HONDA VTX1300S (2004-2005) Specs, Performance & Photos

In 2005, the motorcycle manufacturer released the Honda VTX1300S, a cruiser machine part of the VTX series that debuted in 2003 as a smaller version of the larger VTX1800 motorcycles. The V-twin engine was fitted in a traditional cruiser bodywork and was a completely new design compared to the VTX1800's unit.

In contrast to its larger siblings, the VTX1300S featured standard brakes instead of the linked unit of the more extensive series, the engine was fed by a carburetor rather than a fuel injection system, and a cable-operated clutch instead of a hydraulic one.

The engine configuration was the same liquid-cooled four-stroke V-twin layout as it used on its larger siblings. It was designed around a single-pin crankshaft, which required two-axis counterbalancers for fewer vibrations.

Also, the new engine packed an air injection system with catalytic converters like the larger engine and a lean fuel-air mixture for fewer emissions. The bike featured a manual choke, heated by the engine coolant, for improved cold-weather operation.

The VTX1300S came with a poor instrument panel, such as a large analog speedometer and a digital odometer placed on the top of the fuel tank, joined by a clock or a fuel gauge.

The bike's braking performance remained unchanged from its predecessors, with a dual-piston caliper and a 336 mm disc fitted on the front wire-spoke wheel. The rear stopping power was handled by a 296 mm disc and a single-piston caliper that offered strong braking performance.

As for the power figures, nothing was changed, and it delivered the same output power of 74 hp at 5,000 rpm and 123 Nm (91 lb-ft) torque at 3,000 rpm from the reliable 1,312cc liquid-cooled V-twin engine fed by a carburetor.