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Help me build my first bobber! 1986 Honda Shadow VT700c

  • BigDawgShadowMan

    Hey all! I just bought my first motorcycle, an all OEM candy red 1986 Honda Shadow VT700c with 25,000 miles and runs great. First, I'm looking to refresh the bike (fluid change, catch up on maintenance, etc.) but don't know if there's any issues that I should be on the lookout for specifically with age and mileage. My main goal with this bike however is to turn it into a bobber while keeping the bike's character intact. Here is my current list of changes (keep in mind I don't really have any idea what I'm talking about lol) would love to know some parts recommendations, if anything will be incredibly difficult to do (I have access to a few shops with fabrication and mechanical capabilities) and some stylistic suggestions! 

    MOD IDEA LIST:

    Exhaust

    Handlebars

    Grips/ Hand Controls

    Rear Seat Removal/ change to solo seat

    Fender Delete/ Smaller rear fender

    Wider front and back tires (Will this entail changing forks or rear suspension?)

     

    What else should I think about modding? I haven't been able to find many parts at all for these bikes (tons for newer Shadows) but I want to make something fun to ride around town and unique to me! I also work in video production so if you'd like to see a high quality vlog series of someone learning how to wrench on a bike from scratch, let me know! Just another idea I'm tossing around with this. Amped up to hear what everyone thinks!

     

    Current photo of the bike attached

  • TJ

    @BigDawgShadowMan First off congratulations on the bike man it's really rare to find one of these in running condition First yes refreshing the bike is a great idea New oil new plugs new ignition wires Good call What I wouldn't do is most of what you've lined out You may have noticed that TJ Brutal Customs doesn't really carry any parts for this model. The 700 was known as a tariff buster made for only a short few years during the Reagan administration to pretty much circumvent tariffs on import motorcycles over 700 CCS. There are no parts really available for these bikes when it comes to stock replacement parts or aftermarket. Leave the exhaust as is Leave the seat as is leave the fenders as is leave the tires as is This is not a bike to modify unfortunately.  since it is running I strongly recommend you enjoy it as it is ride it till the wheels fall off if you're looking for a good bike that's inexpensive to modify I really can't think of anything better than a VT600. Throughout most of the US they can be found for anywhere between a couple $100 all the way up to 25 for cleaner specimens. The bike as is is extremely unique You won't see many of these on the road due to the fact that maintenance components and support are nonexistent for them. Again I really can't recommend enough that you just ride and enjoy the bike as it is and perhaps look for something else that has better support to modify. I've been doing this for about 20 years I've come across one of the seven hundreds in the wild and it barely ran They're not a common bike but they can be really enjoyable in stock configuration. 

    DO FUN SHIT!
    Check the FAQ's here for tons of tuning info and more!! - t.ly/MA6r6

  • BigDawgShadowMan

    @TJ News to me! I guess I figured that a Shadow was a Shadow (albeit older). I was looking at cb500's and bikes closer to that, so when a family member offered to sell me this for super cheap, I was flying blind into the bike's history/ parts availability. Really appreciate all of the info! I will certainly take your advice, but I may still check out some handlebar options because I feel like a T-Rex driving the thing lol love your YouTube content brother! 

  • TJ

    @BigDawgShadowMan yeah bars should be a pretty easy thing just remember all the parts are old and britle, but for the rest of the bike just enjoy the hell out of it!! 

    DO FUN SHIT!
    Check the FAQ's here for tons of tuning info and more!! - t.ly/MA6r6

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