A friend of mine bought a first year rune with less than 300 miles on it in absolutely mint condition, paid 13k. It's his pride and joy, he's always wanted one. He turned it into a Batman themed bike and he wears a bunch of props and rides around town throwing sparks up from his boots down the freeway. Insanely nice bike.
WOW motorcycles here in Marietta has roughly around 8 of them in stock. They buy and sell them often, so I get to see them and play with them very often. Crazy bikes... They go for insane money when they're stock and mint.
yeah I first learned of the Rune when I use to wholesale to WOW about 6 years ago when I lived in GA. they had half the Runes that were for sale in the country. Tell Guido I say hi
Do It With Dan shocking to hear that about wow, im from marietta and wow has a little legacy of rusted tanks and bent frames among my friends without giving any forewarnings of previous accidents etc
@@BikesandBeards So, you guys are greedy? You bought a bike for $10k and gonna make some poor sucker pay $22k for the Rune. Sounds like something a yuppie that drives a Porsche would do. Smh...
I remember back when these were new and I rode into a gas station on my bike. A guy at the pump next to me had a Rune, still in the crate, sitting on a trailer behind a Mustang convertible. I asked him about and he told me he was taking it home and putting it in storage. Wish I knew if he still kept it in the crate!
Dealership in my town claims to have the last Rune in existence that has never left the dealership and has never been titled. It is on display on the sales floor. It has only factory miles on it.
Yeah the roof in their storage building was terrible, I bet them bikes get real sweaty looking at times and start to rust! I wouldn’t store bikes in there and this was at a Honda Dealership. Lol Nice looking bike for a Honda. Strange Honda actually had something going for them and they stopped, I guess they weren’t selling.
Kolliinn definitely agree, the Honda dealer near me just wants to take your money and get you out as soon as possible. I've spend quite a few grand there on bikes and they're still not friendly lol
@@Hi_Im_Simple that's most dealers now a days, once in a blue moon you'll get a good rep like this guy who actually cares about the brand and doesn't just wanna nickel and dime you.
I've ridden 3 different Rune's. Last summer, I rode a black one and a maroon one that were both for sale. To me, it's an engineering marvel although from some angles it can look fugly. The real problem is it doesn't ride well. Front suspension is good however the rear suspension is horrible. About two inches of travel and rides like a pogo stick. Engine is strong, smooth and powerful. It has a ton of nooks and crannies in that elaborate front suspension. Cleaning bugs in the summertime out of that complicated front end would be a nightmare. It uses an odd size expensive front tire that only Dunlop makes and would be nearly impossible to change without damaging the bike. You can get parts for the bike however they are very expensive. I own and ride a 2014 Honda Valkyrie and overall it's a much better ride (like night and day comparatively). Still love the Rune though. Can't stop looking at it in person.
@@chicolittle5409 Grow up goes right to insulting him real mature. Definitely a little boy if not you have some growing up to do. Don't know why his comment got you so butt hurt.
@@jamesireland9188 agree with you James to insult someone is infantile to insult someone for making a simple suggestion shows a limited vocabulary and low level of intellect, it's a shame there are so many little chicos on youtube.
You know guys like you who insult people you've never met for making a suggestion are what make the internet such a toxic environment. Grow the hell up and until you can communicate civilly I suggest you think before you open your nasty yap.
You're right. Bill is the man seems like an appropriate sentiment. He sounds knowledgeable and thorough, honest, and pleasant. Great video. Good luck with the bike.
Shaun, Caleb DONT SELL IT, keep it guys, you sell bikes and have a once in a life time opportunity to pick up a 221km Rune so cheap with a story and resulting patina which adds character, OR... dont rush selling it, maybe Jay Leno might want it, now there's a thought and not so far out there either, NO quick buck, he may want it....talk to him......let me know cheers gents!
I understand the allure of restoring it because of the mileage but it's cheap so I say black it out and sell it as a one of a kind. I might even be interested if it comes out nice....
Restore it to mint and sit on it until you get the money. Don't destroy a limited run RARE bike. I was a car and boat dealer so I would sell it as is and make 5k and then direct the future owner....
For myself, since its so iconic with like the lowest miles ever, I would powder coat it and paint it "Pearl Ice Black". This color, in the end, is actually a mid deep pearl blue and a mid deep pearl purple at the same time. So when you look at it, depending where your standing, some areas look purple and others look blue. I think this bike really deserves it. Resale with this paint job will probably put it in the 22,000-24,000 range. Check out this color on the internet. I think you'll like it. Thx for reading guys!
Nice video and killer bike, even with the flaws from poor storage conditions. BUT the main thing I like the most is, you guys did not try to rape a customer on price. The fact you guys didn't do that means a lot. It shows that you love bikes,the riders / customer and are just trying to make a living, and are pretty damn honest from my view.
I still have my free Excelsior-Henderson T shirt and bandanna from Sturgis . You really have to want one bad to spend 17k for one now. Definitely an albatross. On the Rune, somebody ought to buy it and ride the hell out of it just like it is. Chasing all that corrosion is going to be expensive with diminishing returns.
Yup. Just imo if that was me and I found a Rune for that cheap, in that condition, I'd leave it as-is, clean the hell out of it asbestos I can, lol, and just flip it from there for a good amount. That, or just keep the damn thing. Such cool bikes!
I worked for Bryan Harley Davidson in Moore, Oklahoma in the 90's. The owner was in the process of becoming a licensed Excelsior Henderson dealer at the time. Excelsior brought us a small toy hauler with 2 new bikes and a ton of promotional stuff to show to potential customers. I was able to ride one of the bikes a couple of miles. I was actually quite surprised and impressed with it. It had a nice (if quiet) sound, plenty of power, shifted super smooth, handled surprisingly well for a big bike, and had decent brakes. Everyone at the shop really thought that they would be around for a while. Sadly, it didn't work out.
I went to their display at Daytona the year they were getting ready to kick off the brand. We looked at the list of dealers they had and realized they had no idea what they were doing. They had dealerships in some of the lowest populated parts of the country. So, they spent a ton of money trying to go big and went bust. Start small and build your brand and following and then maybe after a few years and enough demand you can start to produce large numbers. I have seen this same mistake played out a bunch of times. Usually there are some slick talking guys that get people to write a check and the rest is history. If your idea is sound and your product is rock solid, the customers will come but it takes a lot of hard work. Fancy advertising and brochures for a non existent product never works. I lived next door to a guy that has a very big dealership here in central Ohio and he hung onto bikes that he knew would be rare someday. His collection might have been worth more than his franchise. Those Hendersons were bikes to buy and never put a single mile on it.
Keep it completely stock and There are quite a few professional chroming places around it runs a little bit but it would not be that bad we do a lot on some of the automotive rebuilds and I’ve done some rechroming on a couple bikes I’ve built
@@michaeltondi8528 So, I gather you edited in your own mistake for solidarity;)? (Yes, it's an old post, but I can't help point out the irony when people police grammar and get it wrong themselves)
I've been riding the same VTX1800 since brand new in 2002. IMHO it is the best bike ever made. Thanks to all of you for driving their value down. The next time I shop I'll be able to get a low mileage 1800 for just 3 stacks and be good for another 20 years.
@@hazardboundband383 I used to have a VTX1300R. It was a sweet bike and the power was awesome. I'm a small guy and don't really want to get into larger bikes any more, but since owning the 1300 I've been really curious what it would be like to ride the 1800. I bet that would be a next level experience.
Shaun, Caleb DONT SELL IT, keep it guys, you sell bikes and have a once in a life time opportunity to pick up a 221km Rune so cheap with a story and resulting patina which adds character, OR... dont rush selling it, maybe Jay Leno might want it, now there's a thought and not so far out there either, NO quick buck, he may want it....talk to him......let me know cheers gents!
Even just a careful runover with CLR or something similar (probably best to disassemble it first though) and a decent wax to protect it afterward might do 95% of the trick.
I can't believe I'm just now seeing this. These bikes were built in Marysville, OH in the old motorcycle plant, which unfortunately no longer exists. I knew several people that worked on that line. Very cool!
Also keeps the bikes from flying end over end forward when you have a collision. Or if you hit a dip or railroad tracks too fast, which a friend did then all the bikes had to be gathered up and put back on the trailer. Yes alcohol was involved. Well he was a Yamaha dealer so some folks got a good deal...
The Camera Is So Shakey In The Slow Motion Part... One Camera Trick/Advise... Use A Gimble Or Some Equipment That Eliminates The Shake Of Your Hands... If You Can't Get Your Hands On Any Equipment Then Move Your Hand In A Speed Your Comfortable With... And, Slow It Down On The Editing Process... It's Natural That Everyone's Hands Shake While Moving Them Very Slowly Holding Something... You Can Move Your Hands Slowly As Much As You Want When You Have Some Equipment... If Not Do This Technic...
I'm sure it's been sold by now but what I think would look freaking beautiful would be to replate everything in contrasting black and nickel Chrome finishes. That would be Uber expensive though
a little off subject but i flew down there (crofton) from ct apr 16 and they picked me up at airport i purchased a left over level 3 2015 goldwing and rode it back to ct. when i left their parking lot bike had 1 mile currently got over 27000 . they put on floor boards and highway cruzer pegs for me prior to me getting there. this empolyee represents how i was treated at this shop. very good experience
Chrome is out, it’s no longer 2004, powder coat black, saves ton $. Even if you wanted restore as new, re-chrome will never be as perfect as original, Black will look better in 2019 and save you money,
Chrome is never out , Besides what would all us Black & Chrome Harley owners do if we didn't have something to polish in the winter, Can't just drink beer and look at it all winter...¯\_(ツ)_/¯
PaPa Blista if I had a Harley, I would drink polish and f$&k my wife in the garage on my motorcycle. I feel like it would be money well spent. Use the bike as a prop, turn it on and let the rumble turn my girl on with the vibration 😬 I live in Texas so I could ride it year round! I just need a Harley 😞 or someone to let me borrow theirs..........
Honda had $100,000 tied up in each Rune produced, I think MSRP was around $26K. I came a hair of buying one in '04 and test rode it a couple of times...came back from the 2nd ride and bought an '04 VTX 1800R. To this day I see that as a really great decision as anything that happened to the Rune would be so expensive to fix it would be ridiculous!
Back when the Rune came out. I went to the dealer. I had cash in hand. I wanted it and was ready to buy. I spent 30 minutes looking at it. I even sat on it. Even though the sign said " DO NOT SIT ON THE BIKES !" Not one salesman paid any attention to me. Finley, I went to the desk. I told the lady there that I wanted to buy the bike and I had the cash. She said a salesman would be right with me. Another thirty minutes and nobody. By this time, I was pretty damn pissed. So I yelled at the top of my voice. " Apparently you fuckers think I'm not good enough to own a Honda ! SO FUCK YOU !!!!" I stomped out the door, got into my car and started to pull out, when I noticed three salsman standing out in the lot. They were just standing there, talking. I pulled up to them and told them what just happened. One guy said come back in another hour and well take care of you. I can't remember all the names I called them... LOL I never bought the bike and I never went back to that dealer. That was in Joplin, Missouri.
It may have already been sold. When I bought my KLX300SM(Noob), a salesman was with us in less than 10 minutes. We had the deal done and the bike back home within 3 hours(loaded in truck because I’m a noob). Edit: I’m no longer a noob. I RODE ON A GRAVEL COVERED ROAD!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHA I’M COMING ROSSI!!!!!!! Our county puts out gravel instead of salt on the backroads because no one’s crazy enough to ride a motorcycle in the winter… and we’ll just ignore the car drivers who die from it because they were probably drunk anyways.
There was one bike per dealership and if you didnt have it on retainer when it got to the dealership then you didnt get one, you made a fool out of yourself.
should probably disclose the damage situation on the ebay listing.. I know some of the pictures show the bad chrome but that doesn't seem quite enough to me.
Hi Sean, the restoration / customising story and eventual sale of a restored / blacked-out & pearl-whilte RUNE, will have a LOT more value for you / your channel than just flipping it on eBay, imho. I'd LOVE to see the next chapter(s) in what seems like a really interesting story unfold and whichever way you go with the RUNE, you'll have a delighted buyer at some point - this is a passion project and one that'll bring you more subs - you'd never pull this off with any other Honda, I promise you ! Love what you're doing, but hoping to see more of the story unfold - just not on eBay :)
This is definitely the best motorcycle youtube channel. Even better than mine. Well almost. I've only a handful of their videos left to watch :-( and then I don't know what I'm going to do during lockdown when I've no bikes and beards left to watch???
My buddy has one of these with the chrome wheels. It’s absolutely like new with about 6,000 miles. I’ve rode it of course and at 80mph it’s smooth as glass. I ride an Indian Challenger and can out run him but not by that much. The Rune is the most impressive bike I’ve ever ridden.
I remember when these came out. I thought it was kinda cool, but I was heavily into Harleys and had just made the odd jump from Harley cruisers to Superbike racing (Hugely expensive!) so I didn’t take more than a passing glance at them. Now, that I’m old, retired and broken down? I’m finding them intensely interesting.🤔
Dude, that is ridiculous cheap. I worked at a Honda shop for years, and we only ever got one of those Runes back in '05-'06, and when I left the shop 3 years later, they still hadn't sold it. I did get to take it out a couple times, amazing bike! But yeah, pretty sure we were askin around 30k for that thing brand-new
Saw one of these at my local Honda shop about 2 years ago. I thought that it was a new bike that Honda just brought out. Salesman told me that it was a 2004 I fell over. This bike had no rust, chips or any blemishes on it. The owner just wanted to get a tun-up, why I can't figure out. It had I think about 1,000 miles on it. I asked if it were for sale, salesman just laughed and said " know how many of these are in the U.S.? And it would go for around $27,000.00 +++++++, after I picked my lower jaw up off the floor I went back to looking at $9,000.00 bikes. This was the most beautiful stock bike I have ever seen.
2 months ago I bought my first bike. A 2015 sym wolf classic. Looks like a 60s model Honda. Since then I bought my second bike a 2000 Yamaha road star silveradi 1600. In love with that bike. But now I've found my dream bike. That rune might be the most beautiful thing I've ever layed my eyes on!
Anytime you have a bike like that has been sitting for a long time and the tires are not dry rotted try using Aerospace rubber conditioner inside and out just stuff will bring the rubber back to life and preserve it giving you more mileage on the rubber
Bring it back stock, re crome everything and stock paint. The low # and mileage in my opinion would be best. Sometimes custom is not worth the effort, it definitely doesn't do anything for the value.
Staying close to original, Ŕecrome some with a bit of blackout adding some tribal style black on that original paint with a touch of gold. It is the Honda way. I'm not saying that you must but you have been intrusted to. It's Iconic.
Currently at $12,000 after 10 bids. Looks like you guys made the right choice, you're already making money and you didn't have to deal with re-chroming everything.
I've had mine since April of 04....I know you shouldn't but I get back from it a bit...power wash it...wipe it with a towel. Occasionally (rarely) use Honda spray polish on tank and fenders. This bike is 100 times easier to keep clean and wipe down as my V Twin was. I can wash mine from a real dirty rain ride and have it looking like new and on the road in 10 minutes. The claim is that Honda put on extra coats of clear coat. This bike never needs polish to look like new. I have 98,000 miles on it ...Just getting broken in.
I’ve actually been to that dealer before. I live in Virginia and on my own business so I drive all over Virginia and Maryland and I’ve been there a couple times to check out their inventory
I use to work in a chrome plant doing motorcycle and semi exhaust. What he said was correct. And most plants use the new type of chrome which peels easily. Harley chrome is what i did, thats old school chrome and the process is horrible for you and the environment.
I owned a 99 Super X. Call Atlantic EH for any information. Marty and Jamie are the best to work with and Nielsen's is only an hour away from me. They still have these brand new in crates. The Super X has its short comings. Be ready for investing a small capital to make it road ready as a daily driver.
You bought it, but that bike will never be worth much if you don't restore it. It's not always about money, there's got to be a soul in this kind of business. Motorcycles are more than a machine. If you don't want to spend the money to fix it, then sell it as is.
I've seen a white pearl and a copper colored Rune as well as a powder black. Stock colors are best but powder black looked ok. The Pearl didn't look great. Guy who was D back for Denver Broncos in 2008 had a Pearl White... too much....looked gaudy. This bike might fetch $10K-12K as is with chrome issues.
I know you have already sold the Rune, and got it back, but there is a spray fix....You can do a black chrome in a paint booth, without all the extra permits etc. This is more for future bikes with the same, or like, issues.
I think if you powder coat the bike and black it out flat but then you NEED to make any and all trim on the bike chrome. Complete black out and then trim it in chrome. Just enough chrome to set off the black out.
We have a few chromers in Cleveland if you haven't fixed it yet. I live west of Cleveland about 20 miles and I'm seriously considering coming to you guys to buy a bike. I'm trying to get my credit closer to 700 before I do but I should be there as of may 1st. You guys are great and I really enjoy the videos.
Jamie Mills yeah well, of course you’re entitled to your opinion but if you ever rode one of these into a town centre, sat down outside a cafe to enjoy a coffee and watch the crowd form around your Rune! Every single time I did that, I had to spend an hour answering questions and letting people take photos!
Danny Standish Come on mate, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yes it isn’t subtle, yes it weighs more than a third of a tonne, yes it is covered in chrome and looks like Batman should be riding it but it is fucking awesome to ride and it attracts crowds everywhere it goes. Most bikes to me are so boring and predictable I don’t even bother to look at them when they go past, that is never the case with the Rune!
I would work the rest of my life for that Deuce. Miss riding a deuce, hands down road better than any single cruiser ive ever ridden. The duece is the cadillac of Harleys imho. And the OG deuces were miluakee Iron frames. They had the perfect factory rake.
Modify the bike and then you have to continually answer the question of why? This was one of the most magnificent and "extreme" production bikes ever made. It was and is sought after for that very reason. It is unique and perfect in stock form. My personal opinion is to restore it to original condition in order to keep its value. I think that putting this bike for sale on e-bay is one of the best ideas actually. It would be really hard to loose any money on a bike that you have so little into. The amount of time and involvement it will take to accomplish the end goal you have in mind is going to be very time consuming and will certainly take you away from your business. I think you made the right decision. Hope you are able to make a decent amount of money through the e-bay sale.
I know a lot of folks will hate this comment, but I would like to see a that rune customized with the blacked out powder coat idea. Naturally you'd get a lot of flack for it, but I would love to see one that didn't look like a the other runes. Yes I understand the value would plummet but damn that sounds like a great idea!
The salesman is the kind of guy I like to buy from he was honest with them and that’s worth a lot.
A friend of mine bought a first year rune with less than 300 miles on it in absolutely mint condition, paid 13k. It's his pride and joy, he's always wanted one. He turned it into a Batman themed bike and he wears a bunch of props and rides around town throwing sparks up from his boots down the freeway. Insanely nice bike.
So it was kept in a wet garage.
If it were mine it would be in my bed and I'd sleep on the floor.
Ha
I’d sell it and buy a Motorbike.
WOW motorcycles here in Marietta has roughly around 8 of them in stock. They buy and sell them often, so I get to see them and play with them very often. Crazy bikes... They go for insane money when they're stock and mint.
yeah I first learned of the Rune when I use to wholesale to WOW about 6 years ago when I lived in GA. they had half the Runes that were for sale in the country. Tell Guido I say hi
im no fucking lesbian
@@DomCristante lol
What did it sell for on eBay
Do It With Dan shocking to hear that about wow, im from marietta and wow has a little legacy of rusted tanks and bent frames among my friends without giving any forewarnings of previous accidents etc
Powder coat dark purple change name to Honda Prune
Haha just put a funny looking P in front of the name lol
mark tizzard dummy
@@BikesandBeards
So, you guys are greedy? You bought a bike for $10k and gonna make some poor sucker pay $22k for the Rune. Sounds like something a yuppie that drives a Porsche would do. Smh...
@@Sig721Tau Or a business owner who makes a living putting in labor. Because nothing is free.
@@Sig721Tau Keep flipping burgers and complaining mate... This is how business is done.
I remember back when these were new and I rode into a gas station on my bike. A guy at the pump next to me had a Rune, still in the crate, sitting on a trailer behind a Mustang convertible. I asked him about and he told me he was taking it home and putting it in storage. Wish I knew if he still kept it in the crate!
That’s crazy do you know what color it was and what state was this in ?
Bring it back to how it looked from the factory.
For all those curious, the cost was $10,500.
Thank you I was dying to know!!!
actually in a multi bike package so I think they whittled that down by selling other bikes in the package deal which is the way to do it !
Dealership in my town claims to have the last Rune in existence that has never left the dealership and has never been titled. It is on display on the sales floor. It has only factory miles on it.
Where is that?
The shop's leaking roof storage (14:30) isn't much better than where the Rune had been stored...
tbh it probably WAS where it was stored.
Yeah the roof in their storage building was terrible, I bet them bikes get real sweaty looking at times and start to rust!
I wouldn’t store bikes in there and this was at a Honda Dealership. Lol
Nice looking bike for a Honda. Strange Honda actually had something going for them and they stopped, I guess they weren’t selling.
It was a storage container
George Person, so?
That Rune had been rotting down that stage at ghe dealer's leaking sea container garage!
The salesman was a nice guy I would definitely take the two hours to buy a bike from him
Kolliinn definitely agree, the Honda dealer near me just wants to take your money and get you out as soon as possible. I've spend quite a few grand there on bikes and they're still not friendly lol
@@alexhart4369 sounds like our local kawasaki dealer lol
@@Hi_Im_Simple that's most dealers now a days, once in a blue moon you'll get a good rep like this guy who actually cares about the brand and doesn't just wanna nickel and dime you.
He knows his stuff
if everybody like you, he will lose $$$$$$ in hours
A " Where it is now " video would be cool.
th-cam.com/video/ar0WojIf9_A/w-d-xo.html
I've ridden 3 different Rune's. Last summer, I rode a black one and a maroon one that were both for sale. To me, it's an engineering marvel although from some angles it can look fugly. The real problem is it doesn't ride well. Front suspension is good however the rear suspension is horrible. About two inches of travel and rides like a pogo stick. Engine is strong, smooth and powerful. It has a ton of nooks and crannies in that elaborate front suspension. Cleaning bugs in the summertime out of that complicated front end would be a nightmare. It uses an odd size expensive front tire that only Dunlop makes and would be nearly impossible to change without damaging the bike. You can get parts for the bike however they are very expensive. I own and ride a 2014 Honda Valkyrie and overall it's a much better ride (like night and day comparatively). Still love the Rune though. Can't stop looking at it in person.
Nothing better than speaking and listening to someone who knows what they are speaking about
call Jay Leno. Let him have his restoration crew fix it, and he would have the lowest milage rune on the planet
Hey dumb ass. He bought 3 of them. Do you think he doesn't have the lowest mileage one already? DUH!
@@chicolittle5409 Grow up goes right to insulting him real mature. Definitely a little boy if not you have some growing up to do. Don't know why his comment got you so butt hurt.
@@jamesireland9188 agree with you James to insult someone is infantile to insult someone for making a simple suggestion shows a limited vocabulary and low level of intellect, it's a shame there are so many little chicos on youtube.
You know guys like you who insult people you've never met for making a suggestion are what make the internet such a toxic environment. Grow the hell up and until you can communicate civilly I suggest you think before you open your nasty yap.
@@nightster6378 LOL little chicos! I love it! X-D
You're right. Bill is the man seems like an appropriate sentiment. He sounds knowledgeable and thorough, honest, and pleasant. Great video. Good luck with the bike.
i look forward to working with him in the future
This video is pretty awesome and I’m super excited about this bike. I hope everyone enjoys
Bring her back OEM. If you don't do that BLACK her out.
Shaun, Caleb DONT SELL IT, keep it guys, you sell bikes and have a once in a life time opportunity to pick up a 221km Rune so cheap with a story and resulting patina which adds character, OR... dont rush selling it, maybe Jay Leno might want it, now there's a thought and not so far out there either, NO quick buck, he may want it....talk to him......let me know cheers gents!
I love the Rune's look, and always have, but the riding position is wrong, and it's not for touring....so it would be a white elephant in my garage.
I understand the allure of restoring it because of the mileage but it's cheap so I say black it out and sell it as a one of a kind. I might even be interested if it comes out nice....
Don't mod it or you'll rune it.
Original is the ONLY way to go with that few miles.
Absolutely. Unrepeatable opportunity.
Exactly!!
Restore it to mint and sit on it until you get the money. Don't destroy a limited run RARE bike. I was a car and boat dealer so I would sell it as is and make 5k and then direct the future owner....
If it wasn’t so low mileage and numbers I’d say customize it but the rune is hard to come by and expensive as hell that bike deserves to be redone.
For myself, since its so iconic with like the lowest miles ever, I would powder coat it and paint it "Pearl Ice Black". This color, in the end, is actually a mid deep pearl blue and a mid deep pearl purple at the same time. So when you look at it, depending where your standing, some areas look purple and others look blue. I think this bike really deserves it. Resale with this paint job will probably put it in the 22,000-24,000 range. Check out this color on the internet. I think you'll like it. Thx for reading guys!
Yeah that be sweet
"Rat Chrome" it - Matt Black
yeah if ur not going all original , that's def the ticket
Nice video and killer bike, even with the flaws from poor storage conditions. BUT the main thing I like the most is, you guys did not try to rape a customer on price. The fact you guys didn't do that means a lot. It shows that you love bikes,the riders / customer and are just trying to make a living, and are pretty damn honest from my view.
I still have my free Excelsior-Henderson T shirt and bandanna from Sturgis . You really have to want one bad to spend 17k for one now. Definitely an albatross. On the Rune, somebody ought to buy it and ride the hell out of it just like it is. Chasing all that corrosion is going to be expensive with diminishing returns.
My thoughts also. And it will still be one of the coolest bikes .
Yup. Just imo if that was me and I found a Rune for that cheap, in that condition, I'd leave it as-is, clean the hell out of it asbestos I can, lol, and just flip it from there for a good amount. That, or just keep the damn thing. Such cool bikes!
I worked for Bryan Harley Davidson in Moore, Oklahoma in the 90's. The owner was in the process of becoming a licensed Excelsior Henderson dealer at the time. Excelsior brought us a small toy hauler with 2 new bikes and a ton of promotional stuff to show to potential customers. I was able to ride one of the bikes a couple of miles. I was actually quite surprised and impressed with it. It had a nice (if quiet) sound, plenty of power, shifted super smooth, handled surprisingly well for a big bike, and had decent brakes. Everyone at the shop really thought that they would be around for a while. Sadly, it didn't work out.
The original Henderson motorcycles are works of art. Unbelievably beautiful machines
I went to their display at Daytona the year they were getting ready to kick off the brand. We looked at the list of dealers they had and realized they had no idea what they were doing. They had dealerships in some of the lowest populated parts of the country. So, they spent a ton of money trying to go big and went bust. Start small and build your brand and following and then maybe after a few years and enough demand you can start to produce large numbers. I have seen this same mistake played out a bunch of times. Usually there are some slick talking guys that get people to write a check and the rest is history. If your idea is sound and your product is rock solid, the customers will come but it takes a lot of hard work. Fancy advertising and brochures for a non existent product never works. I lived next door to a guy that has a very big dealership here in central Ohio and he hung onto bikes that he knew would be rare someday. His collection might have been worth more than his franchise. Those Hendersons were bikes to buy and never put a single mile on it.
Bring it back to original. Keep in your business as a mascot. As time go by... the value continues to climb.
Keep it completely stock and There are quite a few professional chroming places around it runs a little bit but it would not be that bad we do a lot on some of the automotive rebuilds and I’ve done some rechroming on a couple bikes I’ve built
Cool thanks for the info
Longest sentence every on this page. Some of the worst grammar I've ever seen.
@@michaeltondi8528 So, I gather you edited in your own mistake for solidarity;)? (Yes, it's an old post, but I can't help point out the irony when people police grammar and get it wrong themselves)
I've been riding the same VTX1800 since brand new in 2002. IMHO it is the best bike ever made. Thanks to all of you for driving their value down. The next time I shop I'll be able to get a low mileage 1800 for just 3 stacks and be good for another 20 years.
I recently picked up a VTX1300R for $1800....8213 miles...not a scratch on it... Deals can be found, just gotta look for them!
@@hazardboundband383 I used to have a VTX1300R. It was a sweet bike and the power was awesome. I'm a small guy and don't really want to get into larger bikes any more, but since owning the 1300 I've been really curious what it would be like to ride the 1800. I bet that would be a next level experience.
Shaun, Caleb DONT SELL IT, keep it guys, you sell bikes and have a once in a life time opportunity to pick up a 221km Rune so cheap with a story and resulting patina which adds character, OR... dont rush selling it, maybe Jay Leno might want it, now there's a thought and not so far out there either, NO quick buck, he may want it....talk to him......let me know cheers gents!
Even just a careful runover with CLR or something similar (probably best to disassemble it first though) and a decent wax to protect it afterward might do 95% of the trick.
I can't believe I'm just now seeing this. These bikes were built in Marysville, OH in the old motorcycle plant, which unfortunately no longer exists. I knew several people that worked on that line. Very cool!
If I send you a wheel chock will you put it on your trailer?
Dame thank for safeing me from going crazy still in lock down in the UK ...I'm hooked on your videos ...stay safe & stay awesome ...UK England
By DOT regulations any vehicle transported needs to be secured on 4 corners. Putting 2 straps on the back will keep the back end from dancing around
Also keeps the bikes from flying end over end forward when you have a collision. Or if you hit a dip or railroad tracks too fast, which a friend did then all the bikes had to be gathered up and put back on the trailer. Yes alcohol was involved. Well he was a Yamaha dealer so some folks got a good deal...
Bought my first bike with these guys. Always treat you right. Still have the bike.
red is my favorite color .it's perfect. leave it guys. even tho pearl white sounds amazing. bring it back original
The Camera Is So Shakey In The Slow Motion Part... One Camera Trick/Advise... Use A Gimble Or Some Equipment That Eliminates The Shake Of Your Hands... If You Can't Get Your Hands On Any Equipment Then Move Your Hand In A Speed Your Comfortable With... And, Slow It Down On The Editing Process... It's Natural That Everyone's Hands Shake While Moving Them Very Slowly Holding Something... You Can Move Your Hands Slowly As Much As You Want When You Have Some Equipment... If Not Do This Technic...
Go original, that seems to be the most profitable with cars, couldn't tell you about bikes though. Awesome looking bike.
Definitely not blacked out! Value is in restoring it to original condition. It's a beautiful bike. Restore or sell as is.
If you do not keep it stock the value will plummet.
I think you might be right
Value as already dropped out of the bottom You will never recoup your money that you put in this There's a reason you got it for $10.500
I have an '04. Number 7 off the assembly line. I bought it from the original owner with 82,000 kilometers (48,000 miles)
It's still in great condition
I'm sure it's been sold by now but what I think would look freaking beautiful would be to replate everything in contrasting black and nickel Chrome finishes. That would be Uber expensive though
if you wanted a daily rider that wouldn't make you cry if you scratched it this would be great as-is in fact I'm hoping to find it and buy it myself
a little off subject but i flew down there (crofton) from ct apr 16 and they picked me up at airport i purchased a left over level 3 2015 goldwing and rode it back to ct. when i left their parking lot bike had 1 mile currently got over 27000 . they put on floor boards and highway cruzer pegs for me prior to me getting there. this empolyee represents how i was treated at this shop. very good experience
Chrome is out, it’s no longer 2004, powder coat black, saves ton $. Even if you wanted restore as new, re-chrome will never be as perfect as original, Black will look better in 2019 and save you money,
I agree. Save money and make it look unique and awesome
Chrome is never out , Besides what would all us Black & Chrome Harley owners do if we didn't have something to polish in the winter, Can't just drink beer and look at it all winter...¯\_(ツ)_/¯
PaPa Blista if I had a Harley, I would drink polish and f$&k my wife in the garage on my motorcycle. I feel like it would be money well spent. Use the bike as a prop, turn it on and let the rumble turn my girl on with the vibration 😬 I live in Texas so I could ride it year round!
I just need a Harley 😞 or someone to let me borrow theirs..........
What? A good plater can rechrome much better than factory plating.
Honda had $100,000 tied up in each Rune produced, I think MSRP was around $26K. I came a hair of buying one in '04 and test rode it a couple of times...came back from the 2nd ride and bought an '04 VTX 1800R. To this day I see that as a really great decision as anything that happened to the Rune would be so expensive to fix it would be ridiculous!
Back when the Rune came out. I went to the dealer. I had cash in hand. I wanted it and was ready to buy. I spent 30 minutes looking at it. I even sat on it. Even though the sign said " DO NOT SIT ON THE BIKES !" Not one salesman paid any attention to me. Finley, I went to the desk. I told the lady there that I wanted to buy the bike and I had the cash. She said a salesman would be right with me. Another thirty minutes and nobody. By this time, I was pretty damn pissed. So I yelled at the top of my voice. " Apparently you fuckers think I'm not good enough to own a Honda ! SO FUCK YOU !!!!" I stomped out the door, got into my car and started to pull out, when I noticed three salsman standing out in the lot. They were just standing there, talking. I pulled up to them and told them what just happened. One guy said come back in another hour and well take care of you. I can't remember all the names I called them... LOL I never bought the bike and I never went back to that dealer. That was in Joplin, Missouri.
did you eventually get a rune tho
@@AM-id5ry your mom is a rune
you think your a king lol.
It may have already been sold.
When I bought my KLX300SM(Noob), a salesman was with us in less than 10 minutes. We had the deal done and the bike back home within 3 hours(loaded in truck because I’m a noob).
Edit: I’m no longer a noob. I RODE ON A GRAVEL COVERED ROAD!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHA
I’M COMING ROSSI!!!!!!!
Our county puts out gravel instead of salt on the backroads because no one’s crazy enough to ride a motorcycle in the winter… and we’ll just ignore the car drivers who die from it because they were probably drunk anyways.
There was one bike per dealership and if you didnt have it on retainer when it got to the dealership then you didnt get one, you made a fool out of yourself.
That's not Baltimore...thats closer to Annapolis in Anne Arundel county
A high-end car body shop can fix the paint damage .stock would be better.
I really dig the bike and your boots @ 11:42
should probably disclose the damage situation on the ebay listing.. I know some of the pictures show the bad chrome but that doesn't seem quite enough to me.
Hi Sean, the restoration / customising story and eventual sale of a restored / blacked-out & pearl-whilte RUNE, will have a LOT more value for you / your channel than just flipping it on eBay, imho. I'd LOVE to see the next chapter(s) in what seems like a really interesting story unfold and whichever way you go with the RUNE, you'll have a delighted buyer at some point - this is a passion project and one that'll bring you more subs - you'd never pull this off with any other Honda, I promise you ! Love what you're doing, but hoping to see more of the story unfold - just not on eBay :)
Beautiful bike. I love the Valkyrie. I'm always in there looking at them. They still don't touch the Rune
This is definitely the best motorcycle youtube channel. Even better than mine. Well almost. I've only a handful of their videos left to watch :-( and then I don't know what I'm going to do during lockdown when I've no bikes and beards left to watch???
Yes black it out ruin the rune
My buddy has one of these with the chrome wheels. It’s absolutely like new with about 6,000 miles. I’ve rode it of course and at 80mph it’s smooth as glass. I ride an Indian Challenger and can out run him but not by that much. The Rune is the most impressive bike I’ve ever ridden.
I bet my left testicle that the Rune had been stored in that leaky garage of theirs.
For your sake I hope the RH one still works... :-/
I remember when these came out.
I thought it was kinda cool, but I was heavily into Harleys and had just made the odd jump from Harley cruisers to Superbike racing
(Hugely expensive!)
so I didn’t take more than a passing glance at them.
Now, that I’m old, retired and broken down?
I’m finding them intensely interesting.🤔
Restore it to stock to match the very low mileage. Would seem really bnew.
Man your channel is awesome. Wished I could meet you guys one day. Shout from Texas. Keep rocking guys.....
Keep it stock Great video, .. great back story. But, remember you're in business to make money.
Dude, that is ridiculous cheap. I worked at a Honda shop for years, and we only ever got one of those Runes back in '05-'06, and when I left the shop 3 years later, they still hadn't sold it. I did get to take it out a couple times, amazing bike! But yeah, pretty sure we were askin around 30k for that thing brand-new
$6,000 to "black it out"!?!
Don't piss down my back and tell me jit's raining!
Kerry King in the red plaid needs a new line of work.
Saw one of these at my local Honda shop about 2 years ago. I thought that it was a new bike that Honda just brought out. Salesman told me that it was a 2004 I fell over. This bike had no rust, chips or any blemishes on it. The owner just wanted to get a tun-up, why I can't figure out. It had I think about 1,000 miles on it. I asked if it were for sale, salesman just laughed and said " know how many of these are in the U.S.? And it would go for around $27,000.00 +++++++, after I picked my lower jaw up off the floor I went back to looking at $9,000.00 bikes. This was the most beautiful stock bike I have ever seen.
i paid 35000 bran new for mine in québec good deal you can use for dirt bike
Until you hit fine deep sand.....it stops almost everything!
Yeah but $35,000 Canadian dollars is about $6.48 in US dollars. Oh wait, that's Venezuela. Same thing.
@@jamesmorrison7847 How's Paris workin' out for ya?
:-(
2 months ago I bought my first bike. A 2015 sym wolf classic. Looks like a 60s model Honda. Since then I bought my second bike a 2000 Yamaha road star silveradi 1600. In love with that bike. But now I've found my dream bike. That rune might be the most beautiful thing I've ever layed my eyes on!
Ebay description doesn’t mention chrome has imperfections
Scandalous!
Anytime you have a bike like that has been sitting for a long time and the tires are not dry rotted try using Aerospace rubber conditioner inside and out just stuff will bring the rubber back to life and preserve it giving you more mileage on the rubber
I know that dealer...they were very willing to deal and friendly. wife wanted an NM4 and they were ready to order it anytime
That’s DOPE y’all drove to MD n the original owner is from our area also the chromer is right by us too💪🏼🤙🏼
If I found that deal I would simply clean it up and ride it. Who gets the chance to daily a rune?
One day I ll daily a rune
Chuck Sherron damn straight. I'd be happy to own and ride that bike as is all day long.
@@BikesandBeards That day could've been today... :'(
Bikes and Beards no you won’t ride a rune daily.....
Bring it back stock, re crome everything and stock paint. The low # and mileage in my opinion would be best. Sometimes custom is not worth the effort, it definitely doesn't do anything for the value.
1500 and you can see their excitement of their deal leaving their faces hahahahaha. Sweet ass bike though.
Staying close to original, Ŕecrome some with a bit of blackout adding some tribal style black on that original paint with a touch of gold. It is the Honda way. I'm not saying that you must but you have been intrusted to. It's Iconic.
Ebay and play the field, best of luck guys.
Currently at $12,000 after 10 bids. Looks like you guys made the right choice, you're already making money and you didn't have to deal with re-chroming everything.
sometimes you win and sometimes you loose . hopefully you win enough to cover the loses
Nice bike but wouldn't want to spend all my time polishing and polishing 😩
spike little Yeah I can't understand those guys with bikes covered in chrome...too much work
I've had mine since April of 04....I know you shouldn't but I get back from it a bit...power wash it...wipe it with a towel. Occasionally (rarely) use Honda spray polish on tank and fenders. This bike is 100 times easier to keep clean and wipe down as my V Twin was. I can wash mine from a real dirty rain ride and have it looking like new and on the road in 10 minutes. The claim is that Honda put on extra coats of clear coat. This bike never needs polish to look like new. I have 98,000 miles on it ...Just getting broken in.
Yes you would :-)
I love my classic Japanese bikes but this thing is a Rune. Be careful or it could "rune" your business!
No no no
@@BikesandBeards
I hope not. While you have this unique opportunity, the Rune really has always begged for a twin turbo setup....
@@upsidedowndog1256 kiss a dogs asshole
I’ve actually been to that dealer before. I live in Virginia and on my own business so I drive all over Virginia and Maryland and I’ve been there a couple times to check out their inventory
Powdercoat and matte white
I use to work in a chrome plant doing motorcycle and semi exhaust. What he said was correct. And most plants use the new type of chrome which peels easily. Harley chrome is what i did, thats old school chrome and the process is horrible for you and the environment.
Lmao they ain’t selling this bike for $20k
It sold for $11,312
meethed exactly what I said. They ain’t selling it for 20k
I owned a 99 Super X. Call Atlantic EH for any information. Marty and Jamie are the best to work with and Nielsen's is only an hour away from me. They still have these brand new in crates.
The Super X has its short comings. Be ready for investing a small capital to make it road ready as a daily driver.
You bought it, but that bike will never be worth much if you don't restore it. It's not always about money, there's got to be a soul in this kind of business. Motorcycles are more than a machine. If you don't want to spend the money to fix it, then sell it as is.
He is already up $1600.00
My neighbor had a Super X I took it for a joy ride. It was nice.
Pretty cool to find a dealer that loves the bikes and the money not just the money
Powder coat with white pearl logo on the key on tank. You should’ve picked up that X on the cheap too. Good video.
I've seen a white pearl and a copper colored Rune as well as a powder black. Stock colors are best but powder black looked ok. The Pearl didn't look great. Guy who was D back for Denver Broncos in 2008 had a Pearl White... too much....looked gaudy. This bike might fetch $10K-12K as is with chrome issues.
stock all the way or face the biker gods lol
Instead of chrome, use "Jet Hot" Coating, Yes, it's a Heat coating, but it's durable and not toxic like chromaing.
buff out crome and ride the snott out of it
I know you have already sold the Rune, and got it back, but there is a spray fix....You can do a black chrome in a paint booth, without all the extra permits etc. This is more for future bikes with the same, or like, issues.
eBay
I think if you powder coat the bike and black it out flat but then you NEED to make any and all trim on the bike chrome. Complete black out and then trim it in chrome. Just enough chrome to set off the black out.
"Runes are historically low mileage" Because nobody wants to be seen on the ugly things.
I don’t think so lol
The Rune was interesting, but how about a link for that one at 16:46. Can't imagine it riding very well, but it looked pretty cool.
I like Honda's but this gotta be the ugliest bike they ever made. Should have named it "the Ruined."
Shut up Meg.
Everyones got an asshole, and an opinion.
Hey that's my line!
We have a few chromers in Cleveland if you haven't fixed it yet. I live west of Cleveland about 20 miles and I'm seriously considering coming to you guys to buy a bike. I'm trying to get my credit closer to 700 before I do but I should be there as of may 1st. You guys are great and I really enjoy the videos.
if it had a free sign on it i still wouldnt get it... gets uglier everytime i see it
Jamie Mills yeah well, of course you’re entitled to your opinion but if you ever rode one of these into a town centre, sat down outside a cafe to enjoy a coffee and watch the crowd form around your Rune! Every single time I did that, I had to spend an hour answering questions and letting people take photos!
@@dougm659 not opinion just fact its ugly
Danny Standish Come on mate, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yes it isn’t subtle, yes it weighs more than a third of a tonne, yes it is covered in chrome and looks like Batman should be riding it but it is fucking awesome to ride and it attracts crowds everywhere it goes. Most bikes to me are so boring and predictable I don’t even bother to look at them when they go past, that is never the case with the Rune!
They were looking at that excelsior...
@@liamstandish878 Definitely your opinion plenty of others would disagree with you.
Big fan of the Phantom sitting next to the Rune. Love my Shadows!
Original! I like the way it looks now and is a cool looking bike Honda made!
I would work the rest of my life for that Deuce. Miss riding a deuce, hands down road better than any single cruiser ive ever ridden. The duece is the cadillac of Harleys imho. And the OG deuces were miluakee Iron frames. They had the perfect factory rake.
Back to stock💪
Modify the bike and then you have to continually answer the question of why? This was one of the most magnificent and "extreme" production bikes ever made. It was and is sought after for that very reason. It is unique and perfect in stock form. My personal opinion is to restore it to original condition in order to keep its value. I think that putting this bike for sale on e-bay is one of the best ideas actually. It would be really hard to loose any money on a bike that you have so little into. The amount of time and involvement it will take to accomplish the end goal you have in mind is going to be very time consuming and will certainly take you away from your business. I think you made the right decision. Hope you are able to make a decent amount of money through the e-bay sale.
I know a lot of folks will hate this comment, but I would like to see a that rune customized with the blacked out powder coat idea. Naturally you'd get a lot of flack for it, but I would love to see one that didn't look like a the other runes. Yes I understand the value would plummet but damn that sounds like a great idea!