Have you read the specs on this thing?
What with the 19 injectors and 7 spark plugs per jug, and so on.
I applaud Honda for the engineering skills of this thing. I want one, though I have to ask whether we are apporaoching the practical limits of how big one cylinder can be...for the sake pf perspective, just ONE of the VTX cans displaces almost as much as ALL FOUR pots on the Fireblade! I wonder about the viability of a 900cc "adventure touring" thumper.
I still think the closest competition for the Vanguard comes from the Road Star. It's a bit smaller displacement-wise, but where the air-cooling looses power, it gains easy maintenance and relatively inexpensive hop-up capability. And for a lot of cruiser owners, customization is important; and that's harder to do with shaft drive.
I've been taught never to buy version 1.0 of anything. So I'll probably wait until next year, when the availability is up, and by God, if $12,700 is the list price, why would I want a Valkyrie anymore.
Hey, pipe dream time: what are the chances of Honda using the motor in a "wide-open class" sport-tourer, a-la what Buell was supposed to be? Yeah, that's it! a VTX mill, longitudenally mounted, providing the basis for an ST1100 PanEuropaen redesign! ST1800?!?! Whoo-Hoo!