Road Test: Honda Rune 1800cc Six-Cylinder

If the Rune is a gift, the eye is the first to profit. Never have we seen such finesse -- such attention to detail -- in a production [motorycle]. There is hardly a physical flaw to grumble over, and the closest we've come is to criticize the Rune logo on the sleek, seamless tank, which appears to be a stick-on graphic that causes a rise in the thick clearcoat. A Princess and the Pea issue, for sure. We adore [its] '50s-hotrod-meets-Rocketeer styling, but the thing that really makes it work is the depth of detail. The [Rune] is totally integrated "like a puzzle," says Blank. "Each layer must be absolutely perfect before the next layer is applied." These [motorcycles] are built on a line, but at a speed that lends to a "handcrafted" result. "There are so many white glove inspections," says Blank, "that the approval process takes as long as it does to build some other [motorcycles]."