come this week."
A heavy silence seemed to steal
On all at this remark;
And each man squatted on his heel,
And chewed a piece of bark.
"We want an inch of rain, we do,"
O'Neil observed at last;
But Croke "maintained" we wanted two
To put the danger past.
"If we don't get three inches, man,
Or four to break this drought,
We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"Before the year is out."
In God's good time down came the rain;
And all the afternoon
On iron roof and window-pane
It drummed a homely tune.
And through the night it pattered still,
And lightsome, gladsome elves
On dripping spout and window-sill
Kept talking to themselves.
It pelted, pelted all day long,
A-singing at its work,
Till every heart took up the song
Way out to Back-o'-Bourke.
And every creek a banker ran,
And dams filled overtop;
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"If this rain doesn't stop."
And stop it did, in God's good time;
And spring came in to fold
A mantle o'er the hills sublime
Of green and pink and gold.
And days went by on dancing feet,
With harvest-hopes immense,
And laughing eyes beheld the wheat
Nid-nodding o'er the fence.
And, oh, the smiles on every face,
As happy lad and lass
Through grass knee-deep on Casey's place
Went riding down to Mass.
While round the church in clothes genteel
Discoursed the men of mark,
And each man squatted on his heel,
And chewed his piece of bark.
"There'll be bush-fires for sure, me man,
There will, without a doubt;
We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"Before the year is out."
Around the Boree Log and Other Verses, 1921 |
Glitch
| | Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 07:27 am: |
|
Nice write up, and some literature thrown in for good measure.
You definitely earned you way to your job  |
Danger_dave
| | Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 08:29 am: |
|
Cheers man - I note my typo 'excusitivity. ' is somewhat Freudian. |
|
