11-08-2023, 03:05 AM
The Rune was a halo bike. Meaning they lost money on every one they made, they didn't make many of them, not many people could afford one, but it's a conversation starter for the brand. Here we are talking about it years after it went out of production.
Where I think Honda made a misstep was to assume that the styling of the Rune would be universally accepted, and that while it would remain aspirational for most people, those who couldn't afford one would gravitate to the Fury, or its sibling, the Stateline, which shared the design language.
The Fury and Stateline were mechanically similar to the VTX1300, which both bikes replaced. And while I still see many VTX1300s on the road years after they ended production, I can't remember the last time I saw a Fury or a Stateline, even when they were newly released.
And while I loved the styling of my 2007 VTX1300, I would NOT want either of its later evolutionary cousins.
Where I think Honda made a misstep was to assume that the styling of the Rune would be universally accepted, and that while it would remain aspirational for most people, those who couldn't afford one would gravitate to the Fury, or its sibling, the Stateline, which shared the design language.
The Fury and Stateline were mechanically similar to the VTX1300, which both bikes replaced. And while I still see many VTX1300s on the road years after they ended production, I can't remember the last time I saw a Fury or a Stateline, even when they were newly released.
And while I loved the styling of my 2007 VTX1300, I would NOT want either of its later evolutionary cousins.