Honda VTX1300T
Honda VTX1300 | |
Manufacturer | |
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Also called | VTX1300 Retro, VTX 1300 Retro, VTX 1300 R, VTX1300C Classic, VTX1300T Touring, VTX1300R Retro, VTX1300R, VTX1300T, VTX1300C, VTX 1300 S, VTX 1300 C, VTX 1300, VTX1300S |
Production | 2006-07 |
Class | Cruiser |
Engine | Four stroke, 52°V-twin, SOHC, |
Compression ratio | 9.2:1 |
Ignition | Solid-state digital |
Spark Plug | NGK DCPR6E |
Battery | YUASA YTX14-BS |
Transmission | 5 Speed |
Final Drive | Shaft |
Frame | Steel, Double cradle frame |
Suspension | Front: 41mm telescopic fork Rear: Dual shocks with five-position spring preload adjustability |
Brakes | Front: Single 336mm disc 2 piston caliper Rear: Single 296mm disc 1 piston caliper |
Front Tire | 140/80-17 |
Rear Tire | 170/80-15 |
Wheelbase | 1668.7 mm / 65.7 in |
Seat Height | 693 mm / 27.3 in |
Weight | 340 kg / 748 lbs (wet) |
Recommended Oil | Honda GN4 10W-40 |
Fuel Capacity | 18 Liters / 4.8 US gal |
Manuals | Service Manual |
Engine[edit | edit source]
The engine was a Liquid cooled cooled Four stroke, 52°V-twin, SOHC,. The engine featured a 9.2:1 compression ratio.
Drive[edit | edit source]
Power was moderated via the Wet, multiple discs, cable operated.
Chassis[edit | edit source]
It came with a 140/80-17 front tire and a 170/80-15 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via Single 336mm disc 2 piston caliper in the front and a Single 296mm disc 1 piston caliper in the rear. The front suspension was a 41mm telescopic fork while the rear was equipped with a Dual shocks with five-position spring preload adjustability. The VTX1300T was fitted with a 18 Liters / 4.8 US gal fuel tank. The wheelbase was 1668.7 mm / 65.7 in long.
Photos[edit | edit source]
Overview[edit | edit source]
Honda VTX 1300T Touring
Anyone who favors flash over substance isn't likely to have a Honda VTX1300T
in the garage. Honda's new middle-weight tourer is a laid-back Dairy Queen
of a bike -- a simple, straightforward cruiser for riders who like their
milk whole and their bacon thick.
It's a Midwesterner's motorcycle, which is why so many of the 25,000 VTX1300s Honda sells each year are in corn country, where the talk is straight, the roads are long and tolerance for any sort of showboating is shorter than your average 4-H member.
The VTX1300T is the latest addition to Honda's alphabet soup of VTX cruisers. Japan's biggest motorcycle manufacturer launched its VTX line for the 2002 model year, with a burly 1,800-cc V-twin that was so successful there have been five versions. Its VTX1300, launched for 2003, has followed a similar trajectory. Already, there have been C, R and S versions of its middleweight shaft-drive cruiser, all of which are style variations on the same theme. With its VTX1300T, Honda adds a tourer to the mix.
The VTX1300T is a real meat-and-potatoes sort of bike, but it lacks the gravy. The 52-degree V-twin is liquid cooled, but it isn't fuel injected. And the display is so bare-bones that it's practically down to the marrow -- giving just speed and distance, along with idiot lights for the turn signals, engine temperature, oil and neutral.
Of the VTX1300s, the T is most similar to the R in terms of styling, with its valanced fenders, floorboards, fat 140-mm front tire and chromed internal organs. It's just geared up with a windscreen, saddlebags and sissy bar -- a trio of accessories that were already the most popular VTX1300 add-ons. The T just makes it official. The three pieces are stock for an extra $1,400.
To see if the additions were worth the money, I loaded up the buckled, 24-liter cowhide bags and headed north for an up-the-coast overnighter, which was unremarkable except for the wind. I was attempting to beat the trio of storms headed for Los Angeles and ran into gusts so gnarly that they had won themselves a red-flag warning.
The trees on my route were shimmying, but the 748-pound VTX1300T refused to be pushed around. It didn't just stand its ground -- it charged forward, its ample windscreen battling the gale forces, like a bull resisting a branding.
The VTX1300T isn't the most torquey V-twin I've ever tested, but it had ample oomph and a nice linear powerband that had plenty of giddyap even at higher revs. I spent most of my time in fourth gear, which kept me cruising in the left lane. I never felt the need to kick the rock 'n' roll shifter into fifth, but it was nice to know it was there had I felt inspired to tempt the CHP.
Most of my saddle time was straight and on the 101, but I did take a 35-mile detour through the Los Padres National Forest to see how it handled the sweeping turns of California 154, which was as well as could be expected. The VTX1300T has a low 27.4-inch seat but a long, 65.7-inch wheelbase, so I wouldn't recommend it for twisties that were a whole lot tighter.
Slowing down, I wished there was a little more braking power when I put the squeeze on the single, 336-mm front disc with the twin-piston caliper because this bike is big and it isn't exactly slow. The brakes were fine for slowing under normal circumstances, but emergency braking could be an issue.
Make Model | Honda VTX 1300T |
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Year | 2006-07 |
Engine Type | Four stroke, 52°V-twin, SOHC, |
Displacement | 1312 cc / 80 cu-in |
Bore X Stroke | 89.5 x 104.3 mm |
Cooling System | Liquid cooled |
Compression | 9.2:1 |
Lubrication | Wet sump |
Induction | Single 38mm constant-velocity carburetor |
Ignition | Solid-state digital |
Stgarting | Electric |
Max Power | 74 hp / 55kW @ 5.000rpm |
Max Torque | 123 Nm / 90.7 lb-ft @ 3.000rpm |
Clutch | Wet, multiple discs, cable operated |
Transmission | 5 Speed |
Final Drive | Shaft |
Frame | Steel, Double cradle frame |
Front Suspension | 41mm telescopic fork |
Front Wheel Travel | 130 mm / 5.1 in |
Rear Suspension | Dual shocks with five-position spring preload adjustability |
Rear Wheel Travel | 91 mm / 3.5 in |
Front Brakes | Single 336mm disc 2 piston caliper |
Rear Brakes | Single 296mm disc 1 piston caliper |
Front Tire | 140/80-17 |
Rear Tire | 170/80-15 |
Rake | 32.4° |
Trail | 144mm / 5.7 in |
Wheelbase | 1668.7 mm / 65.7 in |
Seat Height | 693 mm / 27.3 in |
Wet Weight | 340 kg / 748 lbs |
Fuel Capacity | 18 Liters / 4.8 US gal |