The Personal Blog Of
Boston Motorcycle Lawyer

My Next Bike: Honda Shadow ACE
December 2, 2009

I am proud to say that I am a motorcycle junkie.

I eat, sleep, and breathe motorcycles. When I’m not riding, I’m either reading or writing about it. I truly cannot get enough and if I had more money, I would own a fleet of bikes.

I’m at a point where I’m looking to potentially buy a used motorcycle. Not that there is anything wrong with my current bike, I’m just ready to have a second option. I need something that stands out in a crowd and makes a bigger and bolder statement than my current bike.

So, I’ve decided to buy a Honda Shadow ACE 750.

OK, I agree that there is absolutely nothing special about a Shadow ACE 750. It is as plain a cruiser as you can buy. But this bike has the potential to be a showstopper at a fraction of the cost of some of the 2010 models. By the summer of 2010, my Shadow ACE 750 will be a beast.

Why the Shadow ACE 750 you ask?

• Price: 1998-2003 Shadow ACEs can be purchased for approximately $2000-$2500 in ready to ride condition. Honda Shadows were very popular during this period and finding bikes should be a breeze.

• Reliability: Honda has been producing some of the most mechanically reliable bikes for the last 20 years. With simple basic maintenance, Honda Shadows will easily provide close to 100,000 miles.

• Parts: Standard Honda parts, parts bikes, and extreme accessories for Honda’s are readily available through a number of online and retail channels. With a little research, fat tire kits, fenders, performance parts, bags, and other enhancements can be found easily and affordably.

• Flexibility: Honda is a great platform to build a custom motorcycle. Like most metric bikes, the Honda Shadow is liquid cooled but the older Shadows are chain driven. With a small investment of time and money, a Shadow ACE can be made into an incredible custom motorcycle.

My ultimate design theme for this project is the ‘muscle bagger’ look. With some luck, I should be able to combine the best elements of a muscle cruiser and a bagger to create an entirely new motorcycle genre. I can’t wait.

If you are considering buying a second bike, be creative and think outside of the box. Almost anything is possible.