The bike's 52-degree V-twin mill starts fairly easily, though occasional deployment of the left-side choke knob speeds things up on cold mornings. Throw a leg over and settle onto the roomy saddle, which places you a mere two feet off the ground-giving plenty of confidence for beginning or shorter riders. The broad pilot's perch provides plenty of room for butt placement and puts you at a perfect level with the wide, rubber-mounted handlebar curved to fall close to the rider's hands. Passengers won't be as happy out back, however; the pillion, though detachable, is narrow, and the pegs are too high to allow much comfort. A pair of forward-set aluminum footpegs provides additional room for pilots to stretch out, though these are tilted too far to feel natural, and your heel can touch down on sharp turns.
The initial getaway is smooth thanks to an easily accessible clutch lever and silky engagement. Shifting is positive, with the requisite clunk in first gear. Once underway, the Shadow Aero pulses like a V-twin, but one with flawless carburetion and an agreeable exhaust note to boot. The engine does radiate some vibration, felt mostly through the pegs, but this never develops into anything more than an annoyance. Throttle response is fairly crisp for a bike of this class, and the torque pull off the light is surprisingly forceful.
At low speeds, the 577-pound Aero comports itself admirably, with light steering and terrific leverage in turns thanks to the wide bar. At 64.5 inches, the wheelbase is somewhere between the A.C.E. (63.6) and Spirit's (64.8) dimensions, which results in a steady, predictable ride. Ground clearance is better than expected considering the low seat height, but we were less than impressed with the ride quality along sharply irregular roads. Although the dual rear shocks have five-position preload adjustability, there are only 3.5 inches of travel to play with out back, resulting in a somewhat underdamped feel. The 41mm fork offers more neutral handling up front, however, with 4.6 inches of wheel travel for the fat 120/90-17 front tire and a 4mm fork brace to enhance rigidity.
A single 296mm drilled rotor gripped by a twin-piston caliper provides controllable stopping power, though substantial effort is necessary at the brake lever, and you should be prepared to employ the 180mm rear drum unit, too. The levers themselves are easy to access even for small hands, and readily engaged.
The Aero's retro styling flows into details such as spoked wheels (with tube-type tires, unfortunately), wide chrome rims and a large 3.7-gallon fuel tank. On most rides in the city, we were able to milk more than 135 miles from a single tank of gas. The Aero shines on urban runs. The rear shocks feature eye-catching chrome covers, and the fork is also encased in large-diameter chromed steel shrouds.
The speedometer peeks out of an attractive chrome instrument housing set into the front of the fuel tank in classic retro style. Instrumentation is what you'd expect from a bike at this level-a speedo and an LCD tripmeter/odometer combination. A handsome, classically styled headlight brings up the front, providing better-than-average lighting with a 60/55-watt halogen bulb. We also liked the steering head and helmet lock features for the added convenience and security they allow riders.
There are a few unsightly details on the Aero, like the front wiring, chintzy turn signals and tank seam, but overall, this newest Shadow is a good deal. Perhaps the best aspect is its affordability-a competitive sticker price of $6199 puts it on the same playing field as Yamaha's popular V-Star 650 and Kawasaki's Vulcan 800, which both offer shaft drive and a sub-$6200 price. The Aero is available in solid black or solid dark red as well as three two-tone color options: black/silver, black/red and black/blue. Honda also says it will provide a raft of accessories to support the Aero, including windshield, saddlebag brackets, a backrest and a light bar.