Honda VT600CD Shadow VLX Deluxe reviews

I have owned two 97 600vlx's in the past several years. The first I bought new. It withstood daily HARD riding, rain or shine, for a total of 60,000 miles in just over two years. I was not easy on this thing at all. I rode it from Phoenix to New Orleans in under 50 hours and wrecked it on the way home. It was fixed and ridden some more before general problems became too expensive. Example: Rear monoshock blew out; no rebuild kit, expensive new. Reliability is awesome, especially if you ride easy. Overhaul is expensive. I love the dressed-down Shadows, only I wish the VLX had a longer and more powerful version to suit me (not the Spirits or Ace editions, they aren't as good as VLX). Show less

Bought my VLX new. Put 38,000 mi. on it in 4 yrs. Will never sell this bike. Has origial chain and battery. Went up one tooth on front sprocket. Will do 92 mph. With small shield will get 65 mpg. Will get 60 mpg with larger shield and heated clothing on. Put on highway pegs, bags, rack, thermostat for clothing, and conversion kit for rear lights. I like the seat and the prongs underneath so I can carry a lot of cargo. Will never sell this bike. Show less

I have a short 2 year or so history of riding offroad bikes (always a buddies bike). I have been dying to get my own "Road Bike" for the last 10 years. I was initially intending on purchasing a cafe style bike. After calling around for insurance ($1300 - which I am 28 years old & am married with a great driving record) I decided to change styles of bikes. I hated bikes other than cafe'. I knew I could not afford the insurance for the style bike I wanted, so I switched gears & started looking at cruiser style bikes. I saw the VT600 Deluxe, which was yellow & black & will fell in love. The insurance dropped to $158 per year, and the bike cost me only $3800 (1997, 6,800 miles) which included tax & other fees. I wanted to write this for the people that are in a situation close to what I was in. BUY ONE!!! I love this bike, and it is great for someone who has little to no experience on a cycle. The seat is low, the bike is light, and the feel of freedom is priceless. This bike has a low center of gravity, which is great for taking corners & curves. I highly recommend this bike for anyone with a small budget & a big sense of adventure. Rob- Show less

I purchased used VLX recently. Pro- Fair sound and vibration. Gas mileage is pretty good.(45- 55mi/gallon) Low seat gives confidence to first riders, and it is an easier to control the motorcycle. Con- Engine makes much vibration on highway riding and it works really hard. It isn't good for long distance riding. Small gas tank (2.9gallon) Show less

This bike is a perfect 1st bike or good for those coming back to riding, Th VLX has the lowest seat in its class, so everybody feels comfortable. The style is with out compare and the power is plenty around town. The only draw back is the highway at 70+ but the bike was not built for that. The price and style you can't beat the VLX Show less

I almost made one of these my first street bike back in 1995, but after recently moving into a new house the timing was all wrong. Too bad for me, I still love this color scheme. The bike on the showroom floor at the dealership had a custom white leather button tucked seat w/matching backrest (and no doubt a set of white leather saddle bags would have done wonders to boot), but fate would make me wait two more years for a black/yellow Deluxe in May 1997. For the nostalgia nuts, 1995 was the first year for the VLX face lift, featuring a larger 2.9 gallon tank (that was also on the 94 model), but the best thing that happened to the VLX in my humble opinion was replacing the original one piece narrow bar with a set of risers and a wider and more natural feeling bar. It was released alongside Honda's all new 1100 ACE. I did end up buying a 95, although fate kept me from my fave color again. I picked up a used burgandy/white in October 1999 that had a mere 1400 miles on it, de-baffled stock pipes, and if that wasn't enough it had a generous helping of aftermarket replacement accessories. But my intention for the bike was something that hadn't been done yet, at least stateside anyways. I acquired a kit from Seeger Cycle Accessories that transformed my VLX into a one off custom wide-glide chopper! It now boasts 50 degrees of sexy rake with 8" over fork tubes and a 10" medium ape hanger bar on HD style risers. Out back the rear was dropped down 1 3/4" with a lowering kit, and a leather fork bag is mounted above the headlight. Now the obnoxious pipes match the bike's personality. Needless to say, if the bike didn't draw enough attention before, it certainly doesn't escape anyone's notice now! Not the mod to make if you want to remain anonymous. My girlfriend wants a bike, so after we take the MSF course I'll be tracking down a purple/white bike for her to ride. "I will have one. Oh, yes; I WILL have one..." Show less

I purchased my first street bike in May of 1997, a brand new black/yellow VLX Deluxe. I had been infatuated with the VLX's stylishly symetrical lines for many years, and after passing up the sweet purple/white ones in 1995, I couldn't pass this one by... If someone was shopping for a first bike, they can't go wrong with a VLX. Why purchase a 125 or 250 for a first bike and find out after three payments that you've already "outgrown" it? At least on the 600 you can enjoy it for a few years, and if you decide later in life that you want a touring machine or "big bike", at least you got your money's worth. The bike has a nice usable powerband. It handles and brakes well, in fact I enjoy "blasting" through the back road twisties on it, it's a real crispy handler that's fun to flick around through the curves. The four speed tranny has nice tall gearing, top gear roll-ons at 45mph are responsive and puttering down residential streets at 25mph in said top gear doesn't produce the lagging you would find in 5 or 6 speed trannies. As for city commuting, I get 60-62 MPG regularly, tapping the reserve switch between 125-130 miles(leaving another 0.9 gallons of go-go juice left to get home and find a gas station the next day). I have also taken the bike out of state on quite a few occasions, it handles the freeways well enough at 65-70mph. Now this is the issue where most VLX owners start to complain: The bike does feel a bit "buzzy" at 75+mph on the long haul. Two-up riding on an uphill grade is another downfall. Some will even say that they wish for a fifth gear. Okay, so here's where a larger displacement motor has the advantage. Let's face the facts here, folks:the VT-600 was never intended as a touring machine, it's a boulevard cruiser. And a fifth gear wouldn't solve anything, it would only require more shifting. 600cc sport bikes have 6 speed trannies on them and their owners gripe about the same "buzzy" thing on the long haul. My initial complaint on the bike was a lacking aftermarket support. It seemed the dealership's catalogs carried very little in terms of accessories. But a year later, as I started researching via magazines and the wonderful worldwide web, many doors were opened. It turns out that the VLX is MEGA-popular over in Europe, as the high gas prices ($4-$5/gallon) and insurance based upon engine size. There are many European companies offering great products, and the American suppliers are beginning to throw their hats in the ring as well. I liked the bike so much, I ended up buying TWO MORE! The custom world left me with too many choices and too many directions to take, I couldn't possibly make all the mods I wanted to on one bike. I took a used 95 VLX deluxe and made a full one off custom chopper, 8" over tubes/50 degree rake and 10" ape hanger handlebars. Then I grabbed a used 92 VLX and made it into a hardtail featuring 25pounds of weight reduction (if only the rider could lose the weight so easily...), a Hypercharger and performance jet kit/exhaust system, and a drag bar. And of course I accessorized the original stocker, chrome plating as much of the stock OEM aluminum as possible, adding a Hondaline backrest and a set of saddlebags. I like riding the customs, they're definitely head turners. But for everyday commuting, I stick to my first love, the 97 stock VLX. it's still the most comfortable. It's endured the test of time, 21,000 miles with nothing replaced except for the consumable items(fuel, oil, filters, plugs, brake pads, etc...). Even the battery and tires (with at least another 8000 miles of life left) are still original, the bike has been well cared for and has certainly returned the favor one hundred fold. So needless to say, I give the VLX a 5 star rating based on what Honda's engineers designed it for:good looks, charm, and grace for an everyday transportation motorcycle. Show less