Introduced for the 1984 model year, this middleweight V-four cruiser was part of the early wave of liquid-cooled Honda customs that blended Japanese engineering with American-inspired cruiser styling. It shared its compact 500cc V-four architecture with a sibling sport model, but used different tuning and a laid-back chassis layout to create a distinctly small-displacement custom bike rather than a pure performance machine. At the time, it stood out for bringing V-four smoothness and a premium feel to a class that was usually dominated by twins and inline-fours.
The bike was offered only briefly, with a single continuous production run ending after the 1985 model year. That short lifespan has made it something of a cult favorite among enthusiasts, especially because it captured a transitional moment in motorcycle design: the styling cues of the mid-1980s cruiser boom combined with the technical ambition of Honda’s V-four era. Its compact proportions, chain drive, and distinctive engine configuration also gave it a character different from the larger shaft-driven Magnas that followed.
Today it is remembered as one of the more unusual and collectible Japanese cruisers of its period, notable for its role in expanding the cruiser formula into a smaller, more approachable displacement range.