The V4 engine configuration provided a balance between torque for good acceleration and high horsepower. The Honda Magna of years 1982–1988 incorporated a number of unique features into a cruiser market dominated by V-twin engines. She made the trek without the benefit of the support crew that usually accompanies riders in adventures depicted in such films as Long Way Round. Though criticized for its long-distance comfort and lauded mainly for its raw acceleration, the Magna was the bike of choice for Doris Maron, a Canadian grandmother and accountant-turned-traveler who toured the world solo by motorcycle. The second was the manufacturing and engineering problems encountered after the release in 1982. An expensive, complex bike was difficult to sell in a down market. While Honda quality was a given and the number of features provided in these bikes was great, they were still relatively expensive bikes at the time.

One was the decline of motorcycle sales after the boom in the 1970s. While Honda's release of their V4 technology in the Magna (and other bikes like the Sabre and Interceptor) was certainly a bold move, it was somewhat overshadowed by at least one problem. However, its mix of performance, reliability, and refinement was overshadowed by the more powerful 1,098 cc 'V65' Magna in 1983. The V45's performance is comparable to that of Valkyries and Honda's 1800 cc V-twin cruisers. The introduction of this engine on the Magna and the Sabre in 1982, was a milestone in the evolution of motorcycles that would culminate in 1983 with the introduction of the Interceptor V4.

The engine technology and layout was a descendant of Honda's racing V4 machines, such as the NS750 and NR750. The Honda Magna is a cruiser motorcycle made from 1982 to 19 to 2003 and was the second Honda to use their new V4 engine shared with the VF750S Sabre and a few years later a related engine was fitted to the VF750F 'Intercepter', the later models used a retuned engine from the VFR750F with fins added to the outside of the engine.

1984 honda v30 magna 500cc review