Honda Valkyrie Rune (NRX1800) Maintenance Schedule
This is the maintenance schedule for the Honda Valkyrie Rune, often known as the Honda Rune, and very rarely (if ever) as the NRX1800.
The Honda Valkyrie Rune is an iconic motorcycle that just doesn’t go down in price, no matter how old they get or how many kilometers they put on.
The Honda Valkyrie Rune is a custom motorcycle designer’s fantasy brought to life by Honda with no expense spared. It’s based on the 1832cc six-cylinder flat six from the Honda Gold Wing with identical specs to the GLX1800.
The Valkyrie Rune has a diamond-shaped aluminium frame that stretches over a 175cm (69.9 in) wheelbase, the longest Honda had ever produced. The Honda Valkyrie Rune had innovative suspension front and rear and has massive disc brakes at both ends. It also has a huge front radiator and jaw-dropping design that Honda hasn’t replicated since (at time of writing).
The Rune makes peak power of 86 kW (118 hp) at 5500 rpm, and a huge 167 Nm (121 lb-ft) of torque at 4000 rpm. Power goes through a 5-speed transmission and shaft drive.
The Rune was only made for a few short years, and is now a highly desirable collector’s item.
This was originally published Sep 21, 2021, but has since been significantly updated.
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Honda Rune Service Intervals
One thing owners of the Rune are often concerned about is the service intensity. But servicing the Honda Valkryie Rune is much like servicing other Honda motorcylces with the flat six engine.
The Honda Valkyrie Rune has 4000 mile / 6400 km service intervals, but it only needs an oil change every 8000 miles / 12800 km.
At every oil change, also change the oil filter, and do a host of checks.
The valve services on the Rune are a whopping 32000 mi (51200 km) apart. And as the Rune has a shaft final drive, Honda recommends you change the final drive oil every 24000 mi / 38400 km, with no time interval.
Servicing your Honda Valkyrie Rune
So you want to service your own 850-lb icon do you? Congratulations, brave soul!
In terms of fluids and replaceables, the Honda Valkyrie Rune doesn’t use anything out of the ordinary. Here’s everything you need for regular service jobs of the Honda Rune.
| Part | Honda Valkyrie Rune spec |
|---|---|
| Engine oil | Honda recommends Pro Honda GN4 10W-40 or Pro Honda HP4 10W-40 or equivalent motorcycle oil that’s SAE 10W-40 and meets JASO T 903 standard MA or API classification SG or higher (other than those that are energy conserving) |
| Oil filter | The standard oil filter is a 15410-MFJ-D02. The Hiflofiltro equivalent is an HF204RC. Torque the filter to 26 Nm (20 lb-ft) |
| Air filter | Part number for the air filter is 17210-MEC-003. |
| Coolant | Use Pro Honda HP coolant, or equivalent ethylene glycol antifreeze (with 40-60% ethylene glycol) with silicate-free corrosion inhibitors for aluminum engines (this is most motorcycle coolants). |
| Final drive oil | Use SAE 80 hypoid gear oil, preferably Pro Honda Shaft Drive Oil. |
| Spark plug | Use an NGK BKR5E-11 or Denso K16PR-U11 for normal riding, or for extended high-speed riding use an NGK BKR6E-11 or Denso K20PR-U11. Tighten new spark plugs to 1/2 turn after it seats. |
| Brake fluid | Use Honda DOT 4 brake fluid. |
Maintenance schedule for the Honda Valkyrie Rune
Maintaining the Honda Rune means following this schedule… but also a lot of polishing and cleaning!
That said, nothing is specifically different about the maintenance schedule for the Valkyrie Rune. Apart from keeping it shiny, it’s fairly easy — replace the fluids regularly, do a valve check every 50000 km (30000 mi) or so, and you should be good.
Notes on the maintenance schedule
- At the end of the maintenance schedule, keep repeating it in the pattern shown.
- The break-in schedule is omitted because that time has well and truly passed.
| mi x 1000 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km x 1000 | 6.4 | 12.8 | 19.2 | 25.6 | 32 | 38.4 | Every |
| Service checklist (see below) — Perform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Engine oil — Replace (Pro Honda GN4 10W-40) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Engine oil filter — Replace (HF204RC) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Air cleaner — Replace | ✓ | ✓ | More frequently if ridden in dusty areas | ||||
| Spark plugs — Replace (NGK BKR5E-11) | ✓ | ||||||
| Valve clearances — Inspect / adjust | 32000 miles / 51200 km (every second plug replacement) | ||||||
| Radiator coolant — Replace (Pro Honda HP coolant) | 4 years | ||||||
| Final drive oil —Replace (Pro Honda Shaft Drive Oil) | ✓ | ||||||
| Brake pad wear — Inspect | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Brake fluid — Inspect level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Brake fluid — Replace (Castrol DOT 4) | ✓ | ✓ | 2 years | ||||
| Clutch fluid — Inspect level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Clutch fluid — Replace | ✓ | ✓ | 2 years |
Valkyrie Rune Standard Inspection Checklist
Below is the standard inspection checklist for the Honda Rune. Do these items according to the schedule above.
| Honda Valkyrie Rune — Inspection Checklist |
|---|
| Cooling system — Inspect for leaks |
| Radiator coolant — Inspect level |
| Fuel lines — Inspect |
| Throttle operation — Inspect / Adjust |
| Final drive oil — Inspect |
| Brake system — Inspect for function, leaks |
| Brake light switch — Inspect |
| Clutch system — Inspect for leaks, function |
| Headlight aim — Inspect / Adjust |
| Side stand — Inspect / Lubricate |
| Suspension — Inspect for leaks, smooth operation |
| Wheels/tyres — Inspect for damage and tread condition |
| Steering head bearings — Inspect for smooth operation, tightness |
| Nuts, bolts, and fasteners — Inspect that they’re present and tight |
| Crankcase breather — Inspect / Clean. Inspect more frequently if ridden often at full throttle or in the rain. |
| Evaporative emission control system — Inspect |
| Secondary air supply system — Inspect |
Wheels and tyres for the Honda Valkyrie Rune
The Honda Valkyrie Rune ships with Dunlop D251 tubeless tyres standard. Many bikes are low mileage, but the tyres would be old — make sure they’re till up to the task.
| Wheel | Tyre (Tire) size | Tyre (Tire) pressure |
|---|---|---|
| Front | 150/60R 18M/C 67V | 36 psi (2.5 bar) |
| Rear | 180/55R 17M/C 73V | 42 psi (2.9 bar) |
The tires on the Honda Rune are a little unusual. You can play a little with tire sizes, but make sure you still have clearance.
Some alternative brands are Metzeler Road Tec and Bridgestone Battlax.
About the Honda Valkyrie Rune NRX1800
The Honda Valkyrie Rune is already the stuff of legends. It’s a beautiful motorcycle to look at in the flesh and has a timeless stylized look that is the ultimate response to anyone who claims that Honda only makes boring motorcycles.
There’s a lot that’s different about the Honda Valkyrie Rune, and a lot has already been said. So I’ll focus on the maintenance aspect of the Honda Valkyrie Rune.
The interesting thing about the Rune is that even though it’s a big, expensive motorcycle, it’s very easy to keep maintained.
The engine of the Valkyrie Rune is the same as that in the Gold Wing. But Honda made some improvements to boost its power and torque, with these modifications:
- Six 32mm throttle bodies with 12-hole injectors, replacing the two-body system used on the Gold Wing GL1800
- Revised camshafts profiles, and a 6.9-liter air box
- Unique six-into-two exhaust system
- New 3-D fuel injection and ignition timing mapping
- A closer-ratio gearbox
The result is more thrust and low-end torque at the wheel compared to the cruisier Gold Wing.
But the maintenance schedule has not changed fundamentally compared to the Gold Wing or the later 1800cc Honda Valkyrie.
On the dyno, the Valkyrie Rune made a peak of 96.3 horsepower, and 108.6 lb-ft of torque, per Rider Magazine.
The Honda Valkyrie Rune has a low-maintenance shaft drive, but you still need to change the final drive oil every 24000 miles or 38400 km. When washing your Rune, make sure you don’t pressure wash the drive area — getting water into the axle is bad news.
The oil change is more frequent, every 8000 mi or 12800 km. You change the oil filter at the same time. You can do it with the bike on a side stand.
The front suspension of the Honda Valkyrie Rune is quite unusual. It is called a “trailing link” type fork and has no adjustability. The Rune’s suspension is made of two pushrods that transfer the suspension load through a linkage system. The arms activate what look like shocks — but in actual fact, only the right side contains the main spring for the suspension, and the left shock handles damping duties (with also a lighter weight sub-spring).
You don’t have to ride or adjust the front suspension any differently to any other bike. However, if you crash it and break the trailing link parts, you may have some trouble finding replacements.
Reference — Manual for the Honda Valkyrie Rune
The above came from the manual for the 2004 Honda Valkyrie Rune, consulting parts diagrams and the service manual for specs of consumables.
You can get the service manual for the Honda Valkyrie Rune from eBay here.
An archive copy of the owner’s manual is below.
