1999 Honda reviews

Having ridden the ACE for about 10K miles, I'm fairly pleased with it overall. It is a good around town bike but lacks the top end power to make highway use comfortable. At speed (above 70mph) it tends to run out of power too early and you have to be aware of your speed and the bike's ability (or lack of) to pass large trucks with power to spare - the burst of speed isn't there when you want it at top end. Around town on the other hand, it is a pleasure to operate as it is light and easy to handle in parking lots, has plenty of power for traffic and has hard bags to fill when shopping. The windshield is effective to about 60 mph then the buffeting becomes irritating, making the bike tiring to ride for long distances. Carving through the mountain roads is a pleasure, as well as it is well mannered - but it's not a sport bike, so don't try carving too hard. The brakes are lacking in a hard stop. It needs a second rotor up front to bring it to a stop sooner. I love its clean lines, its lack of unnecessary bits and pieces hanging off here and there, and it has really stylish wheels. Show less

I bought my Shadow ACE in 1999 and have loved every mile in the saddle. It has great looks, sound, rock solid reliability and handles better than any other cruiser I have ridden. don't expect to do wheelies or challenge any of the 1100cc and up cruisers in the speed department though. Remember it is just a very cool running 750. It is geared well for 2-up riding. Never had any issues in 5 years with this bike. The original battery even still works fine and cranks right up at 30 degrees. The older Shadow ACE's like mine have 0-ring chain drive which has worked great for me. I wondered about that when I bought it, but the new chains are light years ahead of ones from the '70s. This bike is a great value and one you can ride with pride. Show less

I've owned my 1998 Honda Manga now for 3 years and put 6000 miles on it. The previous owner put 18,000 miles on it. Regular maintenance is the key to putting miles on the bike. The only down side to the Magna is, it needs a bigger gas tank. The Magna is a great bike and it's well respected among the hardcore bikers. In fact Motorcycle Cruiser magazine has always put it in muscle cruiser tests with bikes such as the Honda VTX, Valkryie, Yamaha V-Max, Harley V-Rod etc. The Magna held its own against these other bikes even though it had less than half the dispacement. I keep thinking of trading up for a VTX... but why? Show less

Great scooter. The Helix created the classification of "Maxi Scooter" back in 1986 and it hasn't changed much in the last 20 years. It's sort of odd for a scooter because it's got a motorcycle size engine and a trunk big enough to bring home groceries. Handles the highway easily (but I stay away from roads where people are averaging 80MPH though). Does great in town too. Not the prettiest one on the road, but definitely a keeper. Solidly built, well designed. I didn't like it at first, but now I would buy it again. Show less

I've had my Helix since '95 in the rolling hills of Maryland & I was planning on upgrading after moving to Florida but since I've moved there's no way I'll give it up for a bigger machine. It provides plenty of power for all the hills & it's proven to be a reliable scooter with only a few problems over the years: a split carburetor intake manifold & broken drive belt. It reliably gets over 65 mpg with great pickup. On the highway it gets a top speed of around 70 depending on head wind but feels comfortable at around 65 mph. I use it in place of a second car & plan to keep it for many more miles. The older model requires a little extra back support, which they may have improved on with the newer ones. Show less

This bike in stock form has 95 rear wheel horsepower, it is an excellent performing machine for beginners and novice riders, along with being able to ride for hours at time. It has an intoxicating snort through the ram air at approximately 5800-7500 rpm. Overall the bike is a steady performer that can keep up with today's 600 machines, depending on a rider's talents. Show less

I have about 2,000 miles on a '98 I bought in AZ. I've had seven bikes previous - all kinds: bmw, Yamaha, triumph and this is, by far, my favorite rig. Reasons to love it are many. 1) It's very quick. 2) It rips through corners 3) Love the chain drive, great acceleration. 4) It's comfortable as far as bar reach and the "sporty" peg position gives you more leverage in turns. Downsides are few: 1) Rear brake is a bit mushy 2) Stock seat is inhuman. 3) Not a GREAT touring bike - gets a bit buzzy above 75 mph. Get a Mustang seat - it is the best I've ever had. Overall, I love my Magna. Show less

I took one look at it and I was taken. I took my first lesson the next day after it was delivered. I was frightened but it was as if I knew already how to ride it as soon as I cracked the throttle. It takes turns with great ease and speed is great, when I get a open road near my house I test the bikes nuts and wow! It nearly took mine off. This bike has great potential for more glory (hmm...TURBOCHARGER) and I am going to take us there one day. Show less

This is a awesome machine! All the comfort of a Wing with the muscle of a Valkyrie. My wife and I love taking trips on this bike. I'm not sure why Honda doesn't still make this bike! Show less

If you're looking for performance at the best price in the cruiser category you found your motorcycle (leg room aside). If you're looking for a return on your investment then buy a house because motorcycling is for passion not profit. I pretty much live in Harley territory and I haven't been beaten by a Harley yet on my 99 Magna. Which just kills them when they find out it's only a 750. I've raced from a dead start and a rolling start to give them a chance. As you will notice most of them don't understand weight to power ratio. So I chuckle when I hear "but I got a stage 3 kit with eagle heads!". Which will cost you about $10,000 extra on that HOG. I paid $7,500 for my Magna and next to the Vmax, Vrod(porche motor not Harley), and Valkerie, the Magna is next in line for performance cruisers. This is a fact. So in short, YES it is the best performance you can buy for your money. Show less