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SPECS · PICS · RATING
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Review of the 2004 Honda Shadow Sabre:Not bad, not great |
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Author: gary, 2008-01-03, viewed 173 times. | ||||||
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For a VT it´s a great bike. | ||||||
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Let me start by getting this out, I don´t like VT´s. That said I like the VT1100 motor AND the Sabre quite a bit. Recently I tried a VTX1800 and wouldn´t trade my Sabre for one (or most VT´s for that matter) straight up. Positives Great handling, very good brakes, 47+ mpg, acceleration very good for a VT. I´m 145 lbs so that probably helps but it still accelerates nice and doesn´t hit the rev limit in 1st gear till 47 mph. The saddle is comfortable, it has minimal vibration at cruising speeds, just about everything about the feel of it is excellent. It handles much like a Shadow 750 but has wind bucking of a big bike, very surprising. The motor with its stock pipes is also surprisingly quiet, I like that. NEGATIVES I have 3500 miles on it in just over 4 months, enough to be critical as well as laudatory. I hit reserve at 130-140 miles, the tank SHOULD be 1+ gallon larger. No gas gauge makes the trip meter a gas gauge, so it´s useless unless they put in a second trip meter. Anyway, If you have a long ride to work (I ride 60+ miles a day) that makes fill ups every other day... bummer, why bike reviewers do not ding bike makers more on this issue I´ll never know. Some riders use bikes for something other than going to the beach or bar once a month. No tach, or temp gauge either... this bike is straight out of the 40´s in visual awareness of the bike´s status. The tranny is pretty clunky... sometimes it has problems getting into neutral, and sometimes a LIGHT toe pressure shifts up or down without clutching. Opening the throttle at say 45mph in 4th the bike shudders like a drug addict detoxifying :-) The bike is garage kept, but the aluminum parts are all showing corrosion and this will need attention soon. Finally, the rear is illuminated by ONE red lamp. Why¿ If that bulb goes, you get creamed by a dump truck, or grandma. The turn signals SHOULD BE RED AND LIT 100% of the time! Failing that more lamps somewhere!!! Sheesh... every time I stop at a light I worry whether or not someone is gonna hit me. |
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