2014 Honda Valkyrie – First Look

Big Red puts the POW back in power cruiser.

It hasn’t been lost on the Honda faithful that the company has been without a truly large-displacement cruiser since the VTX1800 line was last sold in 2008, the year of the big financial downturn. Although Honda followed this with a renewed effort to get new riders on affordable, easy-to-ride motorcycles such as the NC700X, the CBR250R and the trio of new 500s, Big Red has always been considered a technology company with an emphasis on high-performance products. And its flagship platform, to many, has been the Gold Wing with its flat-6 engine.

Honda’s interpretation of a bagger, the F6B, was a sign of things to come, although most of us missed the clue. So, when Honda unveiled the brand-new Valkyrie to the press at a special event at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, there was a collective sigh as journalists realized the writing was on the wall all along.

The original Valkyrie was produced from 1996 to 2003 and was powered by the previous 1520cc version of Honda’s flat-6 engine. Over the years, this Gold Wing spinoff became a cult classic in its own right. In 2004, Honda produced the shocking—at the time—Valkyrie Rune, which was released in very limited numbers for just one model year. Looking back at photos of the Rune now, the bike isn’t too far removed from Honda’s latest iteration a decade later.

Honda wanted to get back into the heavyweight cruiser category, but, as with the F6B, wanted to do it its own way. Honda took the latest version the 1832cc liquid-cooled horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine and stuffed it into an all-new aluminum twin-spar frame. The last F6 we had on the Cycle World dyno spun the drum to the tune of 104 horsepower and 110 pound-feet of peak torque. Impressive numbers, but the new Valkyrie has a claimed curb weight of only 750 pounds. That undercuts the Gold Wing by 150 pounds and the F6B by 92. In short, we can expect some serious acceleration from the Valkyrie, which also has the same gearing as the Gold Wing and F6B.

Like the Rune before it, the 2014 Honda Valkyrie features a single-sided swingarm. Out back is an 180/55R-17 tire, while a 130/60R-19 resides up front. Twin 310mm front discs are clamped by a pair of four-piston calipers; a huge 316mm disc with a three-piston caliper is on duty in back. ABS is optional. The seat, only 28.8 inches off the pavement, looks well padded and comfortable, while the passenger seat and grab rails can be easily removed for a clean rear fender.
Styling is modern in every way, from the LED headlight, taillight, and turn signals to the fully digital LCD instrumentation console. Two windscreens (one short, one tall), saddlebags, LED foglights, a backrest, a rear carrier rack and a leather touring bag highlight a wide range of accessories.
The Valkyrie will be available in April of 2014 in Black, Dark Red Metallic, or the Blue Metallic pictured here. Pricing has not been set but Honda hopes to keep it around $17,000 for the non-ABS model. A press introduction is planned for early in 2014, so stay tuned for more.

first published on www.cycleworld.com

Specifications	2014 Honda Valkyrie/Valkyrie ABS
ENGINE TYPE	1832cc liquid-cooled horizontally opposed six-cylinder
BORE & STROKE	74.0mm x 71.0mm
COMPRESSION RATIO	9.8:1
VALVE TRAIN	SOHC; two valves per cylinder
INDUCTION	PGM-FI
IGNITION	computer-controlled digital with 3-D mapping
TRANSMISSION	five-speed
FINAL DRIVE	shaft
FRONT SUSPENSION	45mm cartridge fork
REAR SUSPENSION	Pro-Arm single side swingarm with Pro-Link rear single shock with hydraulic spring preload
FRONT BRAKES	dual 310mm front discs (optional ABS)
REAR BRAKES	single 316mm rear disc (optional ABS)
WHEELBASE	67.2 in.
RAKE (CASTER ANGLE)	29° 50’
TRAIL	114mm (4.5 in.)
SEAT HEIGHT	28.8 in.
FUEL CAPACITY	6.1 gal.
ESTIMATED FUEL ECONOMY	TBD
COLORS	Black, Dark Red Metallic, Blue Metallic
CLAIMED CURB WEIGHT	750 lb. (Valkyrie) / 754 lb. (Valkyrie ABS)