1997 Honda reviews

I kept my 1989 for twelve years and about 90k miles. As a daliy commuter it was great with an awsome trunk. It also took me from the Great Lakes to the Florida Keys on my frequent motorcycle vacations. I rarely changed the oil and only put two air filters into the machine in the time I owned it, but it still kept running. It was slow and the seating position was a little cramped for my 5'10". Show less

I have owned a 1976 cb550, a 1985 vf700, a 1996 cbr600, and this is the best of them all. Very linear powerband, extremely reliable, excellent exhaust note. A little firming up of the suspension did wonders for the handling. Looks great, brakes are good. Overall a very competent long-lasting package-a real treat!) Only thing I wish it had more of would be torque, less of the weight. For more info on this wonderful machine go to www.cs.wisc.edu/~john/vfr/. Show less

After years of wanting a Valkyrie, I finally bought a used one with 10,000 miles on it. So far it has been an excellent bike, plenty of power and comfort. Although a little heavy, it handles like a dream. Gets plenty of stares too. I think I'll keep this one for a long time. Show less

Right off I've got over 30 yrs riding and I've owned 3 Harleys, 1 BSA, 2 Hondas and believe it or not 1 BMW. So I somewhat know what I'm talking about. The Valk has great power, nice and smooth. that's because it spends most of the time riding on a trailer back to some dealer to get repaired. Before it had 30 miles on it, it had been at the dealer getting fixed twice. It's now 2001 and I've only got 17,682 miles on it and I normally ride about 20 to 30,000 miles a year on the other bikes I've had. And Oh! By the way I'm here typing this because yes it's in the shop again. This time because it only seems to want to run on 5 spark plugs and smells of raw gas all the time, bad enough to make your eyes burn going down the road. None of the dealers I've been to are very helpful either. It wouldn't start after I rode it home from the dealer the day I got it. So! 30 mins after I got it, It was on it's way back to get repaired. All in all Honda has replaced 2 Carbs at 3000 miles, 1 starter at 3500 miles, 5th gear at 5100 miles and 1 complete wiring harness at 12003 miles. Countless nickel and dime problems too. It gets serviced by a dealer everytime it's due. This repair I've been told, no matter what it is, is on me. This will be my last Honda. Not because of the Valkyrie junk that it is, but because of the Crappy dealers I've had to deal with. One in Mi refused to work on it at all because it had a history of problems. WOW! A dealer that doesn't want to repair a bike. Show less

I just recently got back into motorcycling and bought my ACE. It is a beautiful motorcycle. However, for two up riding I'd prefer more power. Also, the previous owner put Cobra slashcuts and a jet kit in so now my gas mileage really sucks at 34mpg. The pipes sound great and I get tons of compliments on its looks, but I want more power and better gas mileage. Also, the stock seat is way too uncomfortable for the wife, so we had to order a Mustang seat. All in all not a bad bike I would recommend it to anyone wanting a solo cruiser for around town or short country jaunts. Show less

This bike is way too top heavy, especially with a full tank of gas and a passenger. If you just breathe wrong at a traffic light, it wants to start falling to one side or the other. Suspension travel is not good enough for city potholes. The body panels are a real pain to have to deal with and the fuel filter is next to impossible to change. Most people raved about its looks (1990 candy apple red) and how quiet it is (some people asked if it was electric). The trunk can't be beat; it holds a ton of stuff. Geared perfect in town and on the highway at 85 mph or more. The tall windshield is fabulous on the highway and in the cold weather, but you need the smaller stock one in the summer as no air gets to you in city riding. Body is enclosed so you get no heat from the engine, unless you want it on a cold day (just stick your knees out a little and the heat from the front vents will be directed back towards you. The shaft drive is very smooth. Show less

This may not be the bike that does anything the best, but it does most everything a rider could want so very well that it is a gem. This wasn't a bike that I was considering when I started looking around. Having ridden it for the last year, I am convinced that I made the bst posible choice. One review I read when doing my research summed it up the best: "It combines the power of a heavyweight champion with the manners of an English butler". Show less

I couldn't find a place to do a review of a 99 ACE, so I put it here. I've read all the reviews of the Honda Shadow A.C.E. VT 1100C2 in every article I could find. I've read that the ACE is a good beginners bike, a slow bike, a "no power", a "one up only" bike, and a good bike. I bought my 99 ACE in June 99. This is my third season with it and I have around 9000 miles on it. I love this bike. I've ridden one 600-mile day, and rode it to Myrtle Beach in 2000. I have had no problems of any kind, none. I do my own maintenance because I don't trust the "average" motorcycle wrench. In the world of "bigger is better", the 1100cc may seem down on power to some. I think the power is where it should be for a 1100cc V-twin. If you need or want a lot of hp buy a sport bike. I don't think or feel that a 1100cc ACE is a beginner bike for anybody. I'm old enough to remember when any bike over a 1000cc was a "BIG BIKE". I've ridden two up on flat, hilly, curvy, twisty, and winding roads with no problems at all. I've ridden with Harleys, Victorys, and everything else. Nobody had to wait on me. The ACE has good ground clearance and if you down shift and twist the "thingy" on the right end of the bar it will go. Great bike, would not trade it for anything. I like the single crank pin engine of the ACE. I've added Mustang seat, Tach, Engine guard (crash bar), Cobra slip-ons, Leatherlyke bags, rear peg extensions, jet kit and K&N air cleaner. 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

Bought a used ACE about 4 weeks ago with just 16,ooo on dial. Have put about another 3,ooo on it since, up hill down hill and on the flats. Cold and hot weather, no problems, though about ready for a rear tire. Gas milage is execelent as well as all around great ride. Live in So Cal so have all the elements within an easy ride to check this machine out. Keeper. Always great commments on the style of the bike also. Show less