NAKED Bargain
AT $8990 (plus on-road costs) this is a great price for such a good machine. A few years ago the earlier VTs were priced well above 10 grand.
On the stand
And if you like a slightly retro look then the VT750S is going to make you smile. Those wire wheels with 19 inches up front and 16 down the back, that traditional aircooled look of the cylinders and those sporty twin pipes do have a nice pulse to them. I wouldn’t quite call the tank a peanut style job, but it’s getting there. The centrally mounted analogue speedo, the slightly pulled back ’bars and the stylish cut of the seat all add to the appeal of this bike. The pearl white model we tested looks good with
the black cylinders and just enough chrome splashed around the place.
On the road
The three-valve per cylinder liquid cooled 745cc 52-degree V-twin is not going to break any performance records with 42hp (31kW) at 5500rpm and 92 Nm at 3250rpm but then it doesn’t need to. The engine packs sufficient punch with good torque down low and the slightly tallish gearing gives it plenty of credentials for light touring duties. Fuelling is via Honda’s PGM-F1 fuel injection. Exhaust is Euro 3 compliant and the standard pipes actually do have a nice note. The bike’s ergonomics are good with that upright cruiser
riding posture and a nice barpeg-seat geometry. The VT750S has good lowspeed manoeuvrability so it cuts the mustard in getting around city traffic as well. It’s a shame that it’s not LAMS approved as it’s a very confidence inspiring bike to ride and the performance wouldn’t intimidate a newcomer, although, having said that, a more experienced rider would not be disappointed with the VT750S. During the ’80s I owned a string of Japanese V-twin cruisers, mostly 750s and 1100s, and I grew to love that engine configuration as I put huge kilometres on their clocks without hint of any drama. Kerb weight is 232kg and the seat height of 750mm
is not going to cause any problems for too many people. A double cradle steel tube frame keeps it all in shape while a five-speed gearbox delivers the goods through the chain drive. Suspension up front is handled with non-adjustable 41mm tubes that have 118mm of travel while rear suspension is via twin shocks with fivestep preload adjustment and have 90mm of travel. We tore around our local ’burbs and managed to fit in some freeway time and found the suspension is typically underdamped, but it’s not too bad. Pillion accommodation is pretty average though, but at least they’ll get plenty of breaks: the fuel tank only carries 10.7 litres, so range is pretty limited.