insta stofy

Witch hunts have been a dark and haunting part of history for centuries. The origins of witch hunts can be traced back to various factors, including cultural, religious, and socio-political aspects. One of the earliest roots of witch hunts can be found in ancient pagan beliefs. In many ancient cultures, there was a widespread belief in magic and the supernatural. Individuals who were seen as practicing witchcraft or possessing supernatural powers were often feared and stigmatized. This fear and suspicion laid the foundation for the persecution of those who were accused of being witches.

At its debut, many motorcyclists reckoned the bike, which was designed by Honda’s American division and manufactured in Ohio, had been built to compete with Harley-Davidson’s CVO series. It followed a series of concept bikes Honda displayed on the show circuit, displaying inspiration from the American custom bike scene (Read The Bear’s write-up here for some more info on that). Some of these machines were so wild that nobody figured Honda could ever mass-produce anything similar—but in 2003, the Rune hit dealerships.

Along with the added power, Honda went all-out on styling, including its first-ever seamless gas tank, and bold touches everywhere, from the exhaust to the fender to the headlight. At its debut, many motorcyclists reckoned the bike, which was designed by Honda s American division and manufactured in Ohio, had been built to compete with Harley-Davidson s CVO series.

This fear and suspicion laid the foundation for the persecution of those who were accused of being witches. As Christianity spread throughout Europe, the perception of witchcraft began to change. The Christian Church labeled witches as servants of the devil and believed that their powers were derived from a pact with Satan.

Adventure Rider

The Honda Rune: Is it cartoonish, or a classic? The answer is… yes?

Honda is a pretty conservative motorcycle manufacturer these days, but 20 years ago, things were different. In the years running up to the 2008 global financial meltdown, the public was in love with cruiser-based custom motorcycles, and Honda saw an opportunity to appeal to the whims of that market while also showcasing their company’s technical capability. The result was the Rune, a bike that people are still impressed with, or repulsed by, almost 20 years later.

An unlikely origin

The Rune was a wild-looking bike, which is pretty funny when you realize it’s a cousin to the Gold Wing. It’s much more than a gussied-up tourer though, with a stretched-out wheelbase (68.9 inches, the longest Honda motorcycle ever) and weirdo trailing-link front end. But at its heart, the 1832cc six-cylinder engine was very similar to the one used in the Gold Wing. Even here, though, Honda’s hot rod builders managed to spice things up, installing more aggressive camshafts and re-tuning the fuel injection system for more snap. To slow down all that muscle, and the 888-lb wet weight, Honda added dual 330mm front brake discs and a single 336mm rear brake disc, the largest ever used on a Honda bike at that point.

Along with the added power, Honda went all-out on styling, including its first-ever seamless gas tank, and bold touches everywhere, from the exhaust to the fender to the headlight. The materials were all high-quality, not cheap, insta-rusting garbage plasti-metal.

Unlike any motorcycle Honda has made before or since. They sold like mad, but the wild-looking Rune was still a sales disaster in a weird way, as it cost Honda a lot of money. Photo: Mecum Auctions

The end result was a motorcycle unlike anything Honda had built before. In many ways, nobody had built anything like it before. They couldn’t build it because some parts were so radical that Honda had to invent new production process just to mass-produce them.

At its debut, many motorcyclists reckoned the bike, which was designed by Honda’s American division and manufactured in Ohio, had been built to compete with Harley-Davidson’s CVO series. It followed a series of concept bikes Honda displayed on the show circuit, displaying inspiration from the American custom bike scene (Read The Bear’s write-up here for some more info on that). Some of these machines were so wild that nobody figured Honda could ever mass-produce anything similar—but in 2003, the Rune hit dealerships.

A sales paradox

The Rune was priced around $27,000 US when it appeared. It was a lot of money in 2003—but Honda had little trouble generating interest. The marketing campaign was pretty wild, inspired by Frank Frazetta’s art. See below:

Honda wasn’t messing around with this advertisement. It’s one of very few moto adverts that I can remember 20 years after I first saw it in a magazine. Image: Honda

Contrast that to the current “friendly hipsters on Hondas” advertising for the CL500 scrambler, and it’s a big difference! But, really, both are just reflections of their times. In 2003, anti-social chopper builders with walrus mustaches and cartoonishly inflated biceps were the heroes of television, so a bit of dark fantasy art wasn’t likely to scare off potential buyers.

In fact, these days, when you mention the Rune, you often hear people say they’ve been looking for one for years, because they don’t come up for sale often. Honda didn’t make many of them, for good reason. Reportedly, each Rune cost about $100,000 to manufacture, so Honda lost almost $75,000 on each sale. No wonder demand often exceeded supply.

These luxo-barges were supposedly allotted on the basis of one per dealership. Photo: Mecum Auctions

So, in a weird way, despite an eager market, the Rune was a sales disaster, costing Honda a lot of money over its 2003-2005 production run. But as a marketing ploy? The fact that we’re still talking about it today shows Honda knew what it was doing. Whether or not you like the polarizing styling, there’s no question the Rune sticks in your brain after you’ve seen it.

Want to buy one?

If you’re interested in buying one and want to learn more about the than a raw spec sheet, there are many contemporary ride reviews of the Rune still archived online. Perhaps the best ride review from a modern perspective is Ryan from FortNine’s take on the machine.

Still convinced you want one? Good news: Mecum has one coming for sale at the July 6-8 Kissimmee Summer Special. It’s an ’04 model. The advert says it’s a one-owner machine, but that’s about all the info we get.

What will it cost you? A 2004 model just sold for $20,500 on Bring a Trailer, and a few days before that, another went for $25,250.

For more details, check out the auction listing here.

The Rune was priced around $27,000 US when it appeared. It was a lot of money in 2003—but Honda had little trouble generating interest. The marketing campaign was pretty wild, inspired by Frank Frazetta’s art. See below:

This religious perspective significantly influenced the way witches were viewed and treated. Widespread fear and paranoia led to the belief that witches were responsible for various misfortunes and disasters, such as crop failures, illnesses, and death. The Middle Ages saw a significant increase in witch hunts. Europe was experiencing social and political upheaval, with the rise of new religious movements, wars, and economic instability. During this time, accused witches were often subjected to brutal trials and torture, leading to forced confessions and false accusations. The infamous "Witch Trials" in the town of Salem, Massachusetts, in the late 17th century is a chilling example of the extreme lengths to which witch hunts could go. One must also consider the gender dynamics at play in witch hunts. The majority of accused witches were women, and this can be attributed to prevailing patriarchal attitudes and fears of female sexuality and autonomy. Women who diverged from societal norms, such as those who practiced herbal medicine or had knowledge about contraception, were particularly at risk of being accused of witchcraft. Witch hunts gradually declined in the 18th and 19th centuries as societies became more rational and skeptical. The Age of Enlightenment brought new perspectives, scientific advancements, and questioning of superstitious beliefs. The perception of witches shifted from being seen as real threats to mere folklore and legends. Unfortunately, witch hunts have not completely disappeared. In certain parts of the world today, accusations of witchcraft still lead to violence, discrimination, and even death. The root causes of contemporary witch hunts often stem from deeply ingrained cultural and religious beliefs, as well as economic and social factors. In conclusion, the origins of witch hunts can be traced back to a complex interplay of cultural, religious, and socio-political factors. From ancient pagan beliefs and the rise of Christianity to the gender dynamics and societal fears, many elements contributed to the horrifying history of witch hunts. Understanding and remembering this dark part of our past can help us guard against the dangers of ignorance, fear, and prejudice in the present day..

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