Honda VF1100C V65 Magna reviews

What can I say? A V-4 Interceptor motor in a lightweight cruiser package! This is not sport bike but performs like on when the tach shoots to the 10,000 redline with 12,000 overrev. YET plenty of low end torque to easily pull away from a stop. Low seat height, light weight and relaxed driving position with forward set foot controls make for comfortable all day riding. My Spitfire fairing keeps the wind blast down and the backrest makes passengers feel secure and comfortable. The bike is perfect for both beginning riders as well as experienced riders. Show less

Bought this from a friend with 59,000 km on it. Didn't even want it really, just needed a bike in a hurry. Had the wrong bars on it and ran like garbage. Changed out the bars for correct ones and did a few things to improve rideability. Fell in love with it! A rocket on 2 wheels that sounds like nothing else. Have 109,000 km now and runs like Jack the bear. Very nimble bike, took it on many long trips with no issue even though it's 40 years old. Comfortable to a point, souple hours and 200 km and it's time to get off and gas up anyways. Silky smooth engine! Show less

I owned one of these for 10 years and put 63,000 miles on it. Sold it for $200 less than I paid for it brand new at the end of those 63k miles. Can you say sellers regret? This bike is what one moto mag back in the day called a “star cruiser”: too big, too heavy, and (yes!) too fast. I’ve two upped at an indicated 145mph. Had my butt in the saddle thru pouring rain for 12 continuous hours. V-4 engine, shaft drive, anti-dive front end, easily adjustable handle bars over a wide range. Fun to hustle down a backroad? Well……hell yeah!! I weighed ~140lb at 5’8” and could get my feet flat with a little stretch…..no problem and would do it all again. This bike is a beast, comfortable, handsome, long wheel base stable, and Honda reliable. Ah, the one that got away… Show less

Bought it new in 1984, and I still have it in 2021. That says it all. It does not have a power band, it just has power, period. The kind you can use in the real world, not at 11,00 rpm like some bikes. Have the factory fairing with lowers and just put on some Conti Road Attack 3 radials. Anyone who owns this bike needs to put those tires on. It absolutely transforms the bike and your confidence. Just the perfect tire for this bike. Sticky enough for the power even in the corners. Now I can let lose of the handle bars at any speed without a wobble, something I have never been able to do with any other tire. As others have said this bike can get you in trouble in pretty much any gear. Replaced the rear shock with a Blackbird 1100, reshaped the seat with some Pudgee foam and you can go for hours without a sore ass. I will never sell it, it means that much to me. Others may be faster, or be more nimble, but of all the bikes I have owned(7) none were more fun. And that's what it's all about. A great bike! Show less

I absolutely love my Magna. It will run with, and outrun most of the Big Boys all day long. Looks are Top-shelf even thought it is 27 years old. I have owned it for 2 years. The original owner almost never rode it, and I put new Metzlers on it after a slide out. Show less

The bike is good if you like straight line performance, but it lacks agility through the twisties. The real power begins in second gear above 3,000 rpms. Then the fun begins with its 10,000 rpm. redline. This is not a beginner's bike and makes a great collectable. Show less

I'm 55 years young as the wife would say, and over 39 years of riding all kinds of bikes. I would like to say that for the price and pound for pound, there is no better bike than my 99 Magna. It's plenty fast off the line and just keeps on pulling all he way to its red line and holds that line in most any S curve. The breaks could be a little more reassuring, two disks up front and one in the back would be nice. But the stock lay out gets the job done. The comfort is just a soft seat away from being perfect. This was easily corrected by taking off the stock vinyl, replacing the foam with a stiffer denser foam and reinstalling the new seat cover, all for under a 100 bucks. As for the looks of the stock Magna, the design has withstood the years and in my opinion looks better than most new bikes. What that leaves me to mention is the quality of this bike. Mine is 12 years old with over 20k and my bike could pass for new, and runs as well or better. Everything should be built as well. This may be my last bike and if so I'm happy to have it. Show less

I sold my '84 Sabre due to knee surgery. It was the only time I was truly sad to sell a motorcycle. All the rest were just machines to enjoy and use. But the Big Sabre did everything. It was an excellent commuting machine with power and maneuverability in traffic. It made long high-speed rides effortless, and was a joy in the twisties. Sure there are other bikes that do each of these things better. But none that do them ALL so well. The V-4 engine has it's quirks, but once you know them, maintenance is pretty easy and inexpensive. The engine puts out less vibration than other engine motorcycle engine I know. It is rigidly mounted to the frame, but the bike has very little vibration, and the grips don't shake. When my knee recovers, I'll be looking for another one. Show less

I bought a new 2003 Honda Magna in December of 2002. I have put 13,000 miles on it since then. I still get a thrill every time I crank down on the throttle. I've kept mine in mint condition with service at the local Honda dealer twice a year. I'm considering putting performance pipes on it and getting the carburetors rejetted. It's too bad Honda does not make an equivalent model any more. Mine is going to wear out sometime and there are no similar bikes available. Show less

I bought my 84 VF100 V65 Sabre in 2005. At the time I wasn't aware of just HOW powerful this bike is. I like the standard position. I'm a big guy and this is a big, tall bike. At 6'1", I can just put both feet flat on the ground when stopped. It's top heavy, but with my size I find I can throw it around ok. As I mentioned this bike has POWER. Most bikes have a distinct power band (good low end torque, or power that doesn't really kick in until you hit 4-5k rpm). Not this bike. This bike had tons of smooth power in every gear at every rpm. It's seamless. Just twist the throttle and accelerate as fast and hard as you want, for as long as you want. A true muscle bike. The only downside is the lack of a windscreen/fairing (they are out there, I just don't have one). At about 70 mph you have to hold on for dear life. And 70 mph comes quick! Show less