Honda Shadow Ace Tourer reviews

I RODE THIS ACE TOUR FOR THREE YEARS BEFORE I TRADED HER IN ON AN 02 GOLDWING. THOUGH THE WING IS AN OUTSTANDING MACHINE, I MISS THE SHADOW. IF YOU ENJOY TROUBLE FREE BASIC RIDING WITH SPACE TO PUT YOUR "STUFF", THIS IS THE MOTORCYCLE FOR YOU. I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH HER, OR ANY DISLIKES. THE ONLY REASON I TRADED WAS BECAUSE MY WIFE LIKED THE PASSENGER SEAT ON THE WING BETTER. THE SHADOW HAS A COBRA HIGHWAY BAR AND PEGS, COBRA FOOTBOARDS, A LUGGAGE RACK AND BACKREST, LEATHER TANK STRAP WITH TWO POCKETS, LED TAIL/BRAKE LIGHT BULBS AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BRAND REAR TURN SIGNAL CONVERTORS(LED RUNNING AND BRAKE LIGHTS IN THE TURN SIGNAL HOUSINGS.) REALLY, A GREAT RIDE.

I bought my ACE T brand new. It is the best bike I have ever owned and I have had a lot of bikes. The overhall performance is good, the handling is superb and for the money, you can't go wrong. You can not find a bike that will even come close to the quality of this fine motorcycle.

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.

Wonderful bike....mine has 6400 miles...just purchased it used two months ago (7-03). Very smooth...no vibrating at any speed. A little lite on chrome...but that was easy to fix. After almost 1200 miles I average 42 mpg. Highway and city.

Great straight line tourer. Engine quite adequate for one up. High center of gravity compared to some of the competition. Extremely reliable. I put on 17K without a single problem. Put on a Mustang seat for better comfort. Cruises at 70 but above that it is working. Traded for a full dresser which handles better.

I have 42,000 miles on my ACE and am very happy with it. Notice that I said happy, not ecstatic! Checking the oil is an absolute pain in the butt. I can check it 10 times and get a different reading every time (?) Ignition switch is in a lousy position - I shut it off with the kill switch every time then get off and shut it off with the key. Is there any particular reason why all of these manufacturers are putting these ignition keys so you have to be a contortionist to use them? Power is good but not impressive. The good stuff? The windshield is great, the hard saddlebags are great, I put a JCWHITNEY luggage rack and backrest on. Big mistake! The chrome absolutely sucks! I put Cobra floorboards on, and they are great! All things considered, a great bike.

I picked up a used silver and black '99 Ace Tourer last week as my "re-entry bike". I have owned 5 bikes prior to this one, but had not done much riding for 15 years. Previous bikes were smaller (550cc was the largest). This is my first Honda. As a 50 year old, my interests were primarily in middle distance two-up touring with at least some level of comfort. This bike seems to fit the bill quite nicely. The ACE is sort of like a Golden Retriever in the way it is large and strong, but has a very gentle disposition and is a pleasure to spend time with. I had certain expectations based on reviews I had read, both here and elsewhere. Expectations that were met would include Honda quality (they really do seem to make the nicest bikes for the money - I say this in spite of a long standing Yamaha bias), good wind protection, supple ride and nice-but-not-too-loud exhaust note. Expectations that were exceeded would include the smoothness of the engine at all speeds (mirrors are absolutely clear even when accelerating), power delievery which I would describe as being like an old V-8 powered Buick (smooth and powerful, but especially smooth). Also, the overall comfort level is much better than expected, including the seat which seems hard at first, but really isn't. Most reviews I read tend to speak in absolutes, or they compare a bike to some other bike of which the reader has no knowledge. If you have the same problem finding meaningful information about a bike, I hope this information will prove to be helpful: I would say that the bike is at its best when running 65-70 mph on secondary roads. It seems ideally suited to two-up touring for trips up to 200-300 miles in a day. No doubt, one could ride it across the country, but a Gold Wing would be a better choice for that. The ACE Tourer is, however, the better choice if you don't necessarily plan to spend most of your time on the highway, as it is fairly nimble around town. The locking hard luggage is so handy you quickly wonder how anyone gets by without it. I live in AZ where you don't have to go far to find changes in elevation that translate into different weather conditions, so being able to pack extra layers even for a day trip is quite a nice feature. Being able to lock up the cell phone and other valuables when getting a bite to eat is also very nice. To sum it all up, if you are a somewhat "mature" rider looking for a versatile bike that can also comfortably do an overnight trip to somewhere 300 miles from home, this would seem to be an unbeatable choice. Too bad Honda discontinued them for 2002, but there are good used ones out there.

Just got my 99 Tourer. Thought about an 02 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500, 02 Yamaha V & Road stars, but saw this used (only 745 miles on the clock when I bought it) bike in the corner. Got it for $6700, thousands under the new prices; so in this department, I'm pleased with my purchase. I traded my 95 Yamaha Virago in and while riding home, the first thing I noticed was the quickness of the 1100cc powerplant. Was able to hit 35 in first, 55 in second and over 70 in third. Have two more gears to play with. I don't think I will test their limits. Another noticable difference was the quality of the ride. The tourer weighs about 630 lbs and gives a smoother ride. Overall I am pleased my purchase and this bike. Managed to log a few hundred miles before the real cold NE Ohio weather set in. I'll spend this winter adding some chrome (highway bar, light bar, saddlebag top rails and floorboards) and of course, waiting for the first nice spring day.

Purchased the Shadow Tourer after months of research. I'm returning to motorcycling after an 18-year hiatus. I wanted a classic appearance, V-twin torque, and better than average performance. The Shadow delivers: 65 MPH in 2nd gear, 85 in third, and I haven't tested the limit in fourth or fifth gear. No problem riding two-up with loaded bags. I get a lot of admiring looks wherever I go. 2600 miles so far and no regrets.

As an older ("mature"?) rider and just getting back into riding after many years, I searched long and hard on what to buy. Finally decided on the Shadow ACE Tourer and, having taken delivery on April 27th, 2001, simply love it. Have only accumulated 600 miles (goes in for service July 5th), but have found it great fun, great riding, great control, and "modest" mileage (about 40 mpg). More after the summer riding season and more experience with this great bike. In the meantime, comments welcome at the e mail address above. Bill