Topic: Honda Fury: awesome or supremely lame?

[Mitlov]

Honda just released its first factory chopper:





http://www.cycleworld.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=1068

According to the full review in the latest print Cycle World, it's everything you'd expect from a Honda.  It's quiet.  It's comfortable.  It's profoundly refined.  It costs US$12,000 instead of the US$35,000 that custom choppers can cost.  On the other hand, it's not what you'd expect from a chopper: it's quiet, it's comfortable, and the fenders and most of the chrome are plastic.

So...is this the greatest chopper ever, because it's a chopper you can ride regularly?  Or is it ultimately lame, because choppers aren't about everyday practicality and mass-production and they certainly aren't about plasti-chrome?

I haven't decided yet, but I'm leaning toward the latter.

[HeliDriver]

I think Honda did a hell of a job on this bike. I doubt they expect to sell them by the boatload, but it seems like a great way to get some publicity and get people talking. Kind of like what they did with the Valkyrie Rune, IMO.

As for the bike itself? Sure it may lack in street cred, but at least it's rideable. Who's the real poseur: someone who has a plastic bike but actually rides it, or someone who has a "real" chopper that sits in the garage 99% of the time because it's downright unpleasant to ride?

[articsteve]

It's 3 years too late.  It's a chopped VTX1300 which in Canada is $4K cheaper.  Obviously your gonna get the odd yo yo to buy one but IMO, it's lame.  You could not pay me to ride one today. 

Closest alternative would be a Softail Rocker.

[rrocket]

I saw one at a recent bike show.  It's VERY nicely done and quality is beautiful.  So the fenders are plastic...big whoop.  95% of the bikes I lust after are covered in plastic.  You'd never know looking at that bike that any of the bits are plastic.  Like I said...superbly built, beautiful paint.  Sure it's quiet NOW..but you'll be able to hear it with a set of pipes..as is the custom.

I say if you LOVE the chopped custom look, but think shelling out $35K+ for this type of bike is stupid (as I do), this would be a great alternative.

[dorin]

Awesome!  For pretty much the same reasons that rrocket has.   

[Cord]

Not a genre I have much interest in. But compared to the usual unrideable garbage by OCC and its ilk, the Fury looks like pure genius.

[johngenx]

Not a genre I have much interest in. But compared to the usual unrideable garbage by OCC and its ilk, the Fury looks like pure genius.

 

I'd rather buy a chopper from Honda, plastic fenders and all, than support those morons at OCC or Jesse James, or some other thugs.  Now, I'm not going to buy one, 'cause I consider the entire segment silly, but I think Honda might knock one out of the park here.

As far as plastic goes, so what?  I'm sure Honda will have a catalog handy for you to "upgrade."  Cha-ching!!

[johngenx]

...instead of the US$35,000 that custom choppers can cost.

That's the STARTING price.  Many folks have spent three times on a chopper.

[rrocket]

I mentioned before that I used to design and machine custom bike parts for these types of bike.  When we built our shop bike, this Bourget framed beast cost near $100K.  And it was stolen the first weekend we were in Daytona for bike week!!