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New (woman) Rune owner here! Yay!

6K views 31 replies 17 participants last post by  mccookers 
#1 ·
Hi all,

I've been looking and drooling at a Rune for ages now, and I'm finally going to buy one this weekend! :) Found a red '04 in Idaho with 35k miles, and am flying up there Saturday from the San Francisco Bay Area and will ride the bike home. I'm actually quite pleased to find a Rune that has some mileage on it as I want to commute and tour on the thing and not just see it gather dust in the garage. I'll have my Ducati's for blasting around in the mountains of the Bay Area or for track days, and the Rune for more "relaxed" rides. Eventually I'll get a Kawi ZX14R to fill out the stable (yes, I have a thing for fast bikes!).

I've been riding 20+ years now, usually on sport bikes or sport tourers, and have never owned anything like the Rune before so I'm really hoping I like riding it! Now I just need to get a dual seat and passenger pegs for my wife, and maybe a few other accessories.

I'd love to mount a trunk on the Rune but Corbins are ridiculously expensive. Is there any other option besides Corbin for storage on the Rune Has anyone ever mounted a (gasp) Givi trunk or the like on their Rune?

Thanks,
Erica (aka Ricki)
2013 Ducati Multistrada, 2007 Ducati Monster S4RS, and soon a 2004 Honda Rune!
 
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#3 ·
Welcome to the board from another female rider. I have owned my Rune since 2004 and I have over 103,000 miles on it. The gentlemen here are very helpful and I call many if not most of them my friends.

Corbin makes a 2 up seat that many are satisfied with for riding 2 up. I do not know of anyone wanting to add a Givi trunk or any other trunk to their ride. For those that want storage, they go for the Corbin bags. Most of us add a temporary solution with a T-Bag on the backrest or some soft saddlebags. You can find many pictures on here with both of those options.

Congratulations and safe riding. You will enjoy the ride. That I can guarantee.
 
#4 ·
Welcome. I am sure you will enjoy the ride. The front end on the Rune seems a little heavier than average to me, especially when turning it around.
I have a two-up Corbin seat. It is not very comfortable, at all. The stock seat is more comfortable and that is not really a plush seat, in my opinion.
All in all, it is a great bike.
 
#6 ·
Congratulations and welcome. I kept my Rune 100% stock, so I have no advice about mods to offer you. However, like DonnaM said, there are plenty of owners who can help you with mods.

For me, the stock seat is very comfortable even on road trips. But, since you're looking to ride two-up you will have to get another seat. Either way, I believe you'll enjoy the Rune.

Congrats again!
 
#8 ·
I'll make a comment that may draw flames, but please take it easy and be cool on the Rune.
I've had all sorts of machines over the last 42ish years I've been riding. Started on woods bikes, MX, Trials, and have been riding mostly UJM's or high powered sport bikes since 78, and worked as a mechanic on a superbike team and at dealerships.... The Rune is a bike that should be ridden with patience. If you ride it like a you would a sportbike, I'm nervous that bad things can happen.
The most noticeable trait is weight and lean angle. Low speed maneuvers demand respect. The bike is big and heavy and if it gets too far away from you, it will keep going. It's a big boy.
Low speed cornering at the changeover from turn steering to countersteering requires more lean angle and concentration than you'd ever have to do on a sportbike. It's the nature of the beast being low, long and heavy.
Having said that, would I ever sell mine... NO. It is a very special machine. It just needs to ridden with that in mind.
Enjoy and have fun...

My little collection.

 
#9 ·
good advice!

Thanks, Bugsy, that's good advice. I'm definitely not going to ride the Rune as if I'm doing a track day on my Duc, at least not at first :) I'll take my time to get to know it before doing anything too crazy. It's been ages since I owned a heavy bike, and that was an 81 Gold Wing about 20 years ago! So this will be my first real cruiser, tho I've test ridden lots of them from Harleys to triumph Rocket, thunderbird, etc.

That's quite a collection you have! The CBX is one I've always admired too.

Erica
 
#10 ·
Welcome to the board Erica. Lots of great folks here with tons of Rune knowledge. Just use the search function for most of the answers.

I have the 2-up heated Corbin and love it. I've tried the OEM seat but feel it's very uncomfortable after just 20 minutes of riding.

Cheers,

Ollie
 
#11 ·
comfort and

I purchased a Ultimate seat out of Canada (from Dez) with a backrest welded a rack to the rest, and on any long trips I attach a large leather nap sack to the rest and away I go! Real easy on&off leaving the seat on the bike. When I need more I use a magnetic 2 story tank bag (on the gas tank) I can't take everything but I can surely take what I need. When I make purchases on the road I UPS them home, sometimes I also UPS all my stuff home, keeping the tank bag for any last goodies and my rain gear phone drugs laptop ipad iphone etc camera. If'n you need pictures shoot me a pm (private message) dog/Ron
 
#13 ·
Good ideas

Those are good ideas for luggage, guys! For commuting, I prefer to have a hard trunk so that I can carry a cover and my usual flat repair kit, plus my laptop and shoes and stuff (I do the ATTGATT thing and my motoboots get replaced by heels as soon as I get to work). As far as long trips go, my wife will be with me for most trips, so that means I'll need extra luggage of some sort cuz two women can pack a lot of stuff! I'm definitely leaning toward having a Corbin trunk semi-permanently mounted, and maybe the Corbin saddlebags or a trailer. Maybe air suspension to get a little more ride height and lean angle, we'll see...

Erica
 
#16 · (Edited)
Cool video!

That's a great video! Very good riding skills in that, except that part right at the beginning where he's not looking and almost plows into folks on the sidelines--doh! Other than that he rocks!

I'm also interested in how he mounted a Givi trunk onto the Rune...I'll have to look into that since I have lots of Givi hardware in my garage already. I had been thinking that the styling of the Rune would clash with a Givi, but it's actually not horrible looking. Tons cheaper than a Corbin trunk too! Just have to figure out where to tie into the subframe to mount one,but I recently got a maintenance manual and will start tinkering...

I'm having an absolute blast with the Rune! I'm no parking lot pro like in the video, but I'm getting quite used to how my big girl likes to go around corners and dance! Two weekends ago I put 1000 fast miles on highways coming home from Idaho where I bought it, and then last weekend I had a "sporting" ride locally in the Santa Cruz mountains and found that hanging off (as with a sportbike) is rather effective at increasing the ground clearance. (yes, I've scraped pegs on both sides already) I'm loving the power of the Rune, which doesn't take off like my old Hayabusa of course, but it certainly gets up and runs at a nice clip! The stability is reassuring too. Only time I've had any issue is with very tight parking lot manuevers, but I'm getting better on those too--this is my first bike with a "tiller" handlebar so that takes some getting used to, but I'll get it just fine.

Oh, and whoever designed the Rune's linked brakes apparently didn't ride sportbikes. Most braking on sportbikes is with the front brake, and very little use of the rear, but on the Rune they made it so that the back brake does most of the braking on the front too! (I read that the brake pedal activates 4 of the 6 front caliper pistons along with the rear, while the brake lever does the other 2 pistons up front). I would've reversed that so that the brake lever controls most of the pistons in the front and also some rear braking. At least that's how my Multistrada is wired. On the Rune, the brake pedal does most of the work, which isn't optimal for sporty riding. Oh bother, just something I'll get used to I suppose...

Thanks for all the help and input!
Erica
 
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#18 ·
I rarely use back braking....so the linked "thing" just doesn't matter much too me. The only concern I ever had is if I was going down steep gravel roads...and needed to do some braking, of course in THAT situation I WOULD want to use rear brake...and personally....I wouldn't want ANY front braking in THAT situation. So far, the minor front brake applied with the rear brake has had no ill affects in those rare situations I just spoke of. For me, MOST the time, I used engine braking and front brake....I don't use much rear brake.

In a perfect world, my Rune would have ZERO linked brakes....................for my intentions..............but since it has very little front brake in the linked system, I guess it's "ok"...........
 
#23 ·
I actually use both front and back in tandem when needing to slow down before a light, as we have lots of freeways that end into signaled highways, so there's always the chance of coming in hot at 80 and then having to slow down for a light change esp. when the lights are hidden just around a bend behind giant oak trees.
And the linked brakes are great for my dirt road to my house (I do live the country part of San Diego County).
 
#24 ·
I used to think rear motorcycle brakes were "just for emergencies" but during my beginner motorcycle course (for experienced riders) I learned the excellent technique of slipping the clutch and rear brake while doing slow speed (parking lot) cornering. A real confidence builder.

I don't think I would use the front brakes if descending a gravel slope (which I would normally avoid like the plague or Chuck)

skip
 
#29 ·
I used to think rear motorcycle brakes were "just for emergencies" but during my beginner motorcycle course (for experienced riders) I learned the excellent technique of slipping the clutch and rear brake while doing slow speed (parking lot) cornering. A real confidence builder.


skip
The instructor in our motorcycle safety course (highly recommended btw), could keep upright at barely moving using his rear brake and keeping the clutch in the slip zone. I've used that technique often in stop and go traffic when not wanting to split lanes.
 
#27 ·
Braking distances

I've only just started trying to push my Rune (Candi) and find her limits so take this with that in mind, but it's already apparent that shortest stopping distances on my bike are with both front and rear brakes applied simultaneously and progressively, in which case my big girl slows down in a hurry!

I've found that front-brake-only is good for setting entrance speed into corners and maybe fine-tuning speed once leaned over (trail braking). Front-only braking on my bike feels like maybe 1/2 of the total braking power of combined f+r braking, or maybe less.

Rear brake only is good for lane-splitting cuz then my hands are free, tho at least I cover the front brake with 2 fingers (as I usually do anyway, or 1 finger on my Ducatis). And rear-only braking is good for just slowing down, or for parking lot maneuvers like Skip mentioned.

That said, I notice a little pulsing on the lever doing front-only braking, so this weekend I'll see if maybe one of my discs is warped or bent or glazed or whatever. Ahh, the joys of personalizing a used bike, making it fit me perfectly and minimizing her flaws. It already feels tons better after I squirted a little clear chain lube into the brake and clutch lever pivots last night. This weekend I'll pull things apart and give her a light lube job...

Erica
 
#28 ·
Oh, and I think y'all are wonderful!

Oh, and did I mention that I think y'all are wonderful? I'm feeling so welcome in this forum, and I just adore how folks chime in with their take on things, adding their perspective, bringing up thoughts for others to chew on, adding some light banter here and there.

Very lovely group of folks you are!!!

Have a wonderful and safe 4th!
Erica
 
#30 ·
Hi Erica. Did you say that you are married to your Wife? If so...that's hot. I am in the Bay area too. I have a 999R and Busa too. Maybe I'll see you @ Alice's or something. I went with the "Air ride" which fits the bill for any shenanigans you might try out there.

Good luck to you.
 
#31 ·
Bay Area riders

Howdy! I get to Alice's fairly often. If you see a 6'2" brunette on a Rune or Ducati (red Multistrada 1200 and white/red Monster S4RS), that's probably me! Yes, I'll probably get the Air Ride at some point too since the stock shock seems kinda weak for 2-up with the wife.

That's 3 Runes that I know of in the SF Bay Area. Maybe we should have our own Rune mini-meetup sometime?

Erica
 
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