In February of 2002, I had a brand-new CBR600F4i stolen from me. Deciding that maybe that was a hint to get away from sportbikes for a while, I talked with the Honda dealer about a replacement after my insurance check arrived. He told me that a new cruiser, the 1300 version of the VTX, was coming out in an early release that May. I liked the brochure, so I put my money down and waited. 16,000 miles later, I must say I've had very few qualms with this motorcycle, and it's produced an overall pleasurable two years of riding for me. The Good: It's got great bang for the buck. There's simply not anything else that really compares at this level from the other manufacturers. You get plenty of torque and horsies, styling as curvy-sexy as Jayne Mansfield, a low, comfortable seat height, and pretty good balance and handling for a 700 pound motorcycle. And you get all that for a great price out the door. Now that it's mature, the bike is also easily accessorized. Best of all, it's got that Honda quality (mostly) built-in. Which segues to... The Bad: Overall, it's definitely traditional Honda quality, but there are a few niggles, and they're quite minor. First is the well-known radiator fuse problem. The fan is drawing right at the limits of the 10A fuse, and can blow under a heavy load, (i.e. - when it's dog-stinkin' hot outside). It is worth noting, however, that I've only had this happen once in over 17,000 miles on this bike, and I live in Houston. So it's not a really big deal, and Honda provides an extra fuse in the box. As I said, a niggle; overall, this bike is bulletproof as far as mechanical reliability, just like the rest of their products. On another point, it seems that all of Honda's design engineers think all Americans are 6'4" tall, with arms like a gorilla. Every one of their cruisers that I've ridden seems to have the bars set just a bit too far forward and down, forcing you to stretch and slouch forward just the tiniest bit. Over short distances, this is not really a problem, but over a 500-mile day, it can become very tiresome indeed. This, however, is now fixable, with the arrival of aftermarket pull-back risers. Just a note to Honda: We're not all professional basketball players over here. Start putting pullbacks on your cruisers, please. The Ugly: Not much to say here, except that there are a lot of overly cheap plastic parts on the bike. I know this is done to hold down cost, but some of the pieces, (e.g.- turn singal housings), are just plain crappy, in both look and feel. Not very Honda-like at all, especially when set next to one of their excellent and top-quality sportbikes. Of course, your views on this may vary. I like tightly-fitted, well-designed parts on my vehicles. Even one cheapo-looking part can spoil an overall impression, if it's prominent enough. In summary, I'd certainly not hesitate to recommend this motorcycle. While it's a little large for a beginner, it's a good second bike. I would also recommend it over the 1800 version, both for pricing and design reasons. The 1800 bikes are simply too top-heavy. They handle about like an empty superfrieghter in a hurricane. If you're in the market for a cruiser, this motorcycle should definitely be on your test-ride list. I've certainly enjoyed the two years I've owned mine, but now it's getting a little boring; time for a return to sportbikes for a few years. Happy trails.
Reliability
Quality
Performance
Comfort
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