2005 Honda VTX1300 Retro
Summary:
A great bike that could have been very great
Faults:
Nothing has gone wrong.
General Comments:
Generally, this has been a great motorcycle - very reliable and it looks great.
The issues I have with this bike are relatively minor - but it seems like Honda could do better.
First - the seat is comfortable - for the first 100 miles - after that, not so much.
Second - the speedometer is 10% off - luckily, 10% is easy to convert while driving, but if the speedo shows 80, I'm doing 72.
Thirdly - the instrument cluster f**k - serious rattle against the tank (squirted silicone seal under there), high beam indicator too bright (squirted blue RTV seal into the lens), NO TACHOMETER! (which I would rather use most of the time than a speedo)
Fourthly - front shocks kinda dive.
Fifthly - handlebar was a little low, causing me tennis elbows (I put on risers to solve it).
I have a slight issue with chrome-plated plastic. It looks good, but there's just something about it...
I've given up any thought about a cross-country trip on this bike - I'd have to invest in an expensive custom seat and a forward peg system.
Adjusting the valves is a major pain - you pretty much have to design your own tools to do it.
Stock tires made handling rough and stiff - kinda like fighting the bike - then I got Metzlers - different bike now.
All-in-all, a great, reliable bike that also looks great - I've had many compliments.
The most important upgrade I did - put a light bar on the front - since then I've had zero people pull out on me.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 12th July, 2013