1994 Honda Magna 750
1994 HONDA MAGNA 750
CYCLE WORLD TEST
PERFORMANCE AND STYLE UNITE IN HONDA'S RACIEST CUSTOM EVER
DESPITE A CITY FULL OF ATTRACTIONS, THE bright-yellow motorcycle was hard to ignore. "Hey, is that a new Shadow?" barked the tourist from the crowded San Francisco cable car. A fair question, considering Honda’s all-new Magna 750 bears some resemblance to the company’s Shadow V-Twin cruiser. But the Magna is different. Sure, it possesses the design elements inherent to cruisers. It’s stylish, with classic lines, a long wheelbase and an upright, feet-forward riding position. The bike’s paint and chromework are show-quality, and the requisite teardrop fuel tank tops things off.
With the new Magna 750, an early-release 1994 model, Honda kept all of those ingredients in mind. Then added a full dose of performance. The Magna combines traditional cruiser styling with a potent 90-degree, 748cc V-Four sourced from the VFR750 sportbike.
The Magna nameplate debuted in 1982 when Honda unveiled its V45 Magna, which was followed by a series of similarly styled 700, 750 and 1 lOOcc machines. In 1987, the radically styled Magna 700-with its Ferrari Testarossa-style sidepanels and quartet of bazooka exhausts-was introduced. After two years of lackluster sales, it was discontinued.
Now, with a resurgence in cruiser-bike sales worldwide, the Magna is back. According to Honda, the new machine’s performance was as important as its styling.
“Research showed that our customers wanted performance and a performance image,” said a company spokesman at the bike’s U.S. introduction. “In addition to classic proportions and an upright seating position, they showed a strong affinity for the V-Four engine.”
For a more aggressive appearance, the compact, industrial-looking VFR powerplant was fitted with huge cylinder fins, oversized cam covers and polished cases. Coolant hoses and ancillary lines were also rerouted.
Inside, the 16-valve, dohc, liquid-cooled engine uses a 360-degree crankshaft instead of the VFR’s 180-degree design, 34mm Keihin carburetors instead of the VFR’s 36mm mixers, and a five-speed transmission instead of the VFR’s close-ratio six-speed unit. The Magna’s compression ratio is also lower than the VFR’s, dropped from 11.0:1 to 10.8:1. To reduce costs, a cable-operated clutch is fitted and chain-driven camshafts are used in lieu of the VFR’s hydraulic clutch and cam geartrain layout. Honda claims the latter change also resulted in a quieter top end. The rest of the powerplant including the 70.0mm bore and 48.6mm stroke, and bucket-and-shim valve actuation, remains unaltered.
According to Honda, the changes bolster midrange power and torque, something the VFR engine already had in spades. In Magna tune, the engine pulls vigorously from about 2500 rpm to its 9750-rpm redline, with no discernible blips or dips along the way. It is also one of the smoothest powerplants we’ve sampled. Rear-wheel horsepower peaks at 78 at 9000 rpm. Those numbers translate into a quarter-mile performance of 12.31 seconds at 109 mph, and an outright top speed of 129 mph. Top-gear rollons also are impressive, with 40-60 and 60-80-mph times equal to the llOOcc Shadow’s and significantly quicker than those of previous Magnas.
With such a wide powerband, there’s little reason to use the Magna’s smooth-shifting transmission, except to bask in the entertaining exhaust note as it escapes the slash-cut chrome mufflers. When changing gears is required, though, little effort is needed to snick from one ratio to the next.
Honda reduced the Magna’s overall cost by keeping the VFR’s O-ring chain final drive rather than engineering a shaft-drive conversion. A minor amount of driveline lash is noticeable, but otherwise the drivetrain proves trouble-free.
The Magna’s all-new double-cradle frame allows the engine to be mounted low for improved handling, and also gives the bike an easy-to-manage, 28-inch seat height.
Mated to the tubular-steel frame is a beefy, box-section steel swingarm and a 41mm Showa fork. A pair of five-way preload-adjustable Showa shock absorbers control rear-suspension travel.
The non-adjustable fork works very well, easily soaking up all but the harshest pavement irregularities. The rear shocks aren’t as impressive. Softly sprung, the dampers are well suited for boulevard cruising and weekday commuting, but lose their composure at higher speeds, rebounding too quickly over square-edged bumps and freeway expansion joints.
In spite of its rear suspension, the Magna’s handling is vastly improved over that of the ’87 model, thanks in part to a steeper steering-head angle, a 17-inch cast-aluminum front wheel and a wide, swept-back handlebar. Steering effort is fairly low, but by no means quick, thanks to the bike’s lengthy, 65.2-inch wheelbase. Ridden aggressively on smooth pavement, the new bike feels secure and planted, although higher cornering speeds easily ground the lowmounted folding footpegs.
Braking is supplied by a single 12.2-inch disc and twinpiston caliper up front and a drum at the rear. The front brake’s lever travel is a bit excessive, but a firm two-finger pull will stop the 519-pound bike with ease. The rear brake performs well and is easy to modulate.
The rest of the machine is first-rate. The easy-to-read gauges, fumble-free switchgear and light-effort controls are of usual Honda quality and precision. A small toolkit, housed within the right sidepanel, contains the usual assortment of tools, including a spanner for adjusting the rear shocks. Vision supplied by the rectangular rear-view mirrors is excellent at cruising speeds, although the glass buzzes slightly as engine revolutions increase.
Due to the large under-tank air-box, fuel capacity is limited to 3.7 gallons, good for about 130 miles before the petcock must be switched to reserve. During testing, we averaged an impressive 47 miles per gallon.
Even though the Magna delivers excellent fuel mileage, its feet-forward riding position-which falls between that of a standard bike and full-slouch cruiser-limits the bike to shorter commutes and weekend cruises. The seat is wide and thickly padded, but the foam is soft, and the forwardmounted footpegs focus the rider’s weight on his backside, compromising comfort in less time than it takes to burn through a tank of premium. The same holds true for the sparse passenger accommodations.
Fortunately, all of this style and performance comes at a reasonable price. Honda expects to market the Magna 750-available in black, red or taxicab yellow-for $6399. Although not inexpensive, that price should place the Magna firmly within the grasp of many potential custombike buyers. Optional Hondaline accessories, including backrest, rear carrier, cover, engine guards, tank bag, soft saddlebags and windscreen, will also be available.
Whether blasting between stoplights or cruising your favorite country road, Honda’s Magna 750 is an exciting, satisfying ride. Even if its performance doesn’t capture your interest, rest assured its stunning appearance will.
Just ask a certain San Francisco trolley rider. U
HONDA
MAGNA 750
$6399
EDITORS' NOTES
On the other hand, if I was in the market for one of these leisure mounts, have to give the Magna t « serious look. I like the Magna’s chain final drive better than a heavy shaft-drive system and its accompanying, throttle-induced ups and downs. And, unlike most cruiser V-Twins, the Magna’s familiar V-Four motor makes a decent amount of power. Also, all the controls work with the ease and precision that’s characteristic of current Hondas. Most of all, I like the clean simplicity of the Magna’s color scheme-I never did care much for pinstripes and contrasting colors. If I had to have a Honda cruiser, the Magna would be it. It’s quicker and faster than the Shadow 1100, and $400 less expensive. -Don Canet, Associate Editor
I DON’T USUALLY GET ALL WORKED UP over cruiser-style motorcycles. Frankly, the thought of Saturday-night hot laps around the Dog ’N Suds never appealed to me. But after riding the best backroads in the Napa Valley, threading through San Francisco’s business district and consuming several hundred miles of freeway, I’m convinced this hot-rod Honda is something special. In ! addition to its muscular appearance, the Magna is motivated by one of the world’s great engines, even if a bit of cosmetic fakery was required to achieve the Right Look.
FOR ME, MOTORCYCLES ARE PASSPORT to the Kingdom of Speed. So it fol lows, therefore, that bikes intended t sell as a result of real or perceive style tend not to be my bag. That' the ease with the Magna. It is, we'r told, a `performance custom" And suppose it works well enough. But i leaves me wildly indifferent. I fin the engine's flat power delivery an droning exhaust snort about as exciting as a Subaru sta tion wagon. Then there's the matter of the bike's styling. Th Magna's designers have so smoothed over the bike' bulges that the result is-to my eye, at least-bland. If th Franklin Mint was going to design a generic power cruise to sell as a model in one of its mail-order ads, this is how might look-sort of right, but not quite. I have no doubt th~ the Magna will sell. For me, though, the bike amounts to passport to the Principality of Ennui. -Jon F. Thompson, Feature Edito
