2010
Fury Development Story
The process of designing a new
motorcycle always encompasses a huge array of factors and
considerations. A profusion of calculations, measurements,
specifications and more must be weighed, analyzed,
dissected and crunched together to yield the proper
result. However, one key factor that cannot be quantified
in empirical terms always comes into play: a passion for
the machine. And at Honda, our designers and engineers
carry a passion for motorcycles to the extreme. So when
they get the green light to give full force to such
passions, some pretty wild things can happen.
Welcome to the wild side of
Honda, where a passion for riding reigns supreme in the
stunningly creative 2010 Fury. Here we have a machine
packed with radical lines and a head-turning look, a
motorcycle destined to become a milestone machine. The
Fury is the offspring of people who get excited about
creating new motorcycles, enthusiasts who understand what
it means to get really involved with a machine. The Fury
captures the pure, undiluted chopper essence, a genre of
motorcycle that simply feels right, looks right and sounds
right when it’s done well, rather than a precise formula
that’s captured with a micrometer and calipers.
Choppers have been a part of
the motorcycling scene for decades, but for the most part
they’ve occupied a niche on the farthest edges of the
sport. The first such machines were cobbled-up home-builts
with a reputation for being crudely wrought and
uncomfortable to ride. Since then choppers have evolved
into rolling art, with true customs commanding a very high
price. That’s the beauty of the Fury. Even though it
looks like rolling art from the two-wheeled world, it is
backed up with the same functionality, fit and finish,
quality and reliability built into every Honda.
Tapping into an extensive
legacy of experience in building motorcycles of all types,
Honda’s engineers devised a design and incorporated
technological advantages to make the Fury handle, function
and ride according to Honda standards. Although stunning
and daring in its visuals, the Fury is great fun to ride,
with a look, feel and sound that place the rider squarely
in the chopper domain. It’s a Honda and you can use it
like any other Honda, yet it carries attitude and looks to
the extreme.
Better yet, this breakthrough
motorcycle rests within easy reach of nearly every rider;
in terms of affordability the Fury does indeed break new
ground. It’s a radical concept in a unique package, an
affordable combination never before offered to the average
motorcycle owner--until today.
The most obvious attraction to
the Fury centers on its raked-out chopper styling:
high-mount steering head that gives the frame a
see-through, open-air look with plenty of breathing room
between the tank/upper frame and the front cylinder head;
slim and long fuel tank perched up high; ultra-low
26.7-inch seat height; big-time rake; fat 200-series rear
tire paired with a slim 21-inch front wheel; a condensed,
hard-tail look to the rear end; and a stretched wheelbase.
And that long wheelbase is no illusion--the Fury stretches
a full 71.2 inches between axles. Perhaps equally
important is that a close-up inspection of the Fury
reveals remarkably clean lines, a Spartan return to basics
plus superior attention to detail that together create the
distinct impression of a full-on hand-built custom bike,
but at a mere fraction of the cost.
In truth, creation of the Fury
posed a considerable challenge. This ground-breaking
concept had to strike a delicate balance. The extended
chopper look with its stretched wheelbase and exaggerated
steering rake combines with the stellar levels of function
that are part of every Honda. The design focus began with
the high steering head/pronounced steering rake/open look
in the front end and then radiated outward from there.
With such a visually stunning appearance, the final
incarnation of the Fury required a significant amount of
communication and cooperation between the styling team in
the USA at Honda Research Americas (HRA) and the Honda
engineers at HGA in Japan. Original sketches and clay
mock-ups were tweaked and refined in innumerable ways,
leading to small but elegantly simple feats of engineering
wizardry that were performed to achieve the goal.
For example, to maintain the
remarkably uncluttered look between the front cylinder and
the front downtube/radiator area, the top radiator hose is
hidden away beneath the front valve cover--a patented idea
that illustrates the extreme efforts expended on
maintaining the airy look of the front end. Other examples
are the long, slim and voluptuous look of the fuel tank,
which had to be adjusted and modified repeatedly along
with handlebar shape and size to allow the appropriate
amount of steering clearance when the front wheel is
turned from stop-to-stop. The design of each separate
element shares cascading effects with other interrelated
parts, resulting in a fluidity of design.
In similar fashion, the rear
end of the bike had to look just right, yet still function
like a Honda. The Fury incorporates a visual balance of
positive and negative space between the airy front end and
the more substantial engine and rear-end section; it may
not be instantly apparent to some onlookers, but the
design elements have been carefully integrated. The LED
taillight was selected specifically because it does not
affect the shape of the rear fender, which also lacks
visible fender stays--all for the purpose of giving the
rear fender a simple, clean and elegant shape.
In addition, there’s no need
to fret about what appears to be a rigid hard-tail rear
end. Those sleek lines actually cloak an ingenious
single-shock rear suspension system with an aluminum
swingarm, adjustable rebound damping and five-position
spring preload adjustment for exemplary riding
comfort--definitely far and above the norm for a
chopper-style motorcycle. Also, note the remarkably clean
lines given to the aluminum swingarm, and the great
efforts expended on bestowing smooth lines upon the
driveshaft on the left side.
Up front, a stout 45mm fork
handles suspension duties quite ably, and the distinctive
alloy wheels have a single powerful 336mm-diameter front
disc brake complemented by a 296mm brake disc in back.
Fire up the engine and waves
of muscular V-twin power, sound and feel--vital elements
that constitute the soul of the Fury--flood the senses.
There’s a fuel-injection system that’s new to
Honda’s proven and muscular 1312cc liquid-cooled
52-degree V-twin with a single-pin crankshaft and dual
balancers. A newly designed exhaust system and new
camshafts also add to the creation of an engine that’s
eminently satisfying in the performance department as well
as one that delivers the more intangible aesthetic sound
and power-pulse sensations Honda engineers wanted. Short
version: it’s just plain cool to ride and hear this baby
rumble.
With a full line of
accessories available upon its release, the Fury is also
positioned for additional customizing by owners who want
to add that personal touch.
The Fury taps directly into
the passion for riding; this is a machine built for people
who have always longed for a chopper-style motorcycle. And
for good reason--it’s got to be the ultimate as far as
cool factor goes, a bike profile that’s instantly known
and recognized. But this is also a chopper with a unique
difference: you can simply ride it and enjoy, without all
of the costs, compromises and headaches typically attached
to such machines.
The Fury is a chopper that’s
also 100 percent Honda, with all the performance and
quality that the name implies.
Fury Accessories*
Honda Genuine Accessories
• Leather Accessories:
Custom Rider Seat (multiple designs), Custom Passenger
Seat (multiple designs), Leather Front Pouch (Fury logo).
• Backrests: Low Sissy Bar
Upright, Passenger Backrest Pad.
• Chrome Accessories: Rear
Fender Panel, Chrome Allen Bolt Inserts (5, 6, 8mm).
• Billet Accessories: Master
Cylinder Cover, Oil Dipstick, Clutch Cover, Timing Cover,
Upper Fork Bolt Cover, License Plate Frame.
• Additional Accessories:
Boulevard Screen, Braided Lines (clutch, idle/throttle and
brake) Front Chin Spoiler (color matched), Front Chin
Spoiler LED Light Kit, Outdoor Cover.
*Final items subject to
change.
Accessory availability and
specifications subject to change without notice.