Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Looking for opinions on new to two year old Honda Shadow Deluxe VLX vs Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD with price to be considered a major point.

Like acceptable performance on highway if normally driven in town?

Or comfortable trips for a couple hours even with most of the trips being 1/2 hour in town?

Gas tank size, any known reliability issues by model etc...

Driver is 5'10/220 lbs, Thanks

Is the VLX Shado VLX the 600? If so, then I'm pretty sure each of these bikes will be a good bike for you to start out on, but they may feel cramped, and they may be rather...tame.

when you comapre spot bike vs cruiser 600cc does NOT = 600cc.

I ride a Suzuki Boulevard M50, meaning it is 805cc.

That's (at MOST) 62 horse power. (I've seen numbers as low as 54)

And then you look at something "tame" like a 750 Honda Nighthawk, 67 hoursepower.

Suzuki GSKR 750? 128 horsepower.

Remember displacement does not equal power.

The Kawasaki puts out about 39, the Honda about similar, maybe up to about 45.

I'm not trying to talk you out of either of these bikes, they're both good bikes, but they're also notoriously turned in with very low miles because the rider got bored real fast.

I would recommend perhaps a Honda Shadow Spirit (750) or Honda Shadow Spirit (750) Both of which are really nice bikes, with better features, even for the money.

\/\/

(if you see a near new VLX 600 in a show, might want to get that, my local shop had one that was turned in 2 weeks later, with 189 miles on it, 11.5 months of warranty left....2 grand off.)

Pass on the VLX, it's got a 4Speed and from what I've read you really feel the need for a 5th gear...

Though the Vulcon is a smaller displacement, it's actually faster than the VLX.

Both bikes are going to be bullet proof. They've been around for years so the design is proven...

sharpmagna wrote:Pass on the VLX, it's got a 4Speed and from what I've read you really feel the need for a 5th gear...

Though the Vulcon is a smaller displacement, it's actually faster than the VLX.

Both bikes are going to be bullet proof. They've been around for years so the design is proven...

You're right, I forgot about the 4 speed gear box.

And yes, they're both solid buys, they're both pretty easy to take care of, and pretty easy to ride. Both have a long line of success with the specific line you're looking at as well, so there's a pretty high bar already set for them.

\/\/

flw wrote:Looking for opinions on new to two year old Honda Shadow Deluxe VLX vs Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD with price to be considered a major point.

Like acceptable performance on highway if normally driven in town?

Or comfortable trips for a couple hours even with most of the trips being 1/2 hour in town?

Gas tank size, any known reliability issues by model etc...

Driver is 5'10/220 lbs, Thanks

I own a 2005 shadow vlx. Here are my impressions.

Excellent beginners bike very easy to handle. You can make noob mistakes on it all day and won't pay for it.

Excellent bike under 50mph. Over 50mph too much vibration. I changed the grips and bought better gloves which helped. Bike will cruise on the highway no problem at 80mph. Adding a windshield would help.

I haven't had any mechanical problems bike has 6,000 miles.
Easy to change the oil yourself. Gas tank is 2.9 gallons. I average 60 mpg city 55mpg highway.

4-speed tranny is a big negative. For that reason alone I would go for the vulcan 500 or shadow 750.

I'm 6'0 230lbs and I think the bike is a little small for me.

This is my first bike and bought it used from a private seller. Price was too good to pass up. (I was looking for a shadow 750)

If you find a used one at a good price go for it do not buy a new one. Otherwise go for the vulcan 500 or shadow 750.

At your size, I think you would be happier on a Shadow Spirit 750. I'm about the same specs as you, and I found that bike to be much more comfortable than the previous 2 you mentioned. Plus, it still doesn't have too much power for a beginner. (Something like 55hp crank, 45 to the wheel)

The Aero is the same motor, so if you like that styling better, then look at that one.

The vulcan is quicker and would be better suited for the highway with its 6-speed transmission. Honda bikes have better fit & finish in my opinion, but in this case I think the vulcan is a better choice and its about $800 cheaper as well.

Dear Mr. BlueBomber,,, You are so WRONG about the HP numbers of the Suzuki M50, Here is the August 2005 Road Test from Cycle World: 0-60 mph....5.4 sec., 1/4 mile....14.29 sec @ 88.91 mph, HORSEPOWER..45.7 bph @ 6200 rpm, Torque 44.1 ft lbs @ 4700 rpm, Top Speed..100 mph! My Honda Civic has better numbers than that! I should know I own a POS M50!

I've not ridden any Vulcans, yet, but of all the various midsize cruisers, the Honda 750 Shadow Aero in Candy Dark Red is my favorite. I love the color. The Suzuki M50 rides just as well, but I prefer the looks of the Aero. Your opinion may be different because looks are purely subjective.

I did ride the Honda 750, its slow but you don't have to rev and scream the engine to get the max power outta it, it makes its max horsepower at 2600 rpm and that tells you a lot about a bike, no cruiser bike needs to be shifted down to 3rd gear and reved and screaming the engine to make the speed limit, the Honda 750 will cruise any speed limit in high gear and at a low rpm. Just don't buy a M50