Silver Bullet
Very Torquey, Xtremely Fast

I’m going to get arrested! Twisting the throttle on this bike is sheer joy. As the bar on the digital tachometer climbs, the VTX1800F parts the air with increasing urgency, quickly tipping the speedo into triple digits. How many bars have I got? Bwah ha ha ha ha!

As I run the bike up the highway entrance ramp, a little blip on the throttle is all I need to torque my way into traffic. This cruiser just gets up and goes. Hold the throttle wide open, and the power is intoxicating.

Honda’s time-proven 1795cc, liquid-cooled, 52-degree V-twin is deceptively fast. The motor never makes it sound like you’re going very fast, owing to the relatively low rpm that’s common among V-twins. But a quick glance at the speedo tells you otherwise.

This wonderful engine is mated to a slick-shifting five-speed tranny, with drive ratios that are well engineered for the engine/power curve combination. The power is always there, whatever gear you’re in. The fuel injection system is dialed in nicely, with the exception of low-speed on/off throttle transitions. At low speeds, when the throttle is closed and then opened again, the power delivery is quite abrupt, and takes a little getting used to. Driveline lash is minimal, but I’d prefer a softer punch from the fuel injection right off idle.

With its roomy ergos and sheer size, the VTX is a pleasure to ride. Ripping down the interstate at speeds sometimes exceeding the posted limit, the VTX feels rock solid, yet it’s responsive to steering input. The weight of the bike keeps it tracking straight and true, only changing direction when I tell it to. You don’t get that kind of stability with a lighter bike.

Slick 10-spoke cast aluminum wheels are matched with a 130/70R-18" radial front tire and 180/55R-18" radial rear, which gives the bike great handling and a stylish fat look. That can be unusual these days, as the fat tire craze has proven that the ever-popular, increasingly wide tires can negatively affect a bike’s handling. But several miles on my favorite byways told me that Honda found a good compromise with these tire sizes. The VTX corners well on smooth, winding roads, and feels great when you have it leaned way over.

The 45mm inverted forks have 5.1" of travel and do an admirable job of soaking up bumps, in addition to keeping things under control when the horizon begins to tilt. The front end feels rigid and precise, and contributes to the bike’s solid feel at high speeds.

The dual-shock rear suspension has 3.9" of travel and a five-position adjuster for spring preload. Although the VTX isn’t necessarily meant to be a corner carver, it does a great job in the sweepers just the same. The shocks work well at any speed, as long as the road remains smooth. Add in a few bumps or wavy pavement as you round a bend, however, and the overdamped twin shocks can make the rear end wallow a bit, transmitting a spooky feeling to the rider. While the effects never became excessive, it was a bit unsettling the first few times I went ripping around fast sweepers.

The VTX is remarkably well mannered for a bike of its size. But make no mistake; attempting to rocket through a fast left-right transition will quickly reveal the full heft of its 743-pound dry weight. One other little cornering surprise got my attention: I actually found my boot heel touching down before the peg feeler began to spark. This caught me off guard a couple of times, as my foot was nearly removed from the peg while cornering.

When it’s time to scrub some speed, the brakes are well up to the task. The VTX has dual 296mm discs with LBS three-piston calipers up front, and a single 316mm disc with LBS twin-piston caliper in the rear. Both the rear brake pedal and front brake lever offer good feel and let you slow down quickly without incident. Even when you trail-brake deep into a turn, the bike remains impressively neutral.

Day-to-day life with the VTX is good. The bike always starts right up and idles without stalling. And, overall, this machine fits me well. With a saddle height that even an Oompa Loompa could throw a leg over (27.6"), the saddle is spacious, comfortable, and surprisingly good for an OEM cruiser. One day, I spent five comfy hours on the road with no complaints. The two-piece gunfighter-style seat also features a removable passenger section to give you a bare-fender custom look.

The semi-swept, drag bike handlebars have a cool street rod styling and a comfortable bend that will suit the reach of most riders. Personally, though, I could use a bit less pullback in the bars, an easy fix with an aftermarket set of risers. The footpegs are in just the right place to be comfortable, and the foot controls offer light, precise action. The fully adjustable mirrors offer a clear view behind, and they’re largely unaffected by engine vibration.

Honda calls this VTX “part drag bike, part boulevard bad boy,” and the description suits it well. A new bullet-style headlight with a smaller, hooded lens replaces last year’s piece, which looked like an old hairdryer from an ancient beauty salon. Good riddance! Another welcome improvement is the new 4.8-gallon fuel tank. That unsightly tank-seam flange is gone!

The slick, tank-mounted LCD instrumentation features a digital speedometer and a race-style bar-graph tachometer that’s unique to the VTX-F model. Though these instruments look really cool, I’d prefer a more traditional analog speedo and tach mounted on the bars. This bike gets up and grunts forward faster than an offensive tackle, and it would be nice to have the gauges closer to my line of sight when the light turns green.

Looking over the stock VTX, it’s easy to see why the bike is so popular with custom builders. Out of the box, the big X has great lines and performance that would inspire anyone considering a custom project. Add to that the ever-expanding OEM and aftermarket accessories support for the bike, and you’ve got a real winner on your hands. Those are the kind of attributes that make me want to own a motorcycle for a long time, without trading it in for the next best thing to come along. RB

TECH SHEET

LIST PRICE: $13,499

ENGINE: Liquid-cooled 52-degree V-twin

VALVETRAIN: SOHC; three valves per cylinder

DISPLACEMENT: 1795cc

BORE x STROKE: 101 x 112mm

COMPRESSION: 9:1

FUEL SYSTEM: Programmed FI with automatic choke

MFR HP RATING: N/A

MFR TORQUE RATING: N/A

TRANSMISSION: Five-speed

FINAL DRIVE: Shaft

OVERALL LENGTH: N/A

WHEELBASE: 67.6"

RAKE/TRAIL: 31.5 degrees/5.7"

SEAT HEIGHT: 27.6"

FUEL CAPACITY: 4.8 gallons

DRY WEIGHT: 743 pounds

2006 COLORS: Black, Candy Black Cherry, Silver Tribal, Titanium Tribal