Honda Shadow VLX Deluxe Cruiser Reviews on Cycle Insider (14)
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I started with the bigger bikes 800+ CCs for my first bike. In fact I have traded up quite quickly on my bikes, 800 to 1200 in a matter of months and have not gotten a bike below 1200 since. Had to ride a 250 cc for my motorcycle safety class and was so uncomfortable and had a hard time even controlling something that small with no power that I was convinced that anything below 500 CC was dangerous to even be on the road. So when my girlfriend wanted to buy a bike I tried very hard to talk her out of buying a 250 cc bike. Convinced her, but could not find a 500/800 CC bike that was small enough for her since she wanted her first one to be low enough to touch flat footed and she is 5 foot 2 inches tall. She even talked about buying a trike instead. Then I saw this bike and was convinced she would love its size, power, and look. I was right! Took her to see it and she fell in love and said that this is was her bike, this is the one for her. Since she did not have her MC license yet I had to ride it home from the dealership for her. Half-way home I was convinced that this was the best starter bike you could ever hope for. It has enough power for the highway, is comfortable to ride on, reasonably priced, and best of all is easy to control. Now, I even take it out for a spin every once in a while (I use the reason that I have to make sure everything is running right but really it is just a fun little bike to ride around town on). And, best of all my girlfriend is no longer intimidated by the thought of riding a motorcycle, in fact she is hooked and we get to spend quality time riding our bikes together. This bike is so comfortable to her that she is already talking about giving this one to her 16 year old son in a year and trading up. I have to say it will probably be a bigger Honda Shadow since both of us have been so impressed with their performance for my girlfriend and my other female friends that ride the 800 CC Shadow line of bikes. They just seem to be new rider friendly and that is a good thing when getting started riding motorcycles is intimidating enough as it is.

Okay guys, I am 6ft 2in and 275. I ride 100 miles to work each way on my Shadow. I run on Interstate 75. Yes, the bike will carry big boys. Yes, I also have a 79 Goldwing. I like the sporster style ride of the Shadow. I get 42 miles to the gallon on average at 78 miles per hour. AND YES, the seat IS a PAIN in the butt. Definitely get a upgrade seat for it, mine has 8100 miles on it. I put 4200 miles on it the first year I had it which was 2005. I got mine new then and have loved having it. Mustang makes a great seat for it and vance hines make a great set of pipes.

In May of 2005, I got an opportunity to buy this bike from a friend. It only had 2500 miles on it; the price was right and the bike looked GREAT. I had not ridden for 30 years, I rode for a little over a month to get my balance back; then took my wife who never rode before, and she loved it. We go for rides as often as we can and we both really enjoy this bike. Another neat thing is it took many years but it's great to hear my kids and grandchildren say that you're pretty cool! I would recommend this bike to anyone who is looking for a bike at a good price, rides good, and looks great. Ride Safe

I just bought my first bike a day before I turned 35. That was one week ago. I went into the bike shop with my brother, sat on a few bikes, was intimidated at first by the 600's and wanted something smaller. The owner assured me that a 600 would be perfect to learn to ride on. I knew I wanted a cruiser. So I went toward the Honda Shadows. I sat on the VLX and fell in love. I spent an hour just sitting on the bike and getting a feel for it. Another hour later, I was a proud owner! My first bike! What made the deal even sweeter was that the whole time we all assumed I was looking at a 2005. When it came time to purchase, we found it was a 2003 that had been sitting in the wherehouse all this time. One of the guys at the wherehouse pulled it, mistaking it for an '05. Not only did I get an'03, but a brand spankin' new '03 with only 1 mile registered on it! Two days later, I get a short lesson from big bro in a parking lot. I quickly caught on and found that for a beginner, the bike is quite easy to handle. Two more rides later and I was on the road! I love my Shadow and plan to keep it for a while! I'll be taking my MSF class so that I will know how to ride safely on the road. But for now, scootin' around town is just fine.

The Honda VLX 600 Deluxe has been a perfect bike for me to start riding again after a 20 year layoff. The kids are grown and it's time to have some fun again! People constantly stop me to congratulate me on how the bike looks. Honda's combination of good looks, perfect quality (the bike has only been in the shop for routine maintenance!), and superb reliability make this a perfect bike to get started with. Not that a 5 speed and more cc's wouldn't improve this bike, but it does everything I ask it to. A new Honda VTX 1300 is coming up next!

After two Kawasaki bike's and one was a Vulcan and then a Harley for five years. I found the bike that will run well and get me where I'm going. I don't feel beat to death with vibration when I get there either. It's a very good bike and I didn't have to spend an arm and leg to get it, like the Harley I had.

It has been a little more than a year with this bike & I still like it. Some folks just don't get it! This is not my first bike{read the review smooooth} nor am I a novice rider, just a guy who appreciates a quality ride. I just got back from a short 60 mile ride doing @ 80 mph all the way with a smooth ride all the way! In town it is nimble & pleasing to other riders. Some times I look at the new bikes & the bigger bikes, untill the next ride & then realize this is all the bike needed to enjoy the open road!

I love this bike. It's my first one, and in 4 days I have already put 250 miles in it. I have gotten a lot of compliments. I even got one while I was at the dealer. I hadn't even started it up for the first time. I just finished the paperwork and was getting my helmet on and some blond was saying she liked my bike and started asking me questions like "do you like it", "Is it fast enough for you?" I had to tell he I just bought it and haven't tried it yet.

Unlike some of the other viewers, I've had my bike since the beginning of June and I just broke it in...335 miles. I bought it to commute to work with and got transferred to another job with no parking, so thats the only reason. The bike handles really well in the city and on the highway. At my union hall, I parked it with all the Harleys and no one knew it was a Honda right away. For me, its perfect for now. I know someday I'll upgrade, but the insurance is affordable and it gets me to where I'm going. It's really sharp looking (I got the Pearl Blue) and I've gotten tons of positive feedback about it. Well worth the investment and again, very affordable. I get about 52 MPG.

Excellent starter bike. A bit small though...thank goodness I didn't get the Rebel. I've been riding for 5 weeks and raked up almost 2000 miles. The only problem is that I foresee a trade up in about 6 months. Great for city driving, a little scary on the highways. When speeds get up to about 65+ the motor strains a bit.

I just put the first 1,000 miles on my new shadow VLX, and I am completely satisfied with everything about it. It is my first bike, don't know about all the others. This bike gives you a smooth ride, turn heads, has good acceleration, and as far as being a four speed, that's just one less gear to contend with. I think that you get much more than you pay for. Go for it!

I have been riding a long time. I ride with my friends who all own harleys. I have no problems keeping up with them on the highways. And I get just as many looks as they do. This bike is indeed one of the nicest I have owned. don't hesitate....go buy one.

A very good bike for young or old. Bought from a very good dealer.

I am 20 y/o, and full of energy that i feel i must relaese and the best thing i ever did was buy a bike with no fifth gear. I have ridden the rockets best of which was a 2002 suzuki GSXR 600, i hit 70mph in a parking lot! I needed something a that would limit me a little bit, and it was a great buy. Now on the highways it is a little bit lacking, as a matter of fact i would recomend stayin away from the highways, however, town riding NOTHING BETTER! and i cant tell you how many positive coments i get when i pull into a parking lot, very sharp bike!