Help. Please identify this bike

[Alec]

Cheers for the replies guys. Speedo is in km/ph so it certainly did not originate in the States. But I really cannot find any info on the bike - or checking in google images a match. Will do the vin check tomorrow morning and see if I can get a better idea.

I am going to be buying some parts in the States so will have to just cross fingers that they fit...

[jpr1968]

Originally Posted by adlowe

ACE wire rims came with rear disc brakes -- at least in 1999.

You are right. I thought that all the 1100's with wire rims had rear drum but the Aces came with rear disc.

[adlowe]

Originally Posted by jpr1968

You are right. I thought that all the 1100's with wire rims had rear drum but the Aces came with rear disc.

Just checked and found that the rear caliper assembly was the same part number for 1999 1100 ACE and 2001 1100 Sabre.

Originally Posted by Alec

But I really cannot find any info on the bike - or checking in google images a match. Will do the vin check tomorrow morning and see if I can get a better idea.

Try this. I lined up a 2001 Sabre and a 1999 ACE but you can make other choices.

[Alec]

Guess with the spoked wheel it looks more like the ACE - but if you don't mind will post the vin tomorrow and see if anyone can make head or tail of it.

Cheers again guys.

[adlowe]

Originally Posted by Alec

Guess with the spoked wheel it looks more like the ACE - but if you don't mind will post the vin tomorrow and see if anyone can make head or tail of it.

Digits 4 through 7 (after 1HF) are the vehicle description code. Should be something like SC32 (VT1100C2 -- at least in 1999). SC23 was used for some export models. SC18 would be a VT1100 Spirit. SC37 would be a VT1100 ACE Tourer. SC39 would be a VT1100 Aero. I don't know what Sabre would be. If the 11th digit is A then the bike was built in Ohio.

There's a number on the engine, too. That's unique from the VIN number.

[Coop]

Both of our bikes have decals with all that on them. Its on the frame near the forks/neck. Looks like Aero to me, but not sure.
Coop

[jpr1968]

Aero's had 2 into 1 exhaust.

[rmw]

The 1100C2 Sabre (US) besides the brakes, the exhaust is different than the OP pic, plus the position of the turn signals is wrong, the gas filler tube on the Sabre was on the center line of the tank and the speedo was mounted higher.

To me it looks like this: 1997 Honda VT 1100 C2 Shadow ACE specifications and pictures

[adlowe]

Originally Posted by rmw

The 1100C2 Sabre (US) besides the brakes, the exhaust is different than the OP pic, plus the position of the turn signals is wrong, the gas filler tube on the Sabre was on the center line of the tank and the speedo was mounted higher.

Tell you what, the exhaust on an 01 Sabre and 99 ACE look identical in the side-by-side pictures in link I posted and look (to me anyway) the same in his photo. (99 and 97 ACE were identical other than paint colors.) And the same rear brake caliper was used on both ACE and Sabre so the brakes were the same. And the ACE filler neck was in the center of the tank, too.

His rear turn signal location is the same as the ACE but different than the Sabre, as you've pointed out. He's got spoke wheels, same as ACE but different than Sabre as jpr1968 pointed out.

Speedometer mounting? What he's got doesn't match either bike.

His looks like an export-only edition that incorporates features common to both the (discontinued after 1999) ACE and the (introduced in 2000) Sabre along with features that don't match either one. I'm guessing that the 4th through 7th digits of his VIN are SC23 -- provided Honda didn't change that scheme after the 1990s.

[Alec]

VIN number SC32 - 1000333. Yup an old type vin number (had me very worried for a second!). But I think that this was probably just because we in SA are rather slow at adopting world trends

To me it looks like this: 1997 Honda VT 1100 C2 Shadow ACE specifications and pictures

Looks like a fair match but as adlowe says - a bit of a mix and match job.

But cheers for all the input - at least I now know its a VT1100C2 !

Now I can say I have an "exotic and rare" Honda Shadow!