The time Honda lost their ever-loving minds
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 ก.ย. 2024
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Man, as much as I may not love this motorcycle I respect all of you having so much passion for it.
I put 85000 miles on mine, it was meant to be ridden. It was a monster and I loved it, said I’d never sell it, but upgraded to a helicopter.
Damn so that’s the last upgrade huh 😅
That's quite the upgrade
The ruin is all the validation I need ...
Retro modern is a thing...
Gigachad
A Mosquito XEL. A bigger engine would be nice someday ……
Its rare to hear someone be so incredibly wrong in their opinion.
You're totally wrong about its looks. It's actually beautiful, and in a classic, Art Deco, Marvel Comics sort of way.
Look are subjective, but as a designer i can tell you, the proportions are atrocious, it could’ve been much much better, but imo it’s still cool in a strange way, kinda like a pontiac aztek or an imac g3 is
Yeah, beauty is in the eye of the beholder here, for sure. This thing looks ridiculous
Agree my husband had the black tank Valkyrie when it came out but wish he would have bought the rune.
One man's trash is another man's garbage.
It looks absolutely wrong, but somehow well-engineered. It's like someone making ludicrous vehicles from comic book but it feels and handles normal. Honda always done this with their 'failed' prototypes and unlikely to stop.
I love them and I wish I was rich enough to afford them.
I have owned the Rune since new, in 2004 I had lunch in Tokyo at Hondas World Headquarters with my 12-year-old son. Over lunch I indicated that I own a Rune, the one Japanese employee with his Japanese accent said. “Oh, Rune, we won’t sell many of those, only built for corporate image, to show what we can do!”
I always felt like many that was the reason for it being built. Honda donated a large portion of both the CX Turbo and CBX models to motorcycle tech schools across the country and in the late 80's the school I went to had 6 of the CBX models and 3 or 4 of the Turbo's. At the time they did not sell well they had a delayed popularity but I think it payed off and probably inspired the Ruin.
Man ur hating on the bike so hard but honestly this think is fucking sick looking
How. Its so fat and un-proportional. It looks like a turd
@@bartmotorcycle Ayo hahahaha
@@bartmotorcycle In all seriousness though, i think what ruins it for me is the REAR, its what makes it look disproportional. Had the rear been better, it would have looked even better.
@@bartmotorcycle are you kidding? the Honda Rune is so proportional for what it's going for. a long bike with a deceptively short wheelbase and the heavy weight staying low in the body.
@@bartmotorcycle Well... I agreed with you when you disagreed with Fortnine about the Katana, which actually is a very "un-proportional" bike, but such a freaking beautiful beast. And now I will disagree with you on this. Cruisers aren't my thing, but the rune is beautiful beacuse of her soft lines of design on a massive body.
I’m one of those Rune fanboys. Having owned one, all I can say is that you have to ride one to understand what all the fuss is about.
@r6singh probably why Fortnine was so in love with it, he actually got to ride it without the financial pain.
That's what I tell travellers about Montezuma's Revenge
I saw a red one of these in a parking lot randomly a few months ago while I was out shopping. Had no idea what it was but it stopped me in my tracks, it was so beautiful. I had no idea how special it actually was until I got home and looked it up. What an incredible machine.
Two years ago I bought a 2003 Honda Valkyrie, GL 1500 CD with only 2800 miles on it. Since I bought it I have been to 45 of the 50 states and the odometer now reads 68,000. I was just so happy to see someone mention a Valkyrie. I think it might be the most underrated cruiser of all time. I don’t believe in just being a motorcycle owner. Having something just to keep in the garage and pull out one afternoon out of seven has no appeal to me. I love motorcycling, and I am on my motorcycle in all conditions for all purposes. I could never afford a Rune, but if someone gave one to me, I would ride it until the wheels came off. I imagine seeing our wonderful country from the back of such an incredible machine might just make it possible to go to the next life with a smile on my face. Big chromed up cruisers or works of art. The type of men that appreciate them are the type of men who, like a woman with thick firm thighs, a flat stomach and a squat and deadlift induced backside. In the modern world many men will say oh no that’s too much but I think there’s a certain kind of man out there that needs what a big chromed up cruiser gives. No ballerina type motorcycles for me. I need one that is meant to be ridden hard. Bart, Think about this explanation maybe it will help you understand why some see such beauty where others don’t
there's some poetry in your comment.
I think it looks like the motorcycle a villain would take on a weekend. The type of villain that during the week is being driven around in a Rolls Royce Phantom 1925. It's like an alternate reality motorcycle and I think that's awesome. Love it
you know what really irritates me, listening to some self-anointed youtube expert telling me that he is the arbiter who decides what i am supposed to think is beautiful especially when i've been polite enough not to rain on his parade every time he starts pontificating about how beautiful his rattle trap old triumph is. who died and left you in charge of deciding what's beautiful and what isn't...and the saying is "lost their ever-loving minds"
name checks out
Imagine getting so triggered by someone else’s opinion. You didn’t have to click on the video if you disagree this badly.
Honda did something Harley Davidson could never afford to do
the day that HD can afford to blow that kinda money, is the day that Honda buys the company and says, "here, now you can afford to make a good bike"
To be fair Harley doesn't have a car industry to prop up pet projects.
@@Foche_T._Schitt Honda's car manufacturing and Honda's motorcycle companies fall under a parent company, but they are separate companies. They are not linked in that manner, not propped up by the other. Honda Motorcycle is a massive company with a massive budget all on its own. Maybe it seems like that way to an American, but keep in mind that only something like 7% of Honda motorcycles are sold in the US.
Honda did everything that Harley Davidson could have done but didn't. The only thing Honda didn't do was start a successful T-shirt company.
@@Chemically_Induced
Oh so you know for certain the parent company didn't fund this project and the manufacturing plants don't mix parts production?
Harley doesn't make mopeds, dirt bikes, scooters, sport bikes and everything else on every continent for the cheapest labor. Some of Harley's parts are sourced from Japan which parodies the US on labor costs. You going to make fun of Indian, Morgan, and Enfield for the same thing? It's a stupid criticism.
Hey Maytag why don't you make a ridiculously ugly motorcycle and lose money on it? That's the level of expectations you're operating on.
Don't think I'm a Harley fan boy. I hate corporations across the board and motorcycles over 500lb aren't my thing.
I think it's beautiful. I dont really know why it's just a work of art.
They call orange county choppers “art”. This bike makes them look like a teenagers doodle
@@MisterOcclusion 100% agree
I like the unrestrained excess in the Rune. I'm pretty sure Honda blew all that money on the Rune just to prove that they could afford it.
Despite their sensible reputation, Honda have made plenty of off-the-wall machines. The CBX was insane. The Vultus looks like it came out of a cyberpunk comic. The Fury was their next attempt at 'factory custom'. They made race bikes with V5 engines or oval pistons. They made an off-road scooter and when it failed, came back and tried it again. More than once. Honda do crazy all the time, the Rune just happened to be crazy-expensive with it.
Honda never makes mistakes, we just fail to understand their galaxy brain wisdom (like the Silverwing).
I think the Vultus was literally a street legal homage to the Kaneda (Akira movie) bike, or so I read. I saw pics of one with little modifications that probably made the bike worse but much more closer looking to the original. Now that I know about it I find it kinda cool.
“Sometimes we make a certain machine simply because we can and because we want to.” - Keita Mikura, project leader for the Honda NM4 Vultus. ("Dancing the Polka" website report about the NM-4)
Others have warm reception (most people don't "get it"), but the few who do swear by it, like the Deauville or the CTX 1300. Hell, for a production bike the Fury is kinda crazy but it seems to ride well enough. Now I just need a video explaining the DN-01.
Honda is extremely sensible, until the time comes when they do something crazy and then got factory resetted again, i guess the last stupid thing they did was the 2nd gen nsx, it flopped 💀
I think it's amazing. I am not willing to pay what one would cost, but if I barn-found one and the widow said "gimme a thousand bucks and get it out of here" I think my heart would stop for a second.
i don't have the money to buy one, but, to me, the looks of the rune are really cool, and, judging from videos alone, the exhaust note is really satisfying. the styling makes me think "this is what a sci-fi anime character would ride". it makes me think of Akira, or Ghost in the Shell. the lines are so clean and that front suspension really makes the bike stand out.
Someone said - Honda somehow has enough money to actually fully experiment with some pretty wild ideas. (While banging out reliable, sensible motorcycles the rest of the time)
CBX1000, the Rune, PC800 ….oddities, but arguably something interesting.
i had a pc800, and while it wasnt my style, it was certainly a great bike. my dad had a cbx back in the day too, and he loved it.
What a world where something this majestic and mad can exist.
They truly did the most motorcycle ever.
Honestly, the rune is in my top ten favourite bikes. I love it. I think it’s stunning!
I'd say my attraction to the Rune is its exclusivity. Most Honda guys with hardly recognize a Rune from 20 feet
I’m no fan boy, but you need to give up making TH-cam bike videos if you don’t think the Rune is BEAUTIFUL.
I’m glad you covered the Rune, it’s one of my favorite “wtf?” motorcycles of all time. Styling is a personal thing that varies wildly from one person to the next,though: I think all the classic Harley-Davidson styling is garbage, and the BMW R18 looks like an even uglier Milwaukee wannabe. I know that H-D purists are going to hate on me for saying that, and many of them might also hate me for saying that the V-Rod was the best looking model until the Pan America was introduced, and that’s ok. The Rune isn’t pretty, but it doesn’t copy anything either. Thanks for sharing this one with us, I’ll see you on the next one!😃❤
If you grew up in the 70's and 80's this was the amalgamism of all that was good in cruisers
Honda just wanted to flex their muscles to prove they still have it. I always wanted one.
Ugliest goddam motorcycle I've ever seen. Seriously. I've owned half a dozen Honda motorcycles including a '75 GL1000 when it first came out. My bike was the one torn down for photos in the Clymer manual. I'd be embarrassed to ride a Rune in public. But it takes all kinds, and that's probably just me.
sorry man i disagree, the Valkarie is a classic, its proof honda are NOT afraid to do things different.
I miss the days of Honda engineers snorting illegal substances and coming up with absolute off the wall motorcycles.
imagine thinking the BMW looks better than a honda Rune. wow.
If you go back to the 1950's they're way ahead in styling.
and the Rune can lean more than 2 degrees.
@@wileyt8423
It's not the bike, it's the rider.
th-cam.com/video/cMVLxQ53Vgw/w-d-xo.html
A friend of mine has had the Rune as his dream bike since the day it was announced for production. He finally got his hands on one just a couple years ago, and he loves it. I thought they were epic bikes as well, and finally seeing one up close instead of 50+ ft away makes the bike even more epic, and I love the sound of the exhaust. When it comes to custom bikes, it is my absolute favorite, even if it was a factory built custom bike.
It's an anime version of an American custom motorcycle 😅
I don’t want to own one or even ride one, but I love that the Rune exists. And I especially love that it still is interesting whether a person likes it or not. That’s the genius behind the $200m loss - decades of conversation among enthusiasts about Honda.
The Rune was a true work of art, and no manufacturer but Honda could produce it.
The very first scene is in England at Boxhill just outside Dorking in Surrey , heading up the mad mile . People would get out into the central part of the dual carriage way to get a better view of bikers pulling wheelies up the road , i think this is late 80's
That rear fender is *hideous*...
An acquaintance of mine is a very large man and he has 2 of these. They are one of the few bikes he can ride that don’t look he’s riding a kid’s bike. These are impressive in person. Pics and videos do not do it justice
To me the Rune is the Ashley Graham of motorcycles. Simply gorgeous.
as a non-motorcyclist, i dont find this bike ugly at all
Honda does stuff like this from time to time. They are mostly sensible, even their superbikes and nakeds are generally a lot more user friendly than their rivals. But from time to time they come up with absolutely crazy shit like the Rune.
Honda Rune was cool, tho would Shaq look small on one?😂
Gosh! What a work of art! Only Valkyrie can compete with it!
09:47 notice how the Rune guy is arriving last, after everyone has already parked 😅😂🤷♂️
I guess it's a generational thing. I for one love the looks of the Rune. Massive, bulky, muscled. Futuristic road hog with faux-classic styling. Reminded me of a series from around the same time where Western meets SciFi; Firefly. I was 27 when it came out and it's still high on my wishlist.
I love that the Rune exists. I’m in my mid 60s, trolled all the local Honda dealers when it was due on the market, finally found one that had one in the showroom. It was mesmerizing. I do NOT see the BMW R18 as any kind of alternative.
I’m currently riding a Triumph Scrambler 1200 Xc. If I veer in the direction of a cruiser, it’ll likely be a Triumph Rocket 3. But I still Google “Honda Rune for sale” periodically, and I’ll never cross it off my “maybe someday” list. A ‘79 CBX is also on that list, but that’s a conversation for another day.
I was a parts guy as a kid. The Honda identification manual had me entranced. 89 & 90 were amazing years for Honda. I had many of those bikes on my bucket list and managed to own most of them. The Hawk GT (I had 3), the Trans Alp (I out about 30k on mine), GB500, ZB 50, NX650, and more. Then, later the Rune came out and I’ve lusted over it’s ridiculousness for years. It’s an absolute behemoth and I love that about it. In the words of Wayne Campbell, “it will be mine…. Oh yes, it will be mine,” I don’t know why, but I must put 30k miles one before I’m too old to hold it up. And I will.
While the Rune definitely isn't my jug of Java, I can see why it's such an Icon for so many. It's as near to a fully custom early-2000's chopper/cruiser as you can get, but with manufacturer development and backup behind it. Yes, it's huge, yes, it's over the top, yes, it's blinged out, but also yes, it runs and rides in a safe manner, and yes, it can be fixed if it goes wrong.
Stylewise, it harks back to the Art Deco movement of the '30's, but with hints of the Modern movement of the '50's, and a whole chunk of Anime futurism. Sure, the use of Chrome may be excessive, but it's use is largely to make the bike's production feasible - with all that Chrome, the only parts that need painting are the tank, the wheel guards, and a few small trim pieces. Everything else is standardized across all colorways. It may not be to my taste, but it does make sense.
As to why Honda did it, that's largely because they could. When the Rune was produced, the Japanese economy was at it's peak, and the western economy was on the rise. In those circumstances, letting the company stylists & engineers off-the-leash for a company Halo project becomes quite easy to justify. Yes, they lost money on each bike, but that lost money almost certainly led to a reduction of corporate taxes of at least equal value, effectively making the whole project a freebie. Heck, with the way corporate budgets are set up, I wouldn't me surprised if the Honda Corporation effectively made money by losing money - the press & publicity the Rune received worldwide was effectively free advertising for the entire corporation, and undoubtedly worked at attracting the attention of riders who might never have considered a Honda before, or who had dismissed the brand as "uninteresting corporate blah". They may not've sold many Rune's, but how many bikes were sold from lower in the range off the back of a Rune catching a riders attention???
So, yeah. Not my thing, but I can see why Honda made the Rune, and it makes perfect sense from a corporate point-of-view...
Sorry mate, when you called the R18 beautiful all of your opinions became invalid.
Follow the "loss" leader, he's on a Honda Valkyrie chasing the Rune dream. It brings out the kid, you just cant stop staring at it and screams jump and hold on.
Bart, I think you secretly want one.
Truly Big, Bold, and Beautiful.
15:30 you aren't speaking for the majority there on its looks dude, its a nuts looking bike. Ive yet to keet anyone in person who doesnt like how it looks. Its just expensive
Love the Rune - saw one at Lake Powell while on holiday and it looks even better in the flesh - Has a strange but beautiful design. Beautifully made too!
"No performance goals, no distinct function, purchase price not a consideration." It was 2003 and Masanari Aoki said, "Do it for the 'gram."
That opening clip is from Mickleham/Box Hill in Surrey, England. There is a cafe there called Ryka's that claims to be the "oldest biker cafe" in England (possibly the world). It used to be one of the most popular spots for many bikers in the London and South East areas. Sadly, this year the police constantly set up camp there and ticket every single person with anything even slightly wrong with their bikes. So many patrols and mobile speed cameras too. They've pretty much ruined the fun.
I'm on my 3rd Valkyrie and they are definitely one of the best cruiser of all time. The rune was a progression of that.
Most halo projects tend to lose money for the company that produce them. See the Bugatti Veyron, Porsche Carrera GT, 918, Lexus LFA, etc, etc.
The Rune is such a special bike, just seeing one on the road is an event. I remember the only time i have seen one on the road, a true piece of art. I get the impression that the narrator doesn't like them, that's fine, but lots of people do like them, just read the comments. I'm not sure about owning one, but i do appreciate the styling and would love to have a ride on one.
“production bikes never look as cool as the concept”
Defines the Indian FTR perfectly.
I kinda liked it when it came out. Granted, I was 19 at the time. I actually got to ride it since my dad and I were working as journalists back then so we had one for a few days. I thought it looks like something Batman would ride. Still think it looks kinda cool.
I remember when the Honda 305 Dream came out. We all thought they were sissy bikes. Forty years later I bought one at a junkyard for $100, did a partial resto and spent the next few years riding the snot out of it, commuting to work rain or shine. etc. Strangely enough, again and again young people would say: "What a cool bike! What is it?"
Can you make a video about the Simson S51
I have ALWAYS loved the Rune. When I could buy one, I couldn’t afford it. It’s a production concept, which is all but unknown, and I can pretty much count the number of production concepts on one hand. An amazing bike.
Honda has done this numerous times, not only with motorcycles.
They do it just to stick a finger in the eye of other manufacturers to show them that they can do it.
Just got one a while ago. It's the most beautiful thing on the road, powerful, smooth, sounds amazing and huge, but shrinks when you start moving.
In reality 200 million dollars to Honda is like 5 dollars to the rest of us. My word this thing is weird.
The R18 is the ugly bike here. I thought the Rune looked like an example where the sum of the parts is less than the whole. It however isn't just ugly which the R18 is. Why do you think low mileage R18's are cheap?
Honda Fury next!
Guy down the street from my work has a Rune
Such a Hideous bike but he loves it. My coworkers thought it was a chopper
I like it because it harkens back to the 1950's Art Deco movement not motorcycle history specifically. It reminds me of a mini locomotive for the road. The fact they ride as well as they do is insane. Its an engineering marvel just to produce it!
When HONDA engineers follow FORDS, rule in developing a highend car but this time for a motorcycle.
" COST BE DAMNED "
I’m 60 years old and even remember the concept bikes being shown before the Rune came out! I’ve seen them on the road and they have a very Flash Gordon retro-futurist vibe to them. I think there’s a very capitalist/business thinking to Motorcycle design. I’m glad Honda didn’t go in this direction because many other companies at the time did. Maybe your next research should be on failed Japanese cruisers and then you’ll appreciate the Rune a lot more mainly because it’s a collector’s item and they aren’t! 🤔👍🏾 Great stuff as always!
Bart. . Bart Bart Bart. UGLY. . . . ! What, no way man. Listen, I've had sports bikes in my blood for over 50 years, but the Rune is just about the only bike outside my first interest, that I stare at. Every single curve, every subtle line the reflections in the chrome. Awesome, sorry mate, you're wrong ugly it aint.
The most beautiful bike ever made
I worked in a dealership that had a Rune, a 998 Matrix and 998FE. Talk about three bikes you never see anymore.
Rune has always been on the list of bikes I want to take for a ride.
Don't know where you come up with the price but every where I have read the retail price was 25K .
I love that you would never see on on the streets and say "that looks like a Honda" and that is so unique. What other bikes are like that? So different from what they are usualy doing?
I like the way it looks. I think we older guys (I’m 61) may look at it through a different lenses than you younger guys. Good video.
It's hard for some people to appreciate this bike, but I've seen a red one in person and was blown away. The T4 is such a badass concept, but Honda is far too conservative to make anything that cool today. Mr Honda is rolling in his grave with the current Honda lineup in the motorcycle and automotive industry. As someone who grew up riding Honda dirt bikes and was once a Honda motorcycle tech, it's a damn shame what the company has become. Corporations naturally ruin everything they touch.
Really? I reckon it looks brilliant. From the sound of your voice you probably weren't around in the 90s so can't understand the context. That's okay.
My buddy owned one but hated to ride it so i got it for months. Simply loved it.
I remember when these came out. Back in the mid-late 90's I had bought two brand new bikes from my local Honda-Suzuki dealer so I was always in the dealership for parts/accessories/tire kicking etc. There was a lot of talk at the dealership and the motorcycle press when the Rune was released. Personally, I thought it was quite ugly but I never rode one. I also LOL'd when you mentioned the R1200C. I forgot all about that one.
How you can call this bike "ugly" is annoying 😑 its like your just saying that to be in some cool club
This is the most awesome honda ever to take the road. They should reintroduce it. Bravo Honda! Plus it's reliable!!!!!!!!.....PS I'm a sportbike rider.
It remains one of the bikes I want to own someday. I asked a local motorcycle trader if I could rent one for a week. They obviously said no because they still sell for 29k euro's in the Netherlands
If you want to see a Honda Rune in person, there is one at the Seba Station motorcycle museum in Warwick, Oklahoma on Route 66!
I usually hate Honda bikes but my gold I love the Rune. It's one of the most underated bikes ever and I can only dream of ever owning one since they are so rare and never officially came to Australia.
It is probably better to think of the Rune as advertising and an expensive attempt to make Honda cruisers cool enough to challenge Harley Davidson. You mentioned the popularity of custom bikes and choppers at the time. I suspect that one of Honda's dreams was to finally have the kind of stature in the US to displace Harley in the cruiser market. Honda spent decades at this, starting the slightly chopperized "custom look" motorcycles in the late 1970's that were often faster, less expensive, more reliable and with better handling than the Harleys, but the Harleys kept selling in large numbers. Honda even made big V-twins that were always "also rans" and derided as "metric cruisers".
The Rune is such an engineering marvel and work or art. Honda is such an incredible company and deserves to be revered for this achievement. I would love to own one but I don't think I'm worthy of it.
Over here patting down Honda’s pockets 😂 Who cares what they spent. What matters is that they went there, and that in and of itself is awesome.
Front wheel is a bit tricky to remove for a tire change I can say from experience. I got the chance to do a basic service and change tires on one a couple years back and since they are somewhat rare I enjoyed the experience.
early 2000s was the BEST time for bikers, i lived it, people backed up claims with SKILL, now days its all fake instagram clout.
back in the day, people went to the big bike meets, freeway rides were basically 100 bike free for alls lol.
Your customer perceives you doing certain things and NOT doing other things. It's like Honda trying to sell a dragster. Why?
The T1 reminds me of what I always wanted Honda to do, bring back the standard Goldwing but with the 6, like a muscle cruiser today.
The new Triumph Rocket shows what a 2+ liter engined bike could be.
honda just spitting in the face of harley for making regan block them
Not a cruiser or a Honda fanboy, but calling this bike fugly is a bit of an over reaction. We all know the fugly label belongs to choppers.
I rode one, it was an incredible motorcycle..
Looks are so much in the eye of the beholder - it's just so subjective. most of the bikes you've said are beautiful in this and other videos, I dislike. and ones you think are ugly are often my idea of attractive bikes. I'm not a sports bike guy, but I think the original Katana looks cool - and 'retro' looks: R.E., most Triumphs, Kawi W800 650 & 800, old Sportster are to me real beauties and what a motorcycle looks like. - who can account for taste? - p.s. u do great vids - thanks, keep up the good work.
One of the first times I have gotten to see the rune, and now I really wish I owned one. Just something about the look of it.
Bro, you made a video of a bike you don't understand or like, Honda Rune is an awesome looking machine, one of my dream bikes
I like the look of it, I think it's real head turner and if you brought it to any meet or show I think it would be center of attention. Would I own it? Probably just to have it in the garage to look at 😂
its amazing to look at. Everyone has diffrent tastes. its something that you struggle to understand and 20.000 for 100.000 bike is a hell of a bargin in my books