Honda Shadow Aero (VT750C8)

Make: Honda
Model: Shadow Aero VT750C8
Body type: Cruiser / Easy rider
Color: Candy Dark Red / Dunhill Red
Engine: 750cc, Liquid cool V-twin SOHC
Transmission: Wide-ratio, 5 speed
Fuel capacity: 3.7 gallons (inclusive 0.9 gallons reserved tank)


It has been almost 2 months now since Shadow is around. As of July 31, she clocked only at 75 miles. Most of the time Shadow was used for leisure ride and groceries shopping. So far, it is a great bike. Physical wise, she's a beauty. The long, low and wide fender with retro styling design really makes her stunning. Some might see her as the little sister of Harley Davidson's Fat Boy, which physically there's some resemblance (at least, from my point of view). The Dark Candy Red color with chromes really blends well together.

In terms of performance, I'm really happy with it for now. The muscular 750cc V-twin SOHC engines gives you the performance as expected. The mid-sized engine enough to drag the 550 lb bike to swoosh like a high performance cruisers on the street. I rode this bike on average speed between 40 to 55 mph. I know it can go faster than that, but I choose not to. She's a cruiser, not a superbike. You're supposedly to enjoy cruising on this bike, not race on it.

Handling the bike for a first timer is not that bad. You can adapt to its handling style after sometimes riding it. For those who are used to handling cruisers, handling Shadow is not a problem. The weight, handlebars and mid-sized engine are all in appropriate ratio.

Being a Japanese bike, the fuel consumption is really economical. In average, it can go up to 55 MPG on a normal street and up to 60 MPG for highways. That means, with a full tank, Shadow can clock an average of 200 MPG. What more can you asked? With the global increase of the price of petroleum, Shadow can really helps to streamlined your budget.

Shadow produces a reasonably loud sound from its tailpipe. It's not as loud as a Harley, but the sound that comes from the engine is really sweet for motorcycle enthusiasts. You can always upgrade to a Cobra exhaust system with K&N air filter to "sweeten" the sound. But, I choose to keep the stock exhaust system, for now.

Overall, the VT750C8 is really a great bike for rookies or experience riders. As Honda quoted, "The Honda Shadow Aero - Full-sized looks and 750cc performance without the full-sized price tag." However, I wished some other features that are lacking such as tachometer, fuel indicator and top speed / gear indicator should come together with it. Nothing major, but if these features are made available, it would be a plus point. Again, it is really a great bike!

Born to ride...