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- Created at a staggering loss, the Rune was Honda flexing its creative muscle.
- Using the Valkyrie as its base, the Rune had a radical design and numerous custom chrome elements.
- This example has approximately 6000 miles.
Honda isn't known for flights of fancy, but the motorcycle you see here
is one instance where Honda went completely berserk. A single-minded
pursuit of design above all else meant that the big H lost an
eye-watering amount on the NRX1800 Rune. The development cost was
rumored to be $225 million, and yet the production run was extremely
limited.
This low-mileage 2004 Rune, resplendent in burgundy paint, is up for
auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of the
Hearst Autos Group. It's rolling sculpture, a concept bike brought to
life, yet it's also as tractable and easy to ride as any Honda product.
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In 2000, Honda showed off a trio of concept bikes at the Cycle World show in
Long Beach, California. One concept, the T2, got all the attention. Attending
Honda employees were bowled over by the adoring crowds, but there was a rather
large catch. T2 didn't actually run, it was merely a design experiment.
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Yet Honda decided to build a production version anyway. To illustrate just
how difficult a task the engineers were given, the silencers are cast using
a lost-wax method. The concept's beautiful radiator slits were only
theoretically capable of handling the cooling duties for a 20-30 hp engine,
but the production Rune's 1832cc flat-six makes 118 hp, so Honda had to use
ultra-conductive alloy to make the radiator shed enough heat.
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Factoring in profitability and performance, building the Rune was an
impossibility. So, Honda simply threw those considerations away. As a halo
bike, a production Rune would elevate both the related Gold Wing and
Valkyrie motorcycles. It's estimated that each Rune cost Honda in the
neighborhood of $150,000 to build. When new each bike sold for $25,000.
This 2004 model represents an opportunity to own a truly cost-no-object
machine, one with a wonderfully eye-catching design. With all that chrome
and ultra-low ride height, the Rune looks like the hero vehicle from an
action movie. It's like a cross between Akira and Duke Nukem.
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And, because it's a Honda, it's also very rideable, with a torque-rich
powerband sufficiently grunty to pull away from a stop in top gear. The
clutch is light, the trick trailing front suspension makes for a
surprisingly small turning circle, and the low seat height makes it
comfortable in traffic.
The Rune is madness to look at, but marvelous to experience—as the top
bidder will discover. The auction runs through May 22.