Honda CTX1300 2019 — Specifications

Squeezing a V4 into a custom body is a bit like installing a sporty sedan engine in a Texas pickup. Honda did it, without apologizing. The CTX1300, launched in 2015, draws its heart from the ST1300 Pan-European, this discreet touring machine that has swallowed millions of kilometers on European roads. Except the result resembles nothing known in the Aoyama manufacturer's catalog, nor in that of the competition.

The 1261 cm³ V4 engine has been reworked to suit a cruiser application. Gone are the 126 horsepower of the Pan-European, replaced by 84 hp at 6000 rpm and 105.9 Nm of torque available from 4500 rpm. This is precisely where the machine's philosophy lies: to deliver torque early, smoothly, for a supple power delivery. The five-speed gearbox with long ratios and shaft drive complete this picture. The goal is not quick acceleration; it's smooth progression, effortless kilometer after kilometer. Those wondering how many miles per gallon a Honda CTX1300 can achieve will appreciate the contained consumption, around 5.8 liters per 100 km, which allows for approximately 200 kilometers before considering a refueling stop with the 12.4-liter tank.

The technical architecture blends classicism and modernity with a certain consistency. The steel double cradle frame contrasts with the aluminum constructions of sportbikes, but it fits within the custom tradition. The 45 mm inverted fork seems a bit out of place in this context, like a touch of sporty vocabulary in a measured speech. LED headlights, coupled ABS, traction control TCS, Bluetooth audio, and heated grips as standard place the CTX1300 in a premium category that the price of 12,999 euros confirms. The 720 mm seat favors varied builds, even if the 328.5 kg in running order reminds you that you will have to deal with the weight at every parking maneuver.

And that's where the problem lies, to borrow an expression that many buyers have had to experience firsthand. What was the problem with the Honda CTX1300? The weight, essentially. It's not that 328 kilos is an anomaly in the grand touring custom category; it's even within the norm, but combined with a 200/50-R17 rear tire that further weighs down the steering, the CTX1300 is not a light machine to maneuver. The 130/70-R18 front tire, chosen more for aesthetics than sportiness, does not compensate. In the city or in tight curves, you will have to anticipate and not expect this bagger to have a liveliness it does not claim to have.

Facing the Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager or the Yamaha Star Venture, the CTX1300 plays a different part. It is not an American custom disguised as a Japanese one. It assumes a hybrid identity, between a reassuring tourer and a posing cruiser, with an engine that belongs to no other model in its category. This is its main asset and its main source of questioning for twin cylinder purists. The target audience is clearly the grand tourist who wants to get off the beaten path of the genre, who rides far and long, and who prefers quiet regularity to the excitement of acceleration. It is not a track bike, not a machine for thrills. It is an original proposition signed Honda, and that is already a lot.