Honda Fury VT1300 CX

After pulling up to the gas station for a re-fuel. I come to a stop and notice a man at the pump next to mine checking out my motorcycle. What should have been a five minute fill-up, turned into a half hour conversation. I guess its something to get used to when you ride a Honda Fury VT1300CX.

Long lean and mean. The Honda Fury VT1300CX featuring chopper styling such as body-colored frame tubes, an artful fuel tank that exposes the triangulated headstock and horizontal backbone frame tube. The mid-tank crease that arches downward to the seat. A stylish front fender wraps neatly around the front tire, highlighted by a handsome 21-inch front wheel. A 200mm rear tire resides under a traditionally shaped rear fender with a tidy brake light slid under its tail.

Saddling up on the Fury for the first time, a couple things stand out: unless you’re abnormally short, you won’t have any problem reaching the ground. With the seat at 26.9 inches off the ground, planting both feet firmly on ground won’t be a concern for most riders. The other thing I noticed is just how far away the front tire feels from the rider’s perspective. The 71.2-inch wheelbase and 32-degree rake definitely gives you a cruiser feel, and when first getting acquainted with the Fury, adjusting to the slow steering and long wheelbase took some getting used to.

The Fury’s controls are far forward from the centerline of the bike, placing the rider in the “hunched over” position typical of many cruisers. However, at 5’8”, I didn’t have a problem with the forward reach to the bars and pegs, I am quite comfortable. The 1312cc, 52-degree V-Twin rumbles with a distinct cruiser note. The Fury’s exhaust system sounds burly and could fool many into thinking it’s a Harley, but for my personal taste I would prefer much louder sounding pipes.

Shifting through the five-speed gearbox is very smooth and tight. The final gear drive puts all 53.9 horsepower to the ground. Opening up the throttle for the first time in 3rd gear just about made me lose my grip on the bars… fair warning to all you speed demons! I’m sure a bike like this is better off ridden slowly but with all that power at your disposal it’s hard not to open her up once in awhile. The Fury actually cruises fairly well at highway speeds. Some cruisers seating position can create a sail out of the rider, but that effect is minimal while traveling 80 mph on the Fury. The saddle cradles the rider to prevent the wind from scooting them back, while the headlight and high-arching fuel tank do a decent job of deflecting the wind. One thing I did notice at highway speeds is the foot position on the forward controls causes your feet to feel the full brunt of the wind.

Slowing the Fury is a large front 336mm disc mated to a twin-piston caliper and rear 296mm disc and single-piston caliper. There is plenty of stopping power for the 681-pound beast.

Suspension consist of a 45mm conventional fork in front and a cleverly hidden rear single shock with adjustable rebound-damping and five-position spring-preload adjustability. Sufficient enough for general cruising duty, the modest suspension travel in the rear (3.7 inches) wasn’t quite enough to soak up harsh bumps. With the skinny, 90-series front tire, one might think the Fury follows every groove on the road. Thankfully, that’s not the case, though occasionally larger ruts would attract the front tire’s attention. A simple tug on the bars gets it back on track.

The Fury in the twisties? With such low ground clearance, the front foot pegs scrape the floor at moderate lean angles. Turn-in is rather slow as one can imagine with the long wheelbase, but once leaned over it’s quite stable on its side, that is until encountering any kind of road imperfection. The front damper-rod fork is sometimes rough over bigger bumps and the short-travel rear suspension is quick to bottom-out. Coming from a sport bike background, the Fury is certainly not going to sling-shot you through the canyons.

All in all, the Fury is a great bike to own. It has the beauty of a much more expensive bike at a great price. The reliability of Honda engineering cannot be beat. The looks and comments I get on this bike have all been positive. And if you’re a gear head like me, changing your own oil and maintaining the Fury cannot get any easier! If you’re in the market for a cruiser/chopper, I highly recommend taking the Fury out for a test ride.