It's difficult to guess whether Honda's new Fury will be smash hit sales success. I don't know how much it will cost. Or even whether it's just the start of a long line of new radical Honda customs. But I can tell you that this latest custom is accompanied by the best tagline Honda has ever coined for any of its cruisers: "It's the chopper you would build for yourself - if you had a factory instead of a garage."
In this case, bold words are matched by bold styling, the Fury looking all the world like an escapee from Orange County Choppers or some other customization shop. The raked-out VTX1300 features the longest wheelbase - 1,808.5 millimetres - of any production motorcycle. It rides on the now de rigueur 200 series rear tyre while the front hoop is a skinny 90/90-21 affair. There's a single shock rear suspension that emulates the "hardtail" look, and the Fury is the first of Honda's 1,312-cubic-centimetre V-twins to enjoy fuel injection. Likely to be a premium model in Honda's 2010 lineup, the Fury maintains the convenience of the standard VTX's shaft drive and "legendary fit and finish" says the press release.