HONDA VT125 SHADOW (1999 - 2007) Review

Version: Vt125c

Year: 1999

Annual servicing cost: £150

The best thing for me is the riding position and the fact that even shorter people can have both feet on the ground. The reliability is 2nd to none if looked after and serviced properly. The down side is the weight, its a heavy machine for its size. If you want to get around at breakneck speed then you might want to look at something more modern. However if you're like me and in your 60's and prefer comfort you won't go wrong with this bike . For a heavy 125 it still plods along nicely at 65 without thrashing it.

Buying experience: I purchased the bike from a dealer off ebay, but I did check that they were not some shady dealer. You can always check a company by getting touch wit trading standards or like myself I checked with feedback from other buyers and checked in motorbike magazines for information. The bikes was advertised at 3500 and I got it for 3200 delivered. The bike was in excellent condition and was as it was described in the advert. So far the bike has proved to be very reliable and for the price I paid I am very satisfied.

Year: 2007

had the Phantom 200 in Thailand very similar all round to this,had the Shadow 750 but was too heavy this is 200lbs lighter yet still looks the part,in mint condition so i bought it online quite expensiveat £3500 but its a 58 with 3800mls and most i looked at were selling quickly,very pleased.

Buying experience: Come on the market and sell very quickly,mine was a bit expensive but i got delivery free

Year: 2007

Excellent for what it is, a baby cruiser. Expensive but you get what you pay for and this bike is a world away from mostly every other 125. Proper Honda build quality, good little engine, looks much bigger than it is, and a doddle to ride for a novice

Buying experience: Bought Privately

Year: 2006

I owned a vt 125 as my 2nd bike and used it as a daily commuter about 30 miles a day even in the snow. loads of extras. just a joy to own and super easy to work on as everything is exposed and accessable. I had 70mph out of it, it will do 65 all day long. and I used it get 88mpg out of it. I sold mine 5 or 6 years ago. My girlfriend now owns one and has toured London - France 3 times on it without it missing a beat the last 3 years. Thanks to panniers and rear racks and after market accessories she can carry everything she needs for a tour. I take my 500 so hats off to her. I used her bike today and thanks to the tall rev limiter I beat an rs4 in a mini drag race as he needed extra shift compared to the vt125 (I'm saying its fast enough). the bike is super light and agile but is limited by low pegs. My girlfriends bike has also been used off road a bit on gravel trails and sand thanks to the chunky stock tyres. the only down side i think is that its mirrors are wide for city centre filtering. no other weakness really

Year: 2007

A great little town hopper! Will happily cruise along at 60+ mph without a problem. Does what you expect from a 125cc. Low centre of gravity and the extra 'oomph' the V-Twin pumps out compared to other 125's more than makes up for its 'lardy' feel to it. Great for learning on. A real head turner!

Buying experience: Bought privately. Was in great condition. These bikes can sell for in the region of £2000, give or take £500.

Year: 2004

Annual servicing cost: £100

Overall this bike is just perfect for getting around on with comfort, and the best part is that it doesn't look anything like a 125cc at a glance. It's slightly quicker than most other 125cc's as well because of it's V-Twin engine.

I have always been fascinated by cruisers and as a new rider, I have recently bought this bike as my first bike, to help get some miles under my belt and practice my skills. The riding school bikes were so old and boring that I couldnt take it anymore. However after much searching I came across the Honda Shadow and I fell in love with it. I was tempted by cheaper bikes, to learn on, but I wasnt happy and I am glad I held on. Honestly I have to say that this is a fantastic bike, a good size, wonderfully styled and easy to ride for a novice. Its very comfortable to ride, with a nice soft seat, the build quality, fit and finish are top notch and its plenty fast for me. I just look forward to riding it everyday - its truly, quite simply - a beautiful bike....

Ilove this bike! I bought it after failing my first attempt at Mod 2 'cos it was obvious I needed more practice than just the training time I was getting at the bike school. I was getting very frustrated looking at my 650 Dragstar that I couldn't get on and use! I was lucky enough to find an 11 year old Honda VT125 Shadow on eBay that had done only 35 miles in its first 10 years, (with SORN notices to prove it) and had £1500 spent on it on Highway Hawk extras. It looks stunning - everyone thinks it is a 750cc or 1000cc cruiser and no-one believes it is a 125cc! I find it a bit easy to scrape the footpegs and the engine does struggle a bit uphill (though it can stretch to 70mph on a bit of a downwards slope), but for commuting, at over 80mpg, it is brilliant. I think I'll carry on commuting on it even after I pass my test unless it gets very windy in which case I'll probably go on the dragstar. Highly recommended!

I was not going to get a 125 as being a big chap I looked a little silly on a cg etc. Spotted this in a dealer and could not believe it was only a 125. Having done CBT on a VanVan this bike is a revelation. It is so comfy and easy to ride, gear change easy, throttle smooth. I also do not see where they got their tank range from! I did 140 miles and could only get 8 litres in the tank, this equates to around 80mpg. Not sure about getting 80mph, so far have managed only 65, but as I said I am a big chap. For any adult sized person looking for a learner you will not go wrong with the VT 125. Is quite expensive compared to other 125's but this bike is not built like your average 125. Go sit on one and you will just feel the quality and comfort. Didn't get into biking for a cruiser was going to go sports/tourer but the upright comfy position is just so nice and am seriously looking at triumph thunderbird for my 1st big bike!

The spec's given here is nothing like my bike. Top speed 80mph (Head down bum up). Fuel Average 75mpg - 90mpg Average Range on 1 tank is 260miles i can get 190 miles on £11 worth. This is a great bike nice and smooth ride, corners well for a cruiser. I often get the bottom of me boot rubbing the road but i love it, tells me im being a muppet 8D. All in all its a lot of money, but you get more bike for your money compaired to suzuki or Kawasaki equivelents. Best bike i've every owned.

Bought the bike new 3 months ago to get used to riding again before sitting my big bike test. Failed the test but not bothered, the little shadow is a great piece of kit to look at and to ride. I get around 200 miles to the tank (and I'm 16 stone+) and I've had 75 MPH regularly so I'm more than happy to stick with the 'wee shadow' until next year when I will try for the new test.

Had this bike for 2 months. fantastic, my first geared bike, comfy , easy to understand looks bigger than it is, extremely reliable, absolutely love it, will never get rid!! lots of cleaning though!!!

This is a wonderful first bike, not sure what people are saying about it being slow or heavy, it's smooth around town and in traffic and will get up to 80 mph on a decent straight without much hassel. Its a beautfully finished custom so if riding with your knee down is your bag then there are probably other bikes for you. Otherwise this is a great first bike just get a well serviced second hand one for better value.

Bought a 2006 Honda Shadow 125 for £1699 with 3500 miles on the clock and in mint condition and I'm very pleased with it. Excellent bike to learn to ride on, with a nice light clutch, 125cc V-twin engine and very forgiving to mistakes. The only real niggle I have is the lack of rev counter...much anger! Being a cruiser the seating position is very, very comfortable, and while I've not been on any super long trips on it yet, I really feel like I could just ride it all day long. Fuel economy is excellent aswell. MCN must have made a mistake with their calcuations because I've covered 140 miles on a tank and only needed to fill up with 8 litres! Brilliant! I don't know what the reviewer is saying about it being lardy, underpowered and too heavy for slow traffic, though. It's a crusier with a learner legal engine...what do you expect?! Of course it's not as flickable as, say an RS125 would be but that said, it handles very nicely, it does reach 70 (eventually) and filtering on it can be a laugh, but is fairly easy to manage. Ground clearance is no problem either, unless you really do go nuts as if you were on a sports bike! As for storage, mine came with a pair of lovely leather panniers which are adequate for small/medium sized items but will not fit a helmet. You might be able to squeeze a jacket with no spine protection in one though. Also, if you intend to take pillions frequently it would be wise to invest in getting the bacrest/rear rack. While the rear seat is very comfy, theres nothing behind your back which lowers confidence a little. Because of the rear rack included, you now have the option of adding more storage too, if you so desire. Overall, an excellent first bike thats easy to use. Get a well cared for 2nd hand one though, the price from new is very expensive.

nice little learner bike