Honda Shadow VLX Deluxe

submitted by Sammiemom

My road to the VLX started in the spring. I have been a very happy passenger for many years, with no desire to ride my own. With our SCRC involvement, and seeing the number of women who ride their own, the bug finally bit my. My husband was more than happy to oblige, although my learning experiences have taken a few years off his life. Anyhow.... now that I have decided to ride, what bike to get? I started my search by looking at all the manufacturer websites. From that I was able to narrow down the style of bike that I liked, and I ended up with 6 contenders - the Honda Shadow and VLX, the Suzuki Savage and GZ250, the Yamaha V-Star and Virago. Then we set out to visit the dealerships. After sitting in the Yamaha and Suzuki bikes, I was leaning towards the Savage. Then we went to the Honda dealer. I sat on the VLX and new it was the right bike for me - it felt comfortable, not too big or too small, I loved the styling - kind of like finding the right wedding dress :) To say my husband was happy that I chose this bike would be an understatement. He made no attempt to steer me towards any particular bike, he wanted me to find the right one without interference. But he was absolutely tickled that I decided on the Honda. His next step was the cycle trader, and my 2002 Purple VLX came to live with us for Mother's Day. I still have limited experience riding - we have a preschooler, we both work, and it is hard to find the time. But for what experience I do have: The seat height is perfect for me; I am 5'2" and can comfortably flat foot the bike. It is not too heavy that it scares me, but still big enough to be a "real" motorcycle. It has enough power to get me where I need to be but not so much that it is hard to handle. I never rode a motorcycle before this, so I can't compare the 4 gears to anything. I am perfectly happy learning on this bike and I don't foresee moving up to anything bigger for a very long time. Oh, in my learning process I have laid it down a couple times, and my huband never has a problem picking it back up!

Thanks to Sammiemom for submitting this personal review. From Sammiemom, "I ride the VLX, hubby has a Valkyrie Interstate, we are members of the NE Florida SCRC (DH is an officer), and I am a proud member of the RSBS!"

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