When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Former '89 VT1100 and Sabre owner. I have to admit, I really enjoyed my Shadows. It was honestly the bike I aspired to. I made the "mistake" of taking a friend's SG out for about a 40-50 mile ride and was blown away. Before the SG, I tried to convince myself that all I needed was my Honda to be a happy biker. What a dumbass I was.... haha
I aspired to the Shadow 1100 as well. I 'graduated' first to a sportster, then the wide glide as I'm 6'1" and needed a bigger bike for comfort. As many have commented, a big difference for me was the feel of quality. Right from the first time I squeezed the clutch lever, figured out the turn signals cancelled themselves, and heard the sound of American Iron, I was hooked on the quality. And still am.
I have a friend I met at church about 7 years ago now that has a Honda Shadow.
Last summer were were out riding with our wife’s and two other couples when we stopped at a local HD dealer that was having demo rides.
I tried to talk them into riding one and he kept saying no. When I explained that all you have to have is the license he finally agreed and wanted to ride a Road King. We got back to the dealership after about 12 miles and he was all smiles. He walked up to me and thanked me for pushing him to ride it and then said “I do NOT own a Motorcycle”.
Like many here I owned several Honda’s back in the 70’s and they served me well. Owning a Harley is the ultimate!
Good luck
Last edited by Cosmic Razorback; Mar 8, 2018 at 08:27 PM.
RK4ME I think you just described 80 percent or better of the HDForum members. After all I don't know two many fourteen year old kids that can just skip school one day and go out and buy a Harley, even though I wish that I could have, and would have.
Lots of people go out and buy a Harley for their first bike, and that's okay but if you have to start out on Japanese bike like a Shadow before you can afford a Harley, that's good too because then you have something to compare your Harley to.
its kind of like owning a ducati monster or a sportbike. They are great at what they do....go fast and through turns like butter. Try to compare those to a taking a CB750 from the 70s through turns and youll see the difference. Harleys are made to cruise, they are the king of cruising and just being badass, vulcans and hondas are just weak imitations.
Has anyone ever noticed that when motorcycles come up in casual conversation, the person that doesn't know anything at all about them asks first,"DO YOU RIDE A HARLEY?"
Welp, yes, it's kinda like that.
Anybody that has ever taken one look at me has never asked me that.
Just going to add to this old thread. My dad had a 2005 Honda shadow saber 1100 for years before just buying a new HD heritage. It was a great and cheap way to start out. We bought it used for 2500 from a friend and sold it within a day for close to what we bought it for.
1. At a glance it looked like a Harley. No cool factor though.
2. Balance was just plain awful compared to an HD
3. It was a dog to accelerate and brake in comparison.
Heres a pic of it next to my FXFBS.
Last edited by abceemike; Mar 9, 2018 at 08:45 PM.
just wanted to hear your guys experiences from going from a 750 to a harley for those of you that did this as well,just trying to see what im in for
The Shadow weighs about 500lbs. The Lo weighs about 725.
The Shadow has about 45hp. The Lo has about 70 although they never want
to talk hp. Which is okay since torque on a
probably more improtant.
The difference in 1/4 times is about 1 second in favor of the Lo.
I'd say, buy the Harley if you want a Harley and don't mind going from a 500lb bike to a 750lb bike. The Shadow is a great value bike, and can pretty much do anything that a Lo can do, except being a HD. Some riders would rather have 750lbs under them believing it provides improved ride quality. I don't buy that theory, but to each their own. Enjoy your journey.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
Yea... me too.
