Honda shadow spirit / Aero, Good and bad

[hondaharleyman]

Does anyone have information or experience with these motorcycles, I plan to buy a new or prior model new and was wondering what the census was on these rides.

Can anybody help.


Jim

[Ally House]

James,
I have a 01 Honda Shadow Spirit 1100. Its the first bike I've ever owned and ridden. I love it, great value for the money. The gearing is a little odd, and I hear that the Aero is a little more "normal" but I've never ridden one, so I couldn't tell you for sure. The Spirit 1100 is more "bobbed" and the Aero is more "classic" (i.e. larger fenders, lower handlebars). I have also owned a 86Shadow 500 that I bought as a learner bike, but had no trouble with the 1100so I never rode it much.

The 1100 has been plenty big enough (I go about 220) to carry me, freeway speeds, where ever I have wanted to go. I've done several week long trips, and had no problems. Maintenance has been a dream--oil changes, tire replacement and the like.

Hope this helps!

[Hells_Satans]

I ride an 02 Shadow Spirit 1100 and I love it! I just took a week long ride to Vegas from Fremont, rode over 1700 miles thru snow capped mountains and the high desserts of Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Death Valley in California. No problems at all, pleanty of power and very comfortable. I am 5'7" and weigh 240 lbs and had no problems with power or comfort.

I also owned a Spirit 750 and loved it as well. For the money you cant go wrong with a Honda.

[MegabyteBigE]

i curentley ride an 05 areo and love it, kinda wish i would have gone with an 1100 but the 750 does great.

[Jim N]

I had a '92 VT1100 for about 3 years, it was a good bike. Uncomfortable at first, but I added floorboards and freeway pegs, that helped a lot. Bulletproof engine.

[goatrace]

I just sold my 83 Nighthawk 650. A bored out version of what you're riding now. Fabulous bike. Mags. Shaft. Hydraulic valve adjust. Hydraulic clutch. 51000 trouble-free miles. Looked used. Ran perfect. So, why did I sell rat-bike? 500 lousy bucks. After a week, I still don't know. Kept going to motorcycle stores to look around. I guess I'm a sickie. I wanted a new shaft driven bike. There aren't many to pick from. I love the idea of self-adjusting valve clearance. Not many there either. There's only one bike available under 10000 new with shaft and hydraulic valves: honda's shadow spirit 1100. I rode it. I tried to like it. But I'm not a cruiser guy. Then it occurred to me that by insisting on shaft drive and hydraulic valves, I was restricting myself to the wrong bike. I examined my needs as to wheels, engine and frame. Mags. Easy to get on the showroom floor. Frame. Your Nighthawk has a 28 degree head. Do you really want to go to a 34 degree head? That means slower front end handling than the Nighthawk. You might like the quickness of a 25 degree head. Engine. Do you like getting max torque shifting that Nighthawk at 7000 or 8000 rpm? I do. I love the wail of an inline four. On the other hand, if you like power down low, it's the shadow. I was willing to go back to a chain drive to get the right handling and power for me. Honda 919. Great handling and a sub-11 quarter mile. Your Nighthawk has an approx 8 to 1 power ratio. The Shadow is about 14 to 1. Every horsepower is carrying 14 pounds. Ugh. That's a pile of rocks.I think you'll be unhappy if you go above 10 to 1. There are exceptions. Sorry for the length. Say hi when you're in Chico...

[rush_law]

Just a sidenote but don't exclude the Shadow sabre from your search. The 1100 was an awesome bike for me. I used my 02' mainly for commuting purposes and the only problem I ever had was the cooling fan on/off mechanism had to be replaced 2 times. Other than that it was powerful, comfortable and a joy to ride. It was tough to trade it in!

[windsoto]

I have a 97 Shadow Spirit with approx 64K miles on it. It has been my commuter and weekend getaway toy. I am 5'11" and 220 lbs.

I like it and have used it for several vacation trips. My wife enjoys riding with me and has no complaints.

However, I now want something more in the sport tourer category and the BMW R1200 RT has captured my attention.

[goatrace]

Originally Posted by windsoto

I have a 97 Shadow Spirit with approx 64K miles on it. It has been my commuter and weekend getaway toy. I am 5'11" and 220 lbs.

I like it and have used it for several vacation trips. My wife enjoys riding with me and has no complaints.

However, I now want something more in the sport tourer category and the BMW R1200 RT has captured my attention.

I agree that if you're going to consistently ride with a passenger, you'd want the Shadow for the backrest. With the Sabre you get a rear disk but you give up the backrest to get it. Rear drum is okay on the Shadow.

[Eric S]

My sister (Bikerduck) has a new Aero (shaft-drive, rear drum). I am sure she will talk to you when she returns from Cooper ride. My wife has a Shadow 600, perfect for her small size.