Honda Vt1100t
CRUISERS AREN’T JUST FOR CRUISING ANYMORE. No longer relegated to the boulevard, they are becoming regular fixtures on the open road. Granted, Harley-Davidson has been building touring-capable cruisers for years. And now, the Japanese manufacturers are getting in on the action. Witness Yamaha’s Royal Star Tour Deluxe, Honda’s Valkyrie Tourer and Kawasaki’s soon-to-be-unveiled Vulcan 1500 bagger.
These are big, hairy-chested mega-cruisers, however, and they aren’t for everyone. Enter Honda’s early-release 1998 VT1100T Shadow American Classic Edition Tourer. A combination custom and touring machine, the Tourer caters to those who crave torquey V-Twin power, but in a smaller, more nimble package.
Such versatility isn’t exactly cheap, though. At $11,499 our two-toned Tourer (available in solid colors for $10,999) costs as much as Honda’s highly touted, 174-mph CBR1100XX, and $3200 more than Yamaha’s unadorned Virago 1100 Special.
But the VT comes equipped with full cruiser-touring regalia-that is, windscreen, saddlebags and padded sissybar. The injection-molded plastic bags are identical to the Valkyrie Tourer’s-same front-hinge design, same easyrelease fasteners, same 20-pound capacity-and are more than sufficient for daily commuting or weekend trips. Up front, the non-adjustable polycarbonate windscreen is small enough to see over and offers good coverage, though some taller testers complained of minor buffeting.
HONDA VT1100T
CYCLE WORLD TEST
A TOURER EMERGES FROM THE SHADOWS
The VT1100T is actually the latest in a long line of Shadows. Now, this gets a little confusing, so bear with us. The VT’s family tree is multi-branched and dates back to the 1985 debut of the original Shadow 1100. Honda redesigned that bike in ’87, and the result was a more Harley-esque appearance and increased bottom-end power.
Eight years later, Honda attempted to inject even more eau de Harley into its cruiser line with the Shadow ACE, which used a single-pin-crankshaft design. This year, the ACE is unchanged, while the Shadow receives engine and cosmetic updates, including a revised riding position, and an ACE-like seat and exhaust. It also gets a name change, and is now known as the Spirit 1100.
And then there’s the subject of this road test, the Tourer, which mates many ACE parts-frame, gas tank, engine covers, etc.-with the Spirit’s engine.
Honda wanted to revert back to the Shadow’s original horsepower and torque levels. So instead of the ACE’s single-pin crank, the Tourer was given the Spirit’s offset dualpin design. The liquidcooled, 1099cc, 45degree Vee-motor has three valves per cylinder-two intake, one exhaust. Rubber-mounted, it breathes through a pair of 36mm Keihin carbs, and spent exhaust gases exit through a new 2-into-l-into-2 system.
But does it make more power? On the CW dyno, the Tourer produced 53 horsepower at 5000 rpm and 63 foot-pounds of torque at 3000 rpm. That’s a slight decrease from our 1994 test Shadow, which made nearly 59 horsepower and 69 footpounds of torque. On the other hand, that’s a noticeable increase over the ACE, which made only 44 horsepower and 61 foot-pounds of torque.
Furthermore, the Tourer’s five-speed gearbox was the recipient of some serious twiddling. Perhaps responding to complaints about the ACE’s lack of acceleration off the line, Honda configured the Tourer with a lower first gear and a lower secondary reduction ratio. The result is plenty of bottom-end grunt, thank you very much. So much so, that the bike will accelerate cleanly from a dead stop in second gear.
Engine and gearbox modifications weren’t the only changes. The swingarm was reinforced, and the wire-spoke wheels were ditched in favor of heavier-duty cast-aluminum jobbies that accommodate tubeless radial tires-a Shadow first.
Finally, the suspension was recalibrated for a firmer ride. Up front, the 41mm Showa fork offers 5.9 inches of travel, and the dual chromed shocks have 3.9 inches. Only the shocks are adjustable, via easily accessible five-way preload ramps. While the ride isn’t Cadillac-plush, the suspension does soak up most pavement bumps and ripples, a big improvement over earlier ACEs.
Last on Honda’s Things To Tweak List was the seat. Appearance-wise, the saddle is identical to the ACE’s. But denser foam was added, and the contour was altered to provide more support in general, and to the inner thigh area in particular.
So, how does it handle? Thanks to the broad, 32-inch-wide handlebar, there’s plenty of steering leverage. The Tourer swings into fast bends with little effort, and handles lowspeed maneuvers with aplomb. Cornering clearance, while good, particularly for a cruiser, is improved slightly by removing the %-inch footpeg feelers. All in all, the Honda gets above-average grades in the twisties.
Even so, the Tourer isn’t about canyon carving, it’s about tooling through the countryside in comfort. And once there, the stretched-out riding position is oh-so relaxing, no matter the speed.
What goes, of course, must stop. And the Tourer comes up aces in the braking department with its twin-piston single-disc combos. Stopping distances, however, were slightly longer than those of past ACEs, likely a result of the increased heft brought on by the travel-oriented add-ons.
Despite its mass, the Tourer handles downtown duty with dignity. Its low 28.5-inch seat height, agile handling and strong lowto midrange power make stoplight-to-stoplight trolling a particularly pleasant activity. Although the mechanical clutch performs well, small-handed riders had trouble reaching the lever. Since the Tourer’s target audience includes women, a VFR750-like, thumb-wheel adjuster would be a helpful addition.
As content as the Tourer is romping down Main Street, it’s equally happy at speed. On the freeway, it’s partial to plugging along at legal speeds. It will, of course, go faster; when we pulled out the CW radar gun, the Honda ripped off a 97-mph pass. And at the dragstrip, the VT knocked off the quarter-mile in 14.10 seconds at nearly 90 mph. That may be a few tenths and several mph slower than our last test Shadow, but the Tourer fares well when compared to Harley-Davidson’s similarly saddled Road King, which posted a 14.48-second quarter-mile at 89 mph, and a 94mph top speed. (To its credit, the Tourer bests both bikes in top-gear roll-ons.)
Like its predecessors, the Tourer will be assembled in Honda’s Marysville, Ohio, factory. Honda isn’t willing to quote production numbers, but those figures could be high if touring cruisers turn out to be more than a passing fancy. Thus far, reactions have been positive. Whether traveling crowded city streets or parked outside a restaurant, the Tourer captured many admiring glances. And more than one passerby stopped to comment on the bike’s heavily finned V-Twin, gleaming chrome and flowing curves.
The bottom line is that the Tourer and bikes like it take what used to be short-range boulevard bombers and convert them into versatile, all-day bikes. Think of them as cruisers with a higher calling.
EDITORS' NOTES
As A HIP, HAPPENIN’ WOMAN OF THE ’90s, I long ago realized that size matters-a fact, it seems, that Honda is well aware of. Case in point? The Valkyrie, the Valkyrie Tourer and this new Shadow ACE Tourer. Nary a small bike amongst ’em.
1 have to admit, though, this is the biggest bike I have ever ridden. And when I first saw it, I thought Mr. Editor Edwards had taken leave of his senses by putting me on such a leviathan. But I was oh so wrong. Although the Tourer appears a bit bulky, it’s positively weightless upon acceleration. And while its seeming heft implies that slow-paced maneuvers are difficult, they aren’t. And with the low seat height, gaining confidence through trial and error is a cinch. Plus, my whole apartment will fit into those saddlebags.
So, size does indeed matter. And Honda’s Shadow Tourer is proof positive of just how much better big really is.
-Wendy F. Black, Associate Editor
Is IT ME, OR HAVE CRUISERS SUDDENLY skyrocketed in price? Take, for instance, this Shadow ACE Tourer. An excellent motorcycle with broad-ranging abilities, for sure, but should it cost the same (in two-tone paint) as a newfrom-the-axles-up CBR1100XX? After all, the Tourer really doesn’t break any new ground, and the XX boasts counter-rotating balance shafts, a vastly improved linked braking system and a 176-mph top speed.
Honda’s not the only company charging a premium for its cruisers. Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki and Yamaha all have five-figure price tags attached to their top-of-the-line boulevard bruisers. BMW’s new Telelever cruiser, the much-ballyhooed R 1200C, won’t be any cheaper, either. All this, while a sporting standard like Suzuki’s Bandit 1200 retails for a mere $7099. Even outfitted with extra-cost anti-lock brakes, it costs $2900 less than the Tourer. What’s wrong with this picture? -Matthew Miles, Managing Editor
AMAZING WHAT THE ADDITION OF SADdlebags and a windscreen will do for a testbike’s popularity. All of a sudden, a model that usually gets passed over for sportier, sexier ordnance is pressed into service for all kinds of things-commuting, lunch runs, trips to the gym, twoup hops to the movies, etc.
And, yes, as the stewardly Mr. Miles rightly notes, shelling out 11.5 big ones for the Tourer could give the of ticker a skip or two. I myself might be tempted to spring for the single-color Spirit 1100 stripper ($8599), then outfit it with an aftermarket screen and throw-over bags. The three G’s I’d save would buy a lot of gas.
Still, if it’s a turnkey touring cruiser you’re after, the ACE undercuts the H-D Road King, the Tour Deluxe version of Yamaha’s Royal Star and Honda’s own Valky bagger by thousands of dollars, and is every bit as capable.
Besides, judging by the amount of use our Tourer is getting, there’ll be little time for sticker shock to set in.
-David Edwards, Editor-in-Chief
HONDA VT1100T
$11,499
