| Specifications |
 Price: $14,849
Engine: 1795cc, liquid-cooled, 52-degree V-twin
Compression ratio: 9.0:1
Valvetrain: SOHC, 3 valves per cylinder
Fuel System: EFI | Transmission: 5M
Final Drive: Shaft
Suspension F/R: Suspension F/R: 45mm inverted forks/dual shocks, preload adjustable
Suspension Travel F/R: 4.3 in./3.9 in. | Brakes F/R:Dual 296mm discs/316mm disc
Tires F/R: 130/70-R18/180/55-R18
Wheelbase: 67.5 in.
Seat Height: 27.6 in.
Dry Weight: 743 lb. |
If we had to ride one bike year-round, this would be it. The VTX1800F is the teacher’s pet in this classroom of hooligans. It’s so easy to ride and so well-mannered that even a green rider could probably handle it. The Honda’s size and seat height made it the favorite for our shorter testers. It’s great for weaving through traffic and carving corners. Like most things Honda, the VTX feels like it was relentlessly massaged by nit-picky engineers. Every switch and lever moves as if Teflon-coated. And all this is amazing considering the bike’s design debuted in ’02. But don’t be misled by the Honda’s persona: Danny Coe ran the quarter-mile in 12.90 seconds at just over 102 mph, only a bike length behind the Harley. As much as we like the Honda mechanically, its look is a bit vanilla in this group of extroverts. Without our bike’s bright red paint and splashy graphics, the VTX would blend into the cruiser landscape. Still, this is a fantastic piece of engineering and it feels as though it would run like new for decades.
| Track Times |
| 0-30 mph | 0-60 mph | 40-70 mph | 1/4-mile |
| 1.64 sec. | 4.45 sec. | 3.23 sec. | 12.90 sec. @ 102.17mph |