Church Of MO – 2009 Honda VTX1300T Review

When it comes to mid-displacement touring cruisers, the poor Honda VTX1300T often gets overlooked. It seems as the VTX1300T was the unfortunate victim of bad timing, as this time frame saw the rise of cruisers that took the “no replacement for displacement” mantra to heart. Big-bore cruisers were quickly gaining popularity from OEMs both near and far. For those with more reasonable displacement needs, the 1300T was a solid long-distance package, as Mark Gardiner makes clear to us in his ride review from 2009 below. To see more of the VTX1300T, be sure to visit the photo gallery.

In the last few years, the cruiser world has been on a bigger-is-better kick, to the point where your bike needs to push the two-liter mark to give you any bragging rights at all. Little brother of the VTX1800, Honda’s $11,299 VTX1300T may therefore not be suitable for people with fragile egos.

That ‘T’ designation stands for ‘Touring’ marked by the addition of leather saddlebags, a passenger backrest, and a large windscreen. In my first week with the Honda, I rode from the teeming metropolis of Cardiff-by-the-Sea up to Laguna Seca, where I attended the AMA Superbike Championship’s Finale.

The VTX is long, with a 65.7-inch wheelbase, and heavy at 750 lbs. Consider its 32 degrees of rake and 5.4-inches of trail, and it’s clear that nothing’s happening too quickly on this Honda. Still, this 1300 is 50 lbs lighter and has one-inch less trail than it’s big brother, the VTX1800T.

Locomotion is provided by a 1312cc V-Twin. It looks air-cooled at first glance, thanks to deep finning on the cylinders, but there’s a fairly small radiator there, too. A single cam resides in each head, actuating three valves (two intake, one exhaust) with twin-plugs in the heads. The 52-degree V-angle is far enough from Harley’s 45-degree single-crankpin setup that it doesn’t exactly say ‘potato-potato,’ but the VTX idles with its own pleasant rumble. It’s a Honda, so it’s fitted with civilized mufflers and balanced to within an inch (oops, I mean “a millimeter”) of its life. As I ran it up and down the rev range, there were only a few moments when the rigidly-mounted motor caused a faint resonance at the natural frequency of the footboards or seat. Never enough to be even least bit bothersome.

By traditional cruiser standards, it’s almost modern in that it’s got overhead cams and liquid cooling. And yet it’s still fitted with a single 38mm carburetor. How quickly I’ve forgotten the cool-morning rituals of pulling out a manual choke, and choosing between a too-fast idle or occasionally stalling. While the fit and finish is good, it’s devoid of niceties I’ve become accustomed to such as a tach or fuel gauge. Such features would be appreciated by the novice riders who will be attracted to the VTX for its relatively approachable price, mild manners, ease of maintenance, and low seat height.

My initial impression was that it felt heavy, although the low seat and formidable leverage afforded by the wide handlebar prevented that from being intimidating. At low speeds it has a tendency that I seem to notice in all raked-out bikes with a lot of steered mass; that the front wheel feels like it wants to fall over in tight parking lot maneuvers. Once underway in town, the handling improves as speeds get up above about 15 miles an hour. The bike also has a conspicuous tendency to follow road surface features, like some cracks and seams or the ‘ruts’ that develop in old pavement.

Just before returning the bike, I took it to Area P for a dyno test. Proprietor Kerry Bryant actually had to move his dyno a few inches further from the wall to make room for the VTX’s locomotive-style wheelbase. Horsepower came in under 60 but it was the torque curve that had Kerry shaking his head in grudging admiration. “It’s already making about 90% of peak torque at the point where we start to record the run,” he noted. All that torque, available right off idle, makes the motor both novice-friendly and fun for more sporting riders.

Does the “Tourer” badge on the front fender really imply a touring bike? Or, is it merely a cruiser with a windshield and saddlebags? My conclusion is that the windshield, bags and fuel range only barely justify that claim. The bike’s redeemed by its steady motor, low-maintenance drivetrain, and better-than-average handling.

The Girlfriend tried the passenger accommodations and although I wouldn’t mind riding two hours up to Julian with her on the back I think we could just put enough stuff in the bags for one night at a B&B. If you call that touring, then it’s capable of touring. If your idea of touring involves camping in several time zones on the same vacation, you need to look at other bikes.

As a cruiser, the VTX is mild mannered but certainly pleasant. The motor’s tractable and the low seat height is confidence-inspiring for beginners. I couldn’t help but compare it to a Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail that I recently rode. They’re about the same size. In some ways the Harley’s more primitive (it has pushrods) and in other ways more sophisticated (fuel injection), but both come with leather bags and a windscreen. The Honda’s far more rewarding on a winding road but I’d rate the Hog more fun around town. The question is, is that cool factor worth the 50 percent cost premium?

The charms of the VTX grew on me over time, and it would be a safe choice for low-key riders who fancy themselves to be Honda men (or Honda women, if they aren’t put off by heavy control inputs). It’s a competent cruiser with leather luggage that says, “Hey, I just might pack it all in and hit the open road.”