The return of the Honda Valkyrie was a welcome surprise after first hitting the market in 1996 before getting canned in 2003. Since that time, Honda’s->ke291 Gold Wing lineup has given rise to a bunch of new models that includes the F6B. But as they say in the industry, you can’t keep a good muscle cruiser down for too long, which is why Honda brought back the Gold Wing Valkyrie, looking sharper than ever before.

The new Valkyrie shares a whole lot of components with the Gold Wing and the F6B, including the frame, engine and transmission. What’s missing though are the bags and the fairings, two elements whose absences largely contributed to the Valkyrie being lighter and sexier than the Gold Wing and the F6B.

But don’t be fooled by the Valkyrie’s rather svelte stature; it’s still a modern-day muscle cruiser that actually has more in common with the nutty Rune bike from 2003 that masterfully straddled the line between sports bikes and fully dressed tourers.

In a lot of ways, the Gold King Valkyrie shares that attitude. That’s probably the reason why it stands out like it does among Honda’s lineup of Gold King cruisers. That’s always been the Valkyrie’s M.O. even back to its previous incarnation. It’s nice to see that while a lot of things have changed, some things that were best left unchanged remained as such.

Click past the jump to read more about the Honda Gold Valkyrie.

Design

The Honda Gold Wing Valykrie is everything it’s been promised to be. A road-thumping powerful cruiser with a style and design befitting its status as Honda’s resident full-sized cruiser. Really, just take one look at the bike and you already know what I’m talking about.

The low and aggressive stance of the Valkyrie makes it an ideal cruiser, allowing riders to sit upright on that plush two-piece seat for a truly comfortable ride.

The polished metal highlights immediately pops out, too, bringing some splashes of flamboyance on a bike that really oozes that kind of character. It’s no wonder that riders have come to have an affection for the Valkyrie. If you’re seen riding one, people will definitely take notice.

On the more functional side, the Valkyrie also has a lighting system comprised of LEDs, including those found on the headlight, the taillight, and the turn signals. This feature not only gives the Valkyrie a semblance of modern technology, but the LEDs are strong enough to provide incredible illumination, especially at night when these lights become even more important features for the cruiser.

It’s not a stretch to say that the Valkyrie is one of the most beautifully designed cruisers in the market. That much I can tell you with confidence and quite frankly, I don’t know a lot of people who would disagree with that assertion.

Design Specifications

Frame

A bike with the size of the Honda Valkyrie needs to have its chassis and suspension systems on point. Honda addressed that by fitting a powerful frame that can handle all the rigors of boulevard riding. Riding side by side with that frame is a suspension system comprised of a 45 mm cartridge fork with anti-dive system with 4.8 inches of travel.

Likewise, the rear suspension is made up of a Pro Arm single-side swingers with a Pro-Link single shock and remote-controlled spring preload adjustment, ensuring the kind go stability that a bike of the Valkyrie’s status needs to function to its full potential.

Complementing the frame and chassis is a wheel set-up made up of 19-inch wheels on the front and 17-inch wheels at the back. These wheels are then supported by a braking system that includes dual 310mm discs on the front and 316mm discs on the rear wheel.

All together, the Honda Valkyrie creates enough balance to make the ride as pleasurable as it can be for a cruiser. That’s probably a big reason why riders are falling over themselves just to get a piece of the Valkyrie and enjoy all of its neat tricks.

Frame Specifications

Drivetrain

You want power on this cruiser? Well, Honda’s got you covered there, too. Of all the endearing things about the Gold Wing Valkyrie, it’s 1,832cc flat-six engine is arguably is most important quality. The engine has been measured to produce close to 110 horsepower and 110 pound-feet of torque, ensuring that the bike can generate impressive power from the get-go.

Power is then sent to the rear wheel courtesy of a five-speed transmission, although with that six-cylinder humming sweet music to our ears, the ratios are likely better spaced if the bike had a six-speed controlling its output.

That said, the Valkyrie can still get off the block in a blink, and that sudden rush of power is pretty addicting if you’re not used to it. Actually, even if you are used to something as quick and as powerful as the Valkyrie, you’ll still get goosebumps akin to what you get when you’re driving a muscle car.

In a lot of ways, that’s probably the best comparison you can make of the Valkyrie. It’s not the lightest bike in the world even though at 750 pounds, it's 90 pounds lighter than the F6B and over 150 lbs slimmer than a Gold Wing with a whole lot of accessories added to it. Still, you won't confuse the Valkyrie as a sports cruiser; it's more of a muscle cruiser with the agility that belies its size.

The Valkyrie is more muscle than anything else, and quite frankly, that’s what makes it such a unique ride.

Pricing

The Honda Gold Wing Valkyrie has a price of $17,999. It's pretty steep but for what you get out of it, that should justify the amount you're shelling out to own. Besides, as per Honda's tradition, the purchase of a Gold Wing Valkyrie comes with a three-year, transferable unlimited mileage limited factory warranty with extended coverage available courtesy of a Honda Protection Plan.

Quotes

“Here’s the formula: Take the Honda’s legendary 1832cc flat six and build it into the ultimate cruiser—powerful, awe-inspiring and like no other. Now add in great handling and iconic style, and you’ll see why it’s the cruiser that only Honda could build.” ----- bikez“A great deal of style and bigger deal of engine – two essential components that make a boulevard-shredding power cruiser special. Not only should it be a motorcycle to be seen on, it must have power to revel in. With a design that stops a street of traffic in full flow. The original – and naked – 1975 GL1000 Gold Wing set the benchmark for the breed, with its horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine and cruising form. And it quickly became the definitive touring motorcycle thanks to a turbine-smooth power delivery and mile-munching ability. A six-cylinder 1500cc overhaul in 1987 kept the fully dressed Gold Wing on top and in 1996 a stripped-down version, the F6C Valkyrie, took the Wing back to where it all began. The GL1800 replaced the GL1500 in 2000 and the Gold Wing F6C is ready, built very much with a 21st century attitude, design and performance” ----- Total Motorcycle