Honda Shadow: 750 vs 1100

[laspit]

As for a new rider, 25 male, 180 pounds.

Will a 1100cc Honda Shadow be hard to control as compared to a 750cc?

Take a 1997 for example to be specific.

Thanks Guys,

[Teek]

As for a new rider, 25 male, 180 pounds.

Will a 1100cc Honda Shadow be hard to control as compared to a 750cc?

Take a 1997 for example to be specific.

Thanks Guys,

All depends on your right wrist, really.

A Shadow 750 will run about 150-160.
A Shadow 1100 will run about 170-190.
But low end torque on those Vs will bite you if you're not smooth with the clutch control, and that's where you'll get yourself in trouble.

[jonl]

Cruiser displacement can fool you. A 750 Shadow is a very relaxed, relatively slow bike (it is a cruiser, so this isn't meant as a criticism). The 1100 is not really very powerful either, in comparison to sportier bikes. Weight rather than power is the real issue for a new rider with either machine you mentioned.

I would normally discourage a new rider from getting a powerful bike like a 600cc supersport, but in this case, the power of either Shadow is moderate, and the larger bike is only 10% heavier (550lbs vs 505 dry), so I'd get the 1100.

750:
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motor...50C2Shadow.htm
1100:
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motor...adowSpirit.htm

Based on your question, you seem to be looking at 2 particular machines. If you broaden your search, you might want to look at the Vulcan 500:
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photo...aki-500LTD.htm

The Vulcan 500 uses the same basic engine as the Ninja 500 (parallel twin), tuned for more low-RPM torque. The Vulcan 500 is lighter and faster than many larger cruisers, and would be a perfect starter bike for someone who prefers a cruiser-style bike.

The Vulcan 500 performs as well as, or better than the 650, 750, 800, and 900 entry-level cruisers, with less weight, and lower cost to buy and operate.

[Flatliner]

I had a '95 Vulcan 500 when I first started riding and it was a very fun bike. It was nimble, had good acceleration and I thought it was very easy to handle (I'm 5'5" and 135 lbs at the time). It's belt driven so you won't need to worry about chain maintainence. It also had something called positive neutral finder or something like that, so you only needed to pull up on your toe shifter to get it to neutral when the bike is not in motion (saves you from having to hunt for neutral; not a big deal, but certainly nice to have).

The only reason I got rid of it was it was high revving on the highways and seemed taxed going above 120, though I'm sure that was just the way it sounds.

I now have an 1100 Shadow Spirit, good on the highways but a bit lumbering compared to the Vulcan. Plus it has a bit of a torque steer due to its shaft drive and under hard acceleration, especially in wet conditions, the rear has a tendancy to pull to one side and wants to kick out from beneath you.

The best thing is to go and sit on the bike(s) and just get a feel for it, seeing how comfortable you are with it; remember, there will be a time when you'll need to control it at low speeds, making U-turns and such and that's when weight, center of gravity and your comfort level comes into play.

Hope this helped. Good luck.

[toastman]

the old 750 shadow will do 200k/h

[f1mauro]

As stated above the jump between one bike from the other isn't outrageous. Personally, I first learned to ride on my 750 and found the bike to be more than adequate in the power range, never pushing me beyond my limits, and now with a few years experience under my belt and a full M licence, it still provides a satisfying ride. I'm definitely considering graduating to a more nimble, challenging bike in the near future but have to say the Honda's served me well these 5 years. Consider your age and CC's of the bike and get some insurance quotes to help you make a more informed decision between 750 and 1100. Other than that what can I say? Wanna buy a mint condition, used '99 750 Shadow?

[markdh]

My Shadow 750 keeps up with every bike I ride with... lots of power, accelleration, etc. I ride with a few Harleys who have 1500cc. Even with a Ninja or two...
Handles great... no complaints here.

[zacm7]

my cousins 750 is a nice bike. he changed the sprocket size because he hated the high rmp at hwy speed but it was fixed with a smaller sprocket in the rear, and still has plenty of beans for city riding.

[RicoChet]

Can't say anything bad about the Honda Shadow 750 at all. That motor has a lot of spirit and you can run it hard and good and it handles well too for a cruiser.

[jolomatic]

I'm happy with my shadow 750 (I'm 6'3" ~200lbs). I've had it up to 140kph and I'm sure it could go faster if I were so motivated. Handles great, but I've dragged the pegs on some sharp turns (you'll probably get that with any cruiser). Now that I've got a bit of experince, I think the 1100 would be a nice step up, but I don't think I would have wanted to start on it. The 750 is already pretty heavy to move around when parking, etc. When I was getting insurance quotes, there was a big difference between a 750 and 1100. Overall, it really depends on what you want out of it. You could start bigger and you'd probably be ok - but why not take it easy on yourself until you're more experienced?

[markdh]

My heals usually hit the ground... never had the pegs hit.

[jolomatic]

Guess I have small feet, or else your toes are pointed at the sky.

[latin79]

I love my 750 great bike!! and i try the 1100 not much of the diferents!! try both and see how you feel