2005 Honda Shadow Aero 750
Who You Callin’ Small?

Good Things Come In Mid-Sized Packages

By Jessica Prokup, Photos by Bob Feather

This little tidbit may come as a shock, but I’m not a millionaire. Yes, I know, editor of a national motorcycle magazine and all, but this isn’t a six-figure job — yet. Does that keep me from scheming up two-wheeled adventures? Hell, no. I learned a long time ago that you don’t need a ton of money to follow your dreams.

Case in point: if you’re looking to travel the world on two wheels in relative comfort, but you don’t like the price tags on big cruisers and luxo-tourers, there are plenty of mid-sized, mid-priced bikes that will suit your needs. Take the subject of our Quick Ride this month, the 2005 Honda Shadow Aero. Toting a 745cc motor in a smoothly engineered package, it offers decent power, fine handling, and classic looks, all for two grand less than Honda’s 1100cc models (and, in case you’re wondering, $1,500 less than a basic Yamaha V-Star 1100). Deck it out with the factory-supplied windshield and bags like we did here, and you’re good to go for miles.

Smooth, Solid…

When I picked up our tester bike in Daytona, I wondered for a moment if they’d prepped the right model. With its retro-looking fenders and exhaust, finned cylinders, and chunky chrome, the Aero simply doesn’t look like a 750. Figuring the Honda guys know their bikes better than I do, I stashed my backpack in a saddlebag, dropped my rear on the seat, and tipped the bike off the sidestand. Ahhh, now I get it. The Aero looks like a big bike, but doesn’t feel bulky at all.

The reach to the bars and pegs fit my 5'5" frame nicely, and the extra-low seat, just 25.9" from the ground, made parking-lot maneuvers quite comfortable. I snicked the tranny up a gear, hit the gas, and headed for the back roads to make an appointment with staff photog Bob Feather.

Like all things Honda I’ve ridden so far, the Aero was smooth and precise. It handled agreeably along the gentle curves that wound past open fields, letting me just sit back and enjoy the ride. The steering is neutral and the suspension fairly plush; both are well matched to the smoothness of the shaft drive. Simply put, this isn’t a bike that requires a lot of planning while riding.

After my photo session with Bob, I headed for the highway to test out the bike’s higher-speed abilities. No complaints here; roll the throttle, click the gears, and the bike zips right up to cruising speed with very little vibration along the way. The Aero hit 80 mph with much less effort than I expected — I’ve gotten so used to riding bikes with bigger motors, I forgot that 750s aren’t snails. Which brings me back to my earlier point: you don’t need a big, expensive motorcycle to blast around back roads or across the country.

…And Smart

Would I go touring on this 750 Aero? Absolutely. It has more than enough power to eat up the miles, and the shaft drive won’t require much maintenance along the way. The adjustable rear suspension, with five settings for spring preload, lets you moderate the bike’s handling with luggage or a passenger. Plus, the tank holds a respectable 3.7 gallons, so gas stops shouldn’t be annoyingly frequent. And if that’s not enough, the wide seat is extremely comfortable and the ergos, with the low bars and not-too-far-forward pegs, are quite relaxed.

But most of us don’t spend all our time touring, and for boulevard duty, the Aero suits just as well. It’s a sharp-looking, classically styled cruiser with an abundance of chrome and nice details, like the tank-mounted instrument panel, custom taillight and turn signals, and chrome-capped rear shocks. And if there’s not enough chrome on the stock model for you, Honda offers a long list of bolt-on accessories. So, while you’re tooling around town on your shiny, low-slung cruiser, you’ll be cool and comfortable. And you’ll have cash to spare for other really important things, like snazzy gear. RB

List Price: $6,599

Engine: Liquid-cooled 52-degree V-twin

Valvetrain: SOHC, three valves per cylinder

Displacement: 745cc

Bore x Stroke: 79 x 76mm

Compression: 9.6:1

Fuel System: Single 34mm CV

Mfr HP Rating: N/A

Mfr Torque Rating: N/A

Transmission: Five-speed

Final Drive: Shaft

Overall Length: 98.5"

Wheelbase: 64.5"

Rake/Trail: 34 degrees/6.3"

Seat Height: 25.9"

Fuel Capacity: 3.7 gallons

Dry Weight: 519 pounds

2005 Colors: Black, Black/Candy Red, Black/Metallic Silver, Black/Pearl Blue, Candy Red, Metallic Silver/Pearl White