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Honda VT Shadow 600cc 95/96 (N)
Overall Rating:
Review
Honda VT600 Shadow

I’ve owned my VT600C Shadow for 11 years now, on and off. It is, without reservation, a marvelous machine. Not that it is a powerhouse, which it isn’t, nor is it particularly good in the bends or in any other aspect which makes a bike ‘good.’ It is, instead, a brilliant all-rounder.

I first bought the Shadow back in 1997 when it was just less than 2 years old with a very low mileage. 4 years of those 11 years was spent in the company of a friend while I was overseas. He sold it back to me on my return to the UK and I was happy to have it back.

This type of bike never seems to do a high mileage and mine is no different. The total mileage is only 18,000 miles of which I have ridden around 14,000. I might point out at this stage that I have other bikes so I don’t use the Shadow on a day-to-day basis, it is used for long trips mainly.

It isn’t fast but will wind it’s way up to an indicated 100mph if you can hang on long enough. Acceleration-wise it is fairly quick up to 80mph, I’ve never had a car it couldn’t beat from the lights but then again I’m not in the habit of trying to beat Porsches.
It can be held at 90mph if the mood takes you but it takes considerable force to hold on to the bars in the windstream. The chunky grips that go with the 1” handlebars make it a bit worse as one’s fingers don’t get as much purchase as with a thinner bar.
Early-on I changed the bars for straights and that helps to keep one out of the wind a bit. The Shadow has only 4 gears to play with so it does seem a little high revving, not that one notices near the top end as the wind has blown away any engine noise and the vibration from the road cancels out the feeling of vibration from the engine.

At about 60mph it feels as if there is another gear to go and I have often found myself trying to change up to a higher gear. As it is only a 600 I suppose I shouldn’t complain.

Cornering is not a high point but the Shadow can be ridden like a bike. The footpegs have hero blobs which have been ground down a fair bit as they are quite easy to get down particularly at slow speed. They make a nice fireworks show for people following if banked-down on a roundabout at night! On the way down through Spain once in the mountains just north of Huelva I grounded the pipe at quite a high speed which shocked me and slowed me down for a few miles. I was at the time chasing a Yamaha Fazer which was two-up, he was leaving me well behind in the short straights but I was able to catch him on the corners. I can only presume he had even less bottle than me!
That particular fabulous stretch of road went on for miles and at the end of it the outside edge of the front tyre had begun to melt. The first time I’ve managed that on any bike.

The Shadow is a very cheap machine to own. The insurance is cheap too. Nothing seems to wear-out. The chain is the original and I seldom need to adjust it. Seriously, I have probably only adjusted it about 10 times since ’97.
I replaced the original tyres not that long after I bought the bike. I probably managed about 5000-6000 miles on the originals, It was a long time ago but I remember it was within a short space of each other, rear first. The tyres I put on were Avon Roadrunners and they seem as if they have hardly worn, I’m more worried with them perishing than wearing out.
I’ve serviced the bike myself and I bought a Honda workshop manual early on to help me to do so. I’ve always used the best quality synthetic oil and it has never used any between services which I do every 4000 miles. The fuel consumption is brilliant. I religiously check the consumption every time I fill-up. The worst I have managed is 56 mpg, the best 87 mpg! The 56 was on a high speed trip holding 90mph. The 87 mpg figure was in Spain returning from the rally in Faro riding on the motorway behind my mate whose collarbone was broken. He wouldn’t travel at more than 55mph, very dangerous with traffic approaching from the rear at 30mph faster. He was having problems with the wind pressure.
I generally get around 70-75 mpg. As I stated earlier that is mainly during use on long runs. These last few years I find myself travelling extremely slowly in/on all my vehicles on the motorway so you will find me in the slow lane at 62mph. I seldom have to overtake anybody and generally with all the hold-ups these days, it doesn’t make a huge amount of difference, time-wise. I am mostly accompanied by my wife on these long trips.

The Shadow cleans-up fairly well, people generally comment on how clean it is. I don’t spend a lot of time cleaning it, just a once over with a sponge now and then and a really good clean before the MOT.
The chrome has held-up well, just a few spots on the wheels that are below par. The lacquer on the hubs/rear brake is starting to go and the galvanizing on the spokes is not as bright as it was. The exhausts are standard and they seem fine. I once ran my drained oil through them, that may have helped stop them rusting out, also the long runs. I’ve not used it in the winter either.

The only things that have gone wrong are the offside rear indicator mounting screw vibrating out, twice. Not even any bulbs have blown!

To conclude then, it’s a bike for the long term. I’ve had quite a few other bikes along the way which have been faster, more comfortable, more modern but this is the one I will be sticking with. I just need to get it set-up to carry a bit of luggage properly. A larger petrol tank would be nice too as 11 litres is not a lot. I start looking for petrol at around 135 miles but I can live with it. I can recommend one of these to anyone.
Submitted by
ixion in Brentford on 25/08/2008
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Honda X11 1100cc Apr '00 (W)
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I needed a newer bike that had a sensible seat not a perch and good brakes which the X11 has.(Bike mad daughter on the back). A guy at work had an X11 for sale; I had to look it up on the web. Picked the bike up from him and headed home. Got to the motorway slip road and thought was what I had read just hype both good and bad, as it was acting like a real lady. So I nailed the X or should I say it blew me way...lights around me started to streak like in Star Wars when they go into hyper-space. I am used to large cc bikes of yesteryear but the X11 demands respect so I am happily re-learning how to ride to my limits. I got indoors with the daftest smile ever according to my wife, which returns whenever I take her out the bike not the wife. A "Q"bike for all seasons.
Submitted by
richgsd in Southampton, Hampshire on 22/08/2008
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Honda VFR 750cc 88/89 (F)
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Superb allrounder, great build quality, decent performance with adequate handling, cheap to run and insure. The best 'value for money' biking I've ever had.
Submitted by
Rob Ride on 15/08/2008
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