2010 Honda Fury

When Honda announced its 2009 lineup last fall, many, including us, scratched our heads at the scarcity of new models from this motorcycle giant. It turns out that Big Red was holding at least one valuable card up its sleeve, as we can now report on one of the coolest-looking cruisers ever offered by a Japanese manufacturer.

You’re looking at the 2010 Honda Fury, an inspired design built around a familiar motor. Featuring chopper styling cues such as the high headpipe and the largely exposed backbone frame tube, the Fury is Honda’s attempt at creating a mass-produced “custom” chopper.

First seen in public today at the IMS show in New York, journalists got a sneak peek last month in American Honda’s high-security R&D center in Torrance, CA. Company reps say customers want a “radical” looking chopper with Honda durability, quality, reliability and affordability.

“To say that we got jazzed was an understatement,” said media-relations good-guy Jon Seidel about when he saw the Fury in person for the first time. Reaction from Honda dealers was reportedly “over the moon.”

The most expensive component of any motorcycle is its engine, so Honda was fiscally responsible and fitted a modified version of the 1312cc V-Twin seen in the VTX1300 variants. It retains the 52-degree Vee angle and single-pin crankshaft, but it differs in its cylinder heads, cams, port shapes and exhaust system. Most important is the addition of fuel-injection to the VTX’s carbureted mill. We expect slight increases from the VTX’s rear-wheel numbers of 59 hp and 71 ft-lbs of torque.