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Jarel got a Magna

5K views 27 replies 12 participants last post by  Diesel 
#1 ·
That's right!!! It's totally out of character, but I bought a pseudo-cruiser! There's a brand new 2002 Honda Magna sitting next to my ZR-7. Don't worry, I still have the ZR-7.:angel: I wanted something that my wife and I could enjoy riding together on. She's never been comfortable on the ZR-7 due to the peg position and her bad knees. A new Honda dealership just opened in a small town near us, so we went to check it out today. I'm not a big cruiser fan, we actually went to look at the VFR, but it was no better than the ZR-7 for a passenger. Most of the cruisers are too "harley" for me, but the Magna struck me as something I could be seen on. It's sort of a hot rod with slotted wheels and double slash-cut pipes. Liquid cooled V4 with 85 HP. About 40 lbs. heavier than the ZR-7. Ordered a small windshield and a backrest. It's 70 degrees in Omaha today (** UNBELIEVABLE for February **) so we got to take a good ride on the new bike. I'm pretty impressed with it so far. Obviously it doesn't handle or stop like the ZR-7, but not bad for what it is. I'll post more after I've had a chance to ride it some more. WOO HOO! ;)
 
#2 ·
That's great! The more experiences the better. At least now you can get more family time in. I can't get my wife on my bike to save my @ss. But we do have the dirt machines to play with....
 
#4 ·
Jarel,
Congrats on the Magna, I had a '99. Loved the V-4 and the quad pipes. Really sweet midrange. And I believe you break it in without worrying about 4-5k on the rpm's. The seat has to go, and Mustang Seats can take care of that.
Berto
 
#6 ·
Berto - Yea, I found it strange that there were no break-in limits listed too. I asked the mechanic at the dealer and he said "just don't redline it in the first 1000 miles and you'll be fine."

I did a little more solo riding on it last night, and my first impression was "Son of a #$%@, this thing's faster than my ZR-7!". I looked up the performance numbers for both bikes, and sure enough......

0-60 Times:
ZR-7 4.29 Sec.
Magna 3.7 Sec.

1/4 Mile Times:
ZR-7 12.4 @ 105 mph
Magna 12.24 @ 109 mph

Top speed is about 130 mph for both.

That's not why I bought it, but I'm glad it has good punch so I can still have fun if I ride it rather than the ZR. Handling is better than I expected (not ZR-like of course) but quite good. The pegs are a little forward, but not "cruiser" forward. It didn't take more than 2 seconds to get used to riding it, which is the mark of a well-designed bike. Just like the ZR-7, the stock seat's gotta go!
 
#7 ·
Hey Jarel, that sounds great, wish I could afford a second ride too. Hey, what about you two riding together, one on ZR, one on Honda? Hey, at least she rides with you, I'm with Martin, my wife flat out refuses to ride with me. I can't even get her to sit on the bike while the engine is running, it has to be off, and parked before she'll even consider getting near it.

Tony:)
 
#8 ·
Unfortunately she has no desire to ride herself. The women in her family have a history of inattentive driving habits, so I'm not sure I'd feel safe with her riding either. ;) She did sit on the new 600cc Honda scooter at the dealer, and commented that she might be able to ride something like that in town. The thing has an automatic transmission, linked brakes and does 100 mph. :eek: They've come a long way since my 1982 Yamahopper!
 
#10 ·
Wow, I like it. Is that the color you have, bad to the bone black ? The only thing it seems to lack is a better break system. But liquid cooled V4, looks great. Thinking about any other mods besides the seat already ? By the way, what's wrong with the seat ?

Hey, does your better half check out this board. If so, you may be in for a visit to the dog house sometime in the near future.

Imagine you two riding along, you on the Magna, her on a scooter ! What a sight that would be.
:laugh:
 
#11 ·
It only comes in Black for 2002, so that's what I got. Yea, the single front disc and rear drum are a little weak, but it stops pretty well for a pseudo-cruiser (I refuse to call it a cruiser :~ ) because it's light.

As far as other mods, I'm not really sure. I did order a small windshield also. I'm not into the "more chrome is better" thing or drag pipes, so I'll probably go with mods that make it more sporty rather than more harley. I wonder if Muzzy makes a slip-on??? Of course I'd need 4 of them..... :D There's an infamous flat spot in the midrange that I've seen on the Magna forums, and I definitely noticed it too, so I'll probably rejet at some point. One nice think about the V4 is that the carbs are right on top. Just pop off the tank and there they are!

The stock seat is way too soft and the back of the driver's saddle is sloped forward, which results in "numb-butt" syndrome after 30 minutes or so. Just about every review I read says the same thing.

No, she doesn't read the forum unless she's looking over my shoulder, so I think I'm safe. :eek:
 
#14 ·
When I started looking the Magna was my first choice.

BTW Honda runs the engine in at the factory for about 40hrs. That's why no beak in period.

But since I can only afford one bike it came down to the ZR7 and The B12 Bandit. i just bought the Bandit.

I noticed a lot of used crusers for sale in the dealer showrooms and asked why??? the reason seemed to be that old exbikers like myself bought them and realized that it was the sporty side of motorcycling that they missed, and traded up to a sport or sport tourer.

I was looking for a do everthing bike and think that I found one.


have fun on both.
 
#15 ·
The Magna has four pipes, not 4 into 2? That's alot of mufflers. I bet it would sound awesome with straight troughs. But the cost ! I bet the wife would be looking over your shoulder when you wrote out the check for that upgrade.

:laugh:

Hey Dave, Bandit 1200 ? Did you first have the ZR, and traded. I remember reading alot on the 1200, very good reviews. Very comfortable seating set up, with loads of real world torque. That's what they said. Similar to Kawi's 1200. Did you get the full naked, or S model.

Tony
 
#16 ·
Oh by the way Jarel, what do you think of my new signature ? I swear your new black bike had nothing to do with it. It's just from one of my all time favorite "Records." But after reading this over, I realized, hey, that's Jarel. Out of the blue and into the black. Sorry dude, can't have it. It's mine.

:laugh:
 
#17 ·
The S is all that we can get here in Canada.

Did not have the ZR, my last bike was a Honda 450, but I have been riding Harleys for the last few years. A freind worked there and i rode his demos. The Buell Thunderbolt was great but out of my price range.

Set myself a $10,000 limit(cdn$). The ZR7 fit right in, BUT a 1200 for $9,300 was still withing my limit. Did not think I could get so much bike for that money,
 
#18 ·
Yea Tony, it's a 4 into 4 exhaust with two slash-cut pipes on each side. Looks pretty sweet! As far as straight-pipes, I do know what it sounds like as a matter of fact! The dealer doesn't allow test rides on new bikes, but they had a used 2000 that they let my wife and I take out. The previous owner had removed the baffles from the stock pipes so they were wide open. It was WAAAYYYYYY obnoxiously loud (harley loud), which I guess some people are into. It made my Muzzy sound muffled like some guy yelling for help from Tony Soprano's trunk!

P.S. - Dig the sig, I think you should let me have it!
 
#19 ·
Jarel,

I never put pipes on mine but the Cobra pipes weren't too obnoxious, plus I thought they did justice to the V-4 sound. It would be nice to have this motor in the ZR, the Nighthawk (as it exists today) just doesn't do it. Strange thing, I never really opened up on this bike for the first 4000 miles - after a few spirited weekends pushing the envelope a little the average mileage went from 42 to 46mpg. And stayed up there since. Guess ya just need to loosen it up a little!

Tony,

Have to laugh at the "Jarel on the Magna, wife on the scooter" quote. Here in Georgia, teens could get their drivers permit when they are 15. It also means they can legally drive a moped, no plate, no insurance, all legal. So just about every Sunday 2 winters ago I'm on the Magna pacing my son on his Tomos Moped around the 30-40mph low traffic roads. We pull into the gas station one time and some young thing tells him, "Whoa, cool bike!" Maybe I should take the Moped out for some Sunday rides, solo?

Berto
 
#20 ·
Wow Dave, you've had a few rides. I bet you love that Suzuki, though. I think I'd prefer it over it over the Buell anyhow, and you saved a ton of dough. What's the color, red ? And, I understand it has a ton of go fast parts due to the fact it's from old Gixxer. The engine, that is. Have any pics ?
 
#21 ·
Congrats!

The Magna is great bike. It went down to the wire between the ZR and the Magna for me. I am a V4 fan to the bone but the real deciding factor for me was the optional hard luggage for the ZR-7. I use this as a commuter and I wanted lots of lockable, weatherproof storage.

The Magna is most often referred to as a Power Cruiser, Muscle Cruiser, or something along those lines. Until recently, it was kicking the crap out of every other cruiser on the market in power, save the VMax. :) It still gives them a serious run for the money and beats them all for style with the V4 engine.

Enjoy it!
 
#22 ·
The Suzuki is Blue.
Don't pick it up till March 26. It comes with a digital camera so i will post some pics.

Put a lot of research and thinking into my choice, but I really don't see another bike like it on the market. Well not at that price anyway. Liked some of the BMW's BUT $$$$$.
 
#23 ·
Wow

Man, I never thought I'd see this day. I guess I understand your reasoning, but Jarel on a cruiser type bike is still a bit of a shock. Of course, I guess it's not much different than the way I feel about that Harley 883R. I've become a pretty diehard sportbike lover, but I'd still like to have the little Sportster some day.

I also understand that it's nice to have options every morning before you take off for work. EX250 today? H-2? Maybe the Daytona... :)
 
#24 ·
Jarel- So tell us the good stuff. How does it wheelie? Can you get rubber in between gears (while still using the clutch)? How are the looks from spectators? Nice ride. Someday my second ride will be a KTM LC4. Would be nice to have a choice. But in cages, I still have a choice between a 96 Grand Am and a 77 Corvette. Hmmmm.... Corvette for an LC4?

triple- I gotta tell you that the speed triple is FUGLY. Glad you don't have that monstrosity. The Daytona is SWEEET.

kelly
 
#25 ·
Well, unfortunately it hasn't been out of the garage since the day after I bought it. We have a full-on blizzard today with 10-14" of snow expected with 35mph winds. :( Usually by April we start getting a few riding days in between storms, so I'll report back in a month or so. :( The one thing I can say for sure is that my wife LOVES it. She never commented on the ZR-7, but every time we hop in the car in the garage she looks over at the Magna and says, "That's such a pretty bike..". And it's MUCH more comfortable for her, I even bought some peg extenders for the rear to move the passenger pegs down 4" further. I've hopefully removed all excuses to not go riding with me, so we'll see how it goes this year! :cool:
 
#26 ·
Hey Jarel,
Congrats on the Magna..... I figured you might appreciate a little advice for it?
The flat spot your referring to is common, but can be easily fixed by nothing more than a jet kit. The best jet kit available is from Dave Dodge. Dave is THE man when it comes to Honda V4's. Give him a call at 704-892-7961. I think his jet/shim kit is around $50 including shipping, and it's extremely simple to install.... like you said, the carbs are right on top, and that's the toughest part! Once you've actually taken the carbs off, it takes literally 5 minutes.
Other's have told you that you need to get V&H pipes... they're pretty pricey. We're talkin damn near $600! Cobra's you can find for about $340. But honestly, give it a little time and see what you like before you jump in to any. And yes, the jet kit CAN be installed without changing the pipes and you will have absolutely NO PROBLEMS at all! Actually, it even livens up the sound a bit.
The stock pipes without the baffles that were on the test bike is not normal sound at all. I've got drag pipes and they sound pretty sweet! NOTHING like the one you rode.
BTW, Muzzy does NOT make a slip on... sorry, but you might wanna check out the SuperTrapp 4 into 2... they're pretty friggen bad A$$! They're upswept 4:2 and sound like a fighter jet! Plus, they've got discs for sound control! Well worth the money.
As far as seats go, I saw that you already ordered a Mustang. I personally like the Corbin a LOT better, and being use to a sportier bike, you probably will too. The Mustang is very big and wide and does not look very well with the lines of the bike in my opinion. It's also higher than the corbin. They're both comfortable, just in a different way. but I've taken 900+ mile days in my Corbin without any problems at all... The Corbin is actually cheaper than the mustang too.... Especially if you buy it used... http://www.magnariders.com/html/forsale.htm
You'll probably want at the least new fork springs, progressives are only around $50 or so.
When your ready for tires, go with the Metzeler ME880 OEM size front, and you have 3 choices for rear.... 170/80-15 (not the best for two up riding), stock size 150/80-15 and finallly, the one I use is the 180/70-15.
And finally, and most importantly, if your gonna ride a Magna, you've gotta check out this site.... www.magnariders.com.
Good luck with it all.
 
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