2001 Honda Shadow VLX reviews

I bought my bike new in the spring of 2001 and have put all but about 50 of the 82.6K miles on it. I have left it basically stock except for functional modifications. Stock pipes and carb jets, handlebars, etc. - all I can say for this bike is it is reliable as in all these years I have had to perform very few repairs. I replaced the plugs at 39K (checked at 49 and 82 and they still looked as good as new so I left them in), Stator at 39K, kill switch at 40k, diaphragms in the carbs at 60k. There was one front fork seal leaking at 70K. All together it cost less that $650 in these 11 yrs. The ride is great. I added a driver's backrest and although usually at about 100-130 miles I get a ache in my shoulders. I have the same problem no matter what I ride, including a Yamaha Venture I used to have. Riding with my wife is no problem as it has enough power for 2 up as well. It handles good and is very stable. I've done 400 miles a day on it and that's about all I want but know guys who can do more comfortably. I tried a Mustang Classic seat but it didn't agree with me so I went back to a stock one. It will cruise backroads at 40-50 mph. all day and hit the interstate at 75-85 just as well. It does lack a little in torque but once you learn to downshift and use 5th gear basically over 60-65, it's fine. Barring any major problems I am looking at over 100K on this bike as to be honest I haven't ridden anything I like better yet in its class. Show less

Other than routine maintainance, this ace has performed flawlessly. I have traveled across the southeast and made several trips to Washington, D.C. without a hitch. Some riders think that they have to blister the road 90 mph. and above. I don't know of anywhere in the USA where that is the speed limit. The bike is a cruiser not a race car. Sure, there are bigger and better, but for what you pay, it is a great affordable ride. Show less

I have had this for about a year and know two others that have had the same bike. Thay have not had any problems with theres and either have I. First off this is a bike you wouldn't want to take on long tours. It's rather small and could use a little more power for the highway. At 75 mph, it's sceaming but I replaced the rear sprocket to a smaller one and that has helped a lot. The bike is great for weekend trips (one up) and commutes and just riding around. Runs like a swiss watch. It's very responsive and quick handling for a crusier which makes it a blast around town. I own another much much larger crusier and this bike is a fun change of pace after spending time on the larger one. I could go on and on about this bike, but the bike is a basic, perfectly running, fun machine. It really is a blast to wring the heck out of it. If you need just a basic motorcycle thats still a blast to own and once you have it costs very very very little to own (gas, insurance) you can't do much better then this. Show less

Bought this bike a year ago with just under 12,000 miles. Had to rebuild the carb to get it running, which wasn't bad at all. Had it 14 months now, and put over 3,000 miles on it. I rode it from Yuma to San Diego once, and otherwise all around Yuma and now all around Phoenix. My ride to work is 100 miles round trip and I do it on the bike 2-3 days a week. Overall it's been a great bike to me without many issues other then those that come with age and basic maintenance. There's a good aftermarket for it. I ride the free way every day and it'll stay at 70mph+ easily. Only complaint I have is the turn signals sometimes take 20-30 seconds to start blinking on cold mornings, but I haven't taken the control apart yet to regrease as I was told you might have to do. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this bike as a great starter bike. It's got a nice low seat height, wide/comfy seat, and will hang on the freeway all day long. Show less

I bought a used 01 ace. Was my first bike in over 20 years. Very reliable never let me on the side of the road. Comfort is awesome, lot of upgrades avalible. Mine looked like a smaller H.D. The only thing that bothered me was the lack of power that a 750 puts out. My wife likes to ride with me and my bike struggles a bit, we are both heavy. I have test drove many larger cruisers and found that my ace is hard to beat in comfort and control, but I did finally buy a 05 c90t. 1500cc another awesome bike. Show less

This was my choice for my first bike after 20 years without a bike. As soon as my butt hit that seat I knew that it was the one I wanted. It sat good and low and had perfect balance. It's a great bike with plenty of snap, my only desire for more would be one more gear on the highway. The RPM's are pretty high at 70 mph. Other than that I love the bike! Show less

I bought my ACE new in April of 2001 and have put about 7,500 miles on it. I had to take a couple of Summer's off from riding due to ankle injuries otherwise I would have many more miles on the bike. I have ridden the bike on a couple of week long rides and found it to be comfortable. Great Bike! Show less

The first time I sat on this bike in the dealers showroom it fit like a glove. I tried different one but kept coming back to the 600. I've had it now for 5 years and have ridden all over the East coast and never seemed to get tired of riding it.On one trip we rode about 700 miles in one day. It just seems to stick to the road no matter the conditions. Usually gives around 65 mpg on regular. Never had any problems, and have only done normal maintance to it. The only problem I found in riding it is that on interstate riding its working to hard around 75 mph. On quality I have to give it a lower rating though due to the chrome started rusting within the first year. Show less

I bought the 2001 Shadow Spirit 750 in Aug of 2001. I have put over 6000 miles on it, the dealer added a windshield, I "had" to change the seat, not much went into that seat padding or technology, I replaced it with a Mustang. It's better then stock, but I can only get 100 miles in before I have to take a butt break. Other than that this thing is amazing. A deffinate great performer!! Show less

I'm new to riding, only rode dirt bikes as a kid. I started off with a Honda Rebel 250 about two months ago and it was a nice starter bike but was missing the power I wanted. The Honda Shadow is a great solid bike. I love it. My wife and I love cruising on it and I commute to work on it also. I love all the chrome, the sound when you take off, and the seat height is very comfortable, it makes me feel like I'm sitting on a fatboy. This is a great bike all around. Show less