2004 Honda VTX1800R Cruiser reviews

What a wonderful machine. Looks, style and performance all in one package. Can't believe the ease of riding such a massive machine. Carries passenger with no effort at all. My Harley friends hate me as they can't keep up!!!Scary fast if you're not paying attention. Wife loves the ride, makes my life much easier! Show less

I have yet to find something wrong with this machine, well it does get low fuel mileage, (but maybe that's because of the throttle controller, meaning the person doing the twisting) which when twisted responds quite well. With two riders it just glides, and I can't get enough free time to really enjoy it. I bought mine new in June of '06 and then went to Sturgis with a bunch of buddies, what a great time. Mine is a spec 3, S version and I'd buy the same machine for long travel. Piped it sounds awesome, and most newbies think it costs MUCH more than the going price. GREAT BIKE!!! Show less

My confidence in the bike was greatly inceased after attending the safety course. Way more power then expected, pulled a wheelie going to 3rd gear. All comments from people so far is very positive and many are amazed it is a Honda upon close inspection. My MPG started out at 30 and now has increased to just at 41 mpg. I believe that I will end up with about 45-48 mpg range after the 4000 mile value adjustment during scheduled maintence. I defintely will invest in better seats and pipes in the future. Show less

I love this bike, and it's got power to spare. This machine will do 100 miles an hour and it's not even breathing hard. I'm a little new to cruisers, so I had to get used to not leaning too far in the turns because the floor-boards will drag, but hey... it keeps me alert, and within the speed limit when I'm driving around town. I had to downgrade the VTX a little on the reliability part because my battery cable worked loose, and the bike would cut off and on, but it didn't strand me so that was cool. The mechanic that fixed it said this was somewhat common for this model, but said it should no longer be a problem. As far as comfort, the stock seat left much to be desired. I was starting to get trucker's butt after only about 25 miles riding. I bit the bullet and got the mustang seat with the driver backrest, and the difference was night and day. I feel like I can ride virtually any distance now without any significant discomfort. For those of you that are heavily into touring, a quality seat is a must. Lastly, I think a bike this size needs to have some bark to it so I ordered a set of Vance and Hines bigshots, and a Kuryakyn hypercharger, and oh my, what a difference!! This baby has some serious bark now, and I don't know that the hypercharger did that much for the performance, but it sure looks awesome! Show less

I've had my retro since last July. I now have 3000 miles on the clock. We are planing a 3,500 mile ride this coming June, but I will have to upgrade the seat before that. I am looking to go with the gel pad and memory foam from Americana soft seats. The bike is the coolest I've owned, and this is number 14 for me. I love the H.P. this baby has, and was a little shy at first just because of the sheer size. But that lasted about a day. The bike handles great and I love it in the mountains. I have to really watch it 'cause I end up leaving all my riding buddies behind. It gets between 35-43MPG, honestly. But what was the coolest, was two weeks ago on a toy run, it was about 40 degrees out and when all the guys were ready to ride all I did was put my index finger on the starter button it fired right up and idled perfectly. The guy next to me on his 2003 Indian had to choke his and start it four times before it would go. I just smiled! Show less

I had not ridden a bike since high school! I always wanted a Harley, but when I found my '03 VTX I fell in LOVE! I have 14000 miles on it in less than a 1 1/2 years. I have put on V&H pipes, power commander III, Mustang Seat, Hyper Charger, and a whole lot of other things. I love the power and handling and have no regrets buying a Honda! As far as a Harley goes, I really do not care, I have passed a lot of them on the highway and a lot of them broken down. I just love to ride and that is all that matters to me. Now I just have to wait on Honda's next big bike to come out, hmm... maybe a 2500cc VTX. Show less

This is a great looking motorcycle that is great fun to ride! Whether with one or two up, this bike smoothly scoots on down the road. But, be careful though, as it gets lots of attention with its great lines and styling. Show less

THIS BIKE IS AWESOME. THE TORQUE BAND IS ENDLESS. I LOVE THE SIZE OF THE BIKE. I HAVE OWNED QUITE A FEW BIKES IN MY 51 YEARS AND MOST OF THEM HONDAS. I LOVE THE FIT AND FINESH AND THE QUALITY OF THIS BIKE. AS I SAID BEFORE THE POWER BAND IS REMARKABLE FOR A 2 CYLINDER MACHINE. I GOT DOWN HARD ON THE THROTTLE THE OTHER DAY WHEN I WAS BY MYSELF AND WHEN I SHIFTED INTO 2nd THE FRONT TIRE CAME OFF THE GROUND ABOUT 8 TO 10 INCHES AND WHEN I SHIFTED INTO 3rd THE FRONT END SETTLED DOWN AND THE BIKE JUST KEPT ON DIGGING UNTIL I GOT OUT OF THE THROTTLE. I LOVE THE WAY THIS BIKE HANDLES. THE BIKE IS HEAVY BUT IT HAS A VERY LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY SO IT'S EASY TO MANEUVER. THE ONLY THING I WISH THAT HONDA WOULD HAVE CHANGED IS THE SEAT, IT'S ROUGH ON MY BEHIND AND LOWER BACK AFTER ABOUT 50 MILES. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HAVE THE TURN SIGNALS SELF CANCELING. I WILL PROBABLY KEEP THIS BIKE FOREVER AND HAND IT DOWN TO ONE OF MY SONS. AFTER ALL IT IS A HONDA AND IT'S GOING TO BE AROUND FOR A VERY LONG TIME. Show less

This bike is amazing. A little scary up front until you find your balance. Almost too fast, almost too powerful. Very smooth, a little quiet and understated. All Honda quality, except the seats. They feel hard after 10 miles and can put your butt to sleep. I got gel pads which are great but will probably be replaced with a Mustang or Corbin next year. Bought the bike on Honda's "Need to dump the previous year program". Insurance would pay me more than I did. Show less

This bike has awesome power and is a real head turner. You will not get a better deal for the money and you will be happy with what you get. The only negatives are that I hear a slight vibration noise around the headlight area at times and the seat is not the most comforatble on long rides. I test drove this bike with a Mustang seat and will soon be getting one. If you go on long rides a different seat is a must. Show less