Back in the late 80s, Japanese manufacturers started dabbling with cruiser-style motorcycles in a bid to corner the US market. The result was a generation of cruisers that combined Japanese engineering and reliability with American style—like the charming Honda Shadow.
Known as the Honda Steed in Asia, the Shadow came in various sizes over the years—from as small as 125 cc to as big as 1,100 cc. The relatively affordable Honda Shadow VT600C hit the scene in 1988, with a 583 cc V-twin motor that made 41 hp and 51 Nm. It came with raked forks, backswept bars, and a rear swingarm layout that aped the classic Harley Softail aesthetic, but used a traditional mono-shock arrangement under the hood.
While the Shadow is cuter than most classic Japanese-made cruisers, this neatly bobbed Shadow from Indonesia proves that it has oodles of untapped potential.…