Honda VF1100S V65 Sabre reviews

This is my first cruiser and I love it. I have never felt more comfortable on a bike ever. It has as much get up as my first bike which was a Honda CBR 954. It is real easy to handle but not recommended for first time riders. Show less

This is the best v-twin for the money. It has a duel-pin engine which makes it so much smoother than the single pin engines (i.e. Harley). It also cranks out quite a bit more HP than some other bikes of the same CC. It is nearly maintenance free, with hydraulic valves (self-adjusting), shaft drive, electronic ignition, no spokes, tubeless tires, liquid cooled so both cyinders run the same cool temp, unlike air-cooled v-twins where the rear jug runs hotter. Little to do but put gas in it and change the oil. While not a touring model, it holds its own on trips. I rode it 2500 miles in five days. Best day was 700 miles. Great bike for the money. Cons - Gas tank could be bigger. Show less

I had money down on a HD and same day went and bought this instead. Can't beat the price and is great for both commuting and just fun rides with friends. I dumped it 1st day and felt like crap for screwing it up right out of the showroom door. But you know what, VERY MINIMAL damage and the only thing really hurt was my pride. Now that I have that 1st accident out of the way it's been great and love getting out on the road. Show less

I bought my Sabre in July of 05. I went from an 04 Honda Aero to this bike. At the time I also owned an 05 Kawasaki ZZR600. The Aero was a nice bike if you keep it under 65. At 65, it feels like it is wound very tight. The darn thing will only go 80 mph with me on it. So, I went to the Sabre. What a nice bike. It feels like it is not even trying at 65. I have taken it on a 1000 mile trip and it was wonderful. The power was there and I could cruise all day. Now if you are coming from a 6 speed monster of a bike you might feel like the Sabre is wound too tight at higher speeds, but the Sabre is a different kind of bike. It's more agile and peppy than your 800 lb monster bikes. The many accessories that are available for this bike will also boggle the mind. You can deck this bike out to look like a retro cruiser or make it look like a custom bobber, what ever you want because there are so many parts out there. Any way, if you are looking at the other 1100's out there I suggest taking a closer look at the Sabre. It's faster than any other 1100 cruiser and for that matter, most bigger cruisers. It's also easier to change the oil than others like the V-Star where you have to pull the pipes off every time you change the oil filter, now who wants to do that? I'll bet that most of the V-Stars out there now have the original oil filter still in them because nobody wants to pull the exhaust off when they change the oil. Anyway, Honda Sabre 1100 Shadow is the the way to go. Show less

I'm 50+, and have had a bike since I was 14. I've had other Hondas, Harleys and Bennilli's. This bike kicks butt! Smooth/easy shifting. Nice seat/comfortable and plenty of power! I think this bike has a lot of style too. Nice line, I like the cast rims. The front fender doesn't have that big frumpy look, and I like the wrap around rear fender. I like it! Show less

I bought my Sabre (an 05) last year and put 15,000 or so miles on it and never had an issue with anything. I even managed to squeeze 14 thousand of those miles on the same back tire. The bike is just great, but it's like everything else, maintenance maintenance maintenance. don't skip the oil changes and tuneups, they are a requirement for longevity of anything. My truck had 190 thousand and still running strong so take care of it and it'll take care of you. (p.s. pull the cap off the kickstand bolt and use silicone to glue it down, I see a bunch of them gone...) Show less

I bought my '84 used with 1600 miles on it back in '86. It has a terrific power band that doesn't care what gear it's in. It is a HEAVY bike and with a long wheelbase, so it has to be muscled in the twisties. Absolutely no engine/oil issues (use Mobil 1). I've ridden several times up to Idaho (800+ miles) and now the bike uses about a pint of oil. Not bad. It still runs strong. It has been/continues to be a great bike. GO HONDA!!! Show less

I started riding 3 years ago. My midlife crisis took the form of a Honda Rebel 250. After a year, I was confident enough to upgrade, and my wife told me that she didn't want me upgrading every 2 or 3 years. Whatever I got, I had better stick with it for a long time. I've found the Sabre to be a reliable workhorse for daily commuting and a wonderful weekend companion. It's got the classic cruiser look that turns heads in traffic, and it's maneuverability makes it very forgiving of small novice errors in handling. Nowadays, if my wife asks whether I want to upgrade again, I tell her that this bike and I have a serious relationship. I'm not shopping for a new one anytime soon. Show less

I've ridden different bikes. This bike is overlooked way to much, because of the VTX'S. But this bike is way easier to handle and quicker than the VTX'S, but everybody thinks the bigger the bike the better it is,(THIS BIKE PROVES THAT THEORY WRONG). My brother has a Harley SoftTail and my Sabre is much faster than his bike and more reliable. And the Sabre is still great on gas mileage. I've gotten 50 miles to the gallon at the most so far and haven't rejetted it yet but will be in the near future. Perfect Bike all around to me. Show less

For the larger people who don't want to look like a bear on a bicycle at the circus :) the Sabre in a nice fit. As a beginner, I took my time to learn the bike and it's ways, and feel quite confident and happy I did not choose something smaller to start out on just to get rid of and learn a new bike all over again. Looking forward to many miles on her! We get thumbs up and smiles where ever we go! Show less