Honda Shadow VLX Deluxe reviews

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. Show less

I just bought a 1999 Shadow VLX Deluxe a month ago. It is the best bike I have ever had. I am a pretty big guy and it takes me down the road really well. There is nothing I can put down about the bike for I have ridden many different bikes and this by far is a A++ Bike!!! Show less

This bike is a great combination of style as well as performance. I bought it used a little over a year ago with 7K miles on it. I started to learn how to ride street after having a few years of riding dirt bikes under my belt. Once I learned what the bike was capable of I went ahead and bobbed it out. Now it is about 20 lbs. lighter and really gets up! This bike gives a comfortable ride with good gas mileage (~65 mpg) while still giving me all the power I need to get out of the way or just get out onto the open road. I cannot say enough good things about this bike. The 4-gear tranny is just fine by me. I don't see why this bike would even need a 5th gear. I am enjoying putting miles on my bike with just regular maintenance, chain lube, oil changes, keeping the tires up to pressure spec, etc. It is a GREAT BIKE for exploring your wild side; at least for the average beginner. Show less

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. Show less

I just got this bike two months ago. It is my first REAL bike, and I love it. It is easy to ride and low maintenence so far. I hope it gives me many years of pleasure and fun in the sun here in Florida. Show less

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 Show less

This is my very first bike ever, I took the MSF riding course and luckily enough learned on a rebel. This bike handles very well, a little sluggish when it is cold, but adjust the idle up a bit, and let it warm up a min and you are riding fine. It has the look and feel of a harley, but not the cost. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting a starter bike. Right now it is a commuter bike, and I tell you I've never wanted to go to work more now than ever :-). Show less

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. 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

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! Show less