2012 Honda VTX1800R and VTX1800N Review

Riders have always chosen Hondas because they want to ride. Really ride. They like the performance. The reliability. The build quality. They know that a Honda is a bike you can rely on for decades, and thousands of miles. Our 2012 Honda VTX1800R cruisers still offer all that. But along the way, we’ve added another feature: drop-dead-gorgeous good looks. It used to be you had to choose between performance and style. Between reliability and looks. But with a Honda VTX1800R, you can have it all. Maybe you’re content to trailer your bike places, or to just ride it ten minutes at a time and then get off and pose. Hey, whatever turns your crank it’s your life. But when you want to actually ride, well, then there’s only one choice.

2008 Honda VTX1800N With three models in our VTX1800 line this year, the first thing you need to do is learn which is which. When it comes to the VTX1800N, think N for Neo Retro. Cast wheels land it solidly in the modern camp when it comes to performance. Straight-cut exhaust tips with five-bolt caps do too. The fenders are another unique styling touch, and the two-piece seat looks like it came right out of a custom upholstery shop. The fat tires on those wheels let everyone know that this VTX1800R and VTX1800N is all business. It’s hard to pin one style on this bike it’s really unique in the cruiser world. As with all our 2008 VTX1800R and VTX1800N models, the N is available in two build levels.


The VTX1800N Engine is a 1795cc liquid-cooled 52-degree V-twin that hammers out immense power. V-twin engine features 4-inch cylinder bores and the largest connecting rods and cylinders Honda has ever made. The 41.4-pound forged-steel crankshaft uses bolt-on weights, reducing crankcase width nearly 2 inches and reducing crankshaft weight 8.8 pounds compared to a conventional one-piece design. The engine mounting system uses carefully matched hangers and rubber mounts to eliminate unwanted vibration, while preserving the powerful character of the V-twin design. The VTX1800N is rolling, chromed proof of how cool and trendsetting a cruiser can be. Blending equal parts past and future, like flowing lines and swooping, hot-rod-retro fenders with flush-mounted LED brake/tail lights, bullet-style turn signals and gorgeous cast aluminum wheels, the “N” has single-handedly redefined how a bold and innovative new cruiser should look.

The new 2008 Honda VTX1800 is the bike that started it all, wrapping Honda's biggest-ever V-twin engine in a stylish, too-cool-for-words package that continues to put other street-rods to shame. Horsepower, handling, acceleration, and the stunning looks to match no V-twin cruiser on the market today better embodies these timeless traits than the VTX1800N, boasting innovative features like a massive 1795c V-twin engine with dual-plug combustion chambers; Linked Braking System; and classically cool styling that includes swooping, sculpted fenders, LED lighting, straight-cut, two-into-two mufflers, and stunning cast aluminum wheels.