Honda Rune: intensity rules

Automotive Design & Production, July, 2003 by Kermit E. Whitfield

The new Honda Rune boulevard cruiser looks like a one-off custom bike straight out of the Discovery Channel's Monster Garage rather than a mass-produced unit. And that's just the idea. Honda is looking to tap into the lucrative and influential custom cruiser market with its latest creation. Dane Espenschied, plant manager at the Marysville Motorcycle Plant (MMP) where the Rune is manufactured, says, "It's a muscle bike with the same appeal as the old muscle cars." Espenschied says That Honda management originally considered building the Rune off-line, to help ensure the flawless fit and Finish that is crucial to its potential customers. (These bikes are weekend eye-candy, not daily commuters.) But they quickly decided that would send the wrong message to plant workers about their capabilities. 50 MMP used the project to level up quality activities that would benefit all of its products. For example, since the paint quality on the Rune exceeds any other MMP model, the paint shop had to figure out ways to reduc e problems like orange peel. Espenschied says, 'Our level of intensity on this bike is the highest we have ever had."

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RELATED ARTICLE: To achieve an uncluttered custom appearance, Honda has hidden switches underneath the handlebar clamp. Similarly, the LCD screen that serves as speedometer, fuel gauge, trip-meter and odometer is secreted into a deeply recessed chrome insert on top of the fuel tank.

At 8.5-ft. the Rune is the longest bike Honda makes, even though it only seats one. To make it seem even longer and give the bike a more custom look, Honda utilizes an off-set front suspension with a trailing-link.

Motorcycle customizers turn under the flanges on stamped steel fuel tanks by hand to achieve a smooth rolled surface. Honda wanted the look without all of the handwork, so it adopted a MIG brazing process for the Rune's tank. A new press and robotic welding station had to be installed to carry out the time-consuming process (five minutes per tank), but the results are undeniably more attractive.

Flush-mounted LED taillights add to the custom look of the Rune and give it a distinct nighttime appearance. They also bear a strong resemblance to Honda's trademark "H."

Like the Gold Wing touring motorcycle also exclusively produced at MMP, the Rune has an aluminum frame. But the Rune's frame is coated with solvent-based paint rather than powder to add more gloss and depth. Though only a small part of the frame is exposed, Honda reckons that customers may want to modify the bike in ways that uncover more, thus the need for the extra painting effort.