Custom Fever

CUSTOM FEVER

The shape of cruisers to come

PITY THE POOR F6 VALKYRIE, ONCE THE SIX-CYLINDERED flagship of Honda's cruiser line, now relegated to bitplayer status by the bad-boy VTX1800. Or maybe not. The PR crew at Big Red was very antsy to get these photos into our hands. What they show are a trio of spectacular concept bikes all based around Honda's signature flat-Six powerplant.

The initial sketches started out at Honda R&D, we’re told, but the transformation of ideas into metal was handed over to “outside sources.” Said sources would be SoCal hot-rod shops, current-day masters of metal fabrication. The bucks involved here are big: One insider puts tab for these three well into six figures. For that kind of money, these are more than just design exercises.

Remember, some of the most adrenaline-inducing production cars of recent times-Dodge Viper, Plymouth Prowler, Audi TT, etc.-started out as concept vehicles. So, a new slammed and stretched Valkyrie in the wings? Don't bet against the possibility.

David Edwards