[Hammonszach]

I currently have a 2000 Honda VT 750 C2 Shadow with 7,800 miles nothing wrong with it and I have an opportunity to trade straight up for a 2005 Suzuki Boulevard S83 with 19,000 miles and nothing wrong with it either supposedly.
I looked up specs for both and I was amazed correct me if I'm wrong but they are almost identical even with the Suzuki being almost twice the size of the Honda.
So then my question is or questions are should I trade for bigger engine with same output or keep my little Honda.

 

[distantThunder]

Wow. you know your own bike really well. and the mileage is low. it may be an older bike - but you know the complete history. If you are happy with your current bike - do you really have a reason to change it?

I guess the question is - how well do you know the owner of the other bike. can you really trust them? because you are really DEPENDING on their word, when they say that their bike had no problems. why are they giving up a 2005 bike with 19,000 miles? that's also a pretty low mileage. are you positive there were no accidents, or stuff that happened to that bike?

dT

 

[Steele11b]

Take the S83 for a ride and see if you like it. I think you will notice it has more Torque than the 750.

 

[Dodsfall]

I'd question the reason someone would trade a newer, more valuable motorcycle for an older, less valuable one.

 

[Hammonszach]

Ok I looked at the specs again now that I'm not dead tired and have had some coffee ...
The Suzuki is bigger and does have more power and that's the only reason I would trade because I do want a bigger bike but it's really not that much I don't think
I am going to ride it to make sure everything is ok and yes I know that the miles are low and one can easily be fooled by just simply buying a new speedometer and running up some miles on it to make it seem like there are fewer miles on it ... This is why I am so skeptical on buying bikes with low miles
They are selling or trading to get his wife a smaller bike they said the Suzuki is too big for her.

 

[Hammonszach]

This is my shadow

 

[Hammonszach]

And this is their Suzuki

 

[Hammonszach]

The previous owner cut the sissy bar off instead of taking the bolts out and removing it properly. Wtf is all I said when they told me that

 

[Biker Dash]

Ok I looked at the specs again now that I'm not dead tired and have had some coffee ...
The Suzuki is bigger and does have more power and that's the only reason I would trade because I do want a bigger bike but it's really not that much I don't think
I am going to ride it to make sure everything is ok and yes I know that the miles are low and one can easily be fooled by just simply buying a new speedometer and running up some miles on it to make it seem like there are fewer miles on it ... This is why I am so skeptical on buying bikes with low miles
They are selling or trading to get his wife a smaller bike they said the Suzuki is too big for her.

Ok, do you want bigger is in physically bigger, or bigger as in more power?
The reason I say this is because the 750ACE is an outstanding machine, when it's limitations are taken into consideration, and also does have potential for improvement.

If you are just seeking more power, then you might wish to consider what you can do to upgrade the ACE. Aftermarket pipes, modding the intake, rejetting and scoring a Dyna3000 ignition will really wake the bike up considerably. And if you are willing to spend some extra coin, there is a company out there that offers higher compression pistons and better cams which will further liven up the 750ACE.

I shall PM you a link to a site that you will find to be a goldmine of information and help for your current bike.

 

[Hammonszach]

Thanks biker dash
I will look into it further
I want bigger for both reasons ... I want a bigger physical bike and also a bigger engine I don't like the fact that I get on the interstate and I'm doing 80 knowing that I only have 16 more to go before topped out I just don't see how that can be good for it

 

[Biker Dash]

Thanks biker dash
I will look into it further
I want bigger for both reasons ... I want a bigger physical bike and also a bigger engine I don't like the fact that I get on the interstate and I'm doing 80 knowing that I only have 16 more to go before topped out I just don't see how that can be good for it

I used to own a 750ACE. With the work done to it, I had her up to 120, and she was still pulling good at that point. I bet she would have gone all the way to 128, where she would have been bouncing off the rev limiter.

 

[Hammonszach]

I don't like not having a tach wish I could see what my rpms are at 70 mph sounds like I'm reved out

 

[Biker Dash]

I don't like not having a tach wish I could see what my rpms are at 70 mph sounds like I'm reved out

As a previous ACE owner, I can attest that the engine is doing just fine at 70. If anything, you're in the meat of the powerband.

 

[Kiwi Steve]

I used to ride with a guy who rode a Shadow 750, I had a Suzuki Boulevard M50. I thought the Shadow 750 was slightly heavier and lower powered than the M50 so there'd be quite a difference between it and the S83. Mind I do prefer the wider front tyre on the Shadow over the S83, but I'm not a fan of footplates.

So, ride the S83 and decide after that. If the other owner has just cut the sissy bar off, what other atrocities has he committed on the bike?

 

[Hammonszach]

Thanks kiwi Steve i told them I would still like to ride theirs but have recently started to black my shadow out and I'm falling back in love with it as I can't stand chrome

 

[Hammonszach]

Before and after soon to be completely blacked out

 

[cstooch]

As I worked my way through the thread, I was thinking "I love the look of that Boulevard", but now that you've blacked your Shadow out, it's looking quite nice too. Can't stand chrome either, and I'm in the process of blacking mine out too (in addition to a Bobber conversion).

Like someone else said though, I'd have a tough time giving up a bike I "knew" unless I didn't truly like it. Your bike has pretty low mileage on it too and you know if it's in good shape or not. Seems weird someone would trade straight across for 5 years older bike, even though yours has less miles. But I dunno!

 

[yahmyxs]

twack....
The new suzukis are sales bait. Truely, My nextdoor neighbor has one, it is loud and obnoxious, and flashes so much in your eye when you try to look at it that it isn't worth the effort to look at it.
Now we I have a guy(Hammondzach) that is really impressed by twice the milage.... truely, I think I will tell everyone...
"hey everybody, hammondsack wants to trade off for twice the milage" tell the guy that he needs to throw in 500 bucks and a new set of tires.

 

[Hammonszach]

Thank you everyone for your opinions I have not and am not going to trade as I have decided to keep the Honda and black it out

 

[Biker Dash]

Thank you everyone for your opinions I have not and am not going to trade as I have decided to keep the Honda and black it out

Have you thought of doing mods to increase power, and to make it handle better?

If you're able to score a Dyna 3000 for your bike, combine that with some other easy to do modifications, and it will feel like a whole new machine.

Get the Dyna, re-jet the carbs to Stage III jets, mod the intake, and aftermarket pipes, and you will have a bike that will pull hard to 7k in 5th gear. Simply changing the fork oil to 15W oil helps reduce dive significantly, as will going to Progressive springs. Swapping the stock brake lines with braided stainless will show an improvement in brake feel. And going to a 38t rear sprocket will help drop the highway cruise RPM's by a little bit. As for tires, in my experience with the ACE, Pirelli MT66 tires are one of the best choices you can make.

Mind you, this will NOT turn the bike into a Busa. It will be a series of noticable improvements to an already good bike, though, and they are improvements I think you would be happy with.