Rider Review: 1999 Honda Shadow 1100 Spirit

Me:

I'm 150 lbs, 5'8" with a 32" inseam.

My Experience:

• 1981 - 1984 1966 Kawasaki B1 - 175cc 2 stroke street cruiser. Classic late 60s standard (you know the kind with a chrome gas tank).
• 1983 - 1990 1978 Yamaha 400xs - 400cc 4 stroke standard (ujm).
• 1990 - 1993 1982 Yamaha 650 special - 650cc ujm proto-cruiser.
• 2002 - 1984 Honda Magna 700 - 700cc early power cruiser - handles very similar to my Yamaha 400xs and my Yamaha 650 special.
• 2003 - 1999 Honda Spirit 1100

Most of my comparisons will be to the Magna, I have the most recent experience on that bike.

About the bike:

Engine Size: 1099cc liquid cooled 45-degree v-twin
Max Horsepower: 64bhp @ 5300 rpm
Max Torque: 71.8 ft-lbs @ 3000rpm
Transmission: 5 speed
Final Drive: Shaft
Front Brake: Single Disk with twin-piston caliper
Rear Break: Drum
Seat Height: 28.7
Dry Weight: 553 lbs

Accessories, as tested: National Cycle Heavy Duty Touring Shield, Cobra Freeway Bars, Mustang Wide Regal seat.

First impression:

It looks like a classic (non-retro) cruiser. Mini-ape hangers, quiet exhaust, alloy wheels, sissy bar.

Ergos:

Handlebars: Handlebars have a nice feel. Throttle is smooth and easy. Handlebars are a little more forward than I'm used to on the Magna, I'm considering riser extensions to bring them a bit closer to me, I might try swinging the bars down towards me a bit first...

Foot Pegs: Forward controls. These are a first for me. They felt a little odd at first, but after a few minutes I grew to love them already. I've had bad knees since high school, and have grown accustomed to having them ache after being in position for more than an hour or so. The forward controls are great... after one 3 hour test ride I was ready to go without a stretch... I can see why people love forward controls!

Seat: I didn't test the stock seat. The reports I've heard from others was not promising... I only recall hearing one positive comments against 100s of negative comments. The mustang seat, however, is wonderful. After 3 hours of riding, I still wasn't ready to get off yet! Bring on Memphis!

Gauges: Gauges? What Gauges. I've been spoiled. My magna has a tach and a temp gauge. The spirit only has a speedo plus a bunch of idiot lights... As much as I like having a tach, it isn't high on my list.. the bike is pretty good about letting me know when it's time to shift <g>.

Controls: All the basic controls are where I expect them to be. I had no trouble finding turn signals, horn, starter, engine stop, or choke. In fact the only things that moved from my magna are the keys (located on the left side of the engine, vs the fork clamp on every other bike I've owned) and the fuel petcock (located on the left, instead of the right on the Magna).

Handling:

Throttle: Smooth and Predictable. Even though it clearly has less power than the Magna, this bike still has plenty of get-up-and-go. I had no problems making a hole shot while merging onto the rush hour express way, lots of power when I tested 50mph roll ons. Knowing it has 25% less power than the Magna on a frame that's 15% heavier, I expected power to be problem. Not that I see. I'm sure it lacks power over 85mph, but I'll never know.

Brakes: Again, smooth and predictable. Plenty of stopping power. Certainly less powerful than the dual disk breaks available on my Magna, but plenty of braking regardless.

Slow Speeds: Handled very well for a bike this size. However, still handles a LOT heavier than the Magna or any other bike I've owned. Requires more physical energy to wrestle it around a figure eight. Slower to respond to turning inputs.

Highway Speeds: Vibrates a little in the seat area around 65. I felt no vibration in the handlebars or the foot pegs at any speed. The vibration isn't unpleasant, and in fact is more pleasant than the buzzyness Magna gets at the same speed.

Suspension: Soft and comfortable. Takes rough roads far more comfortably than the Magna.

2-up Riding:

Power: I had no problems with power while 2-up. Plenty of low end grunt to get us going, and nice and smooth at cruising RPMs.

Suspension: Again, softer than the Magna, I need to adjust the preload for future 2-up.

Comfort: A lot more comfortable 2-up than the Magna. On the Magna, the pillion tended to slide forward a bit on stops. The Mustang seat keeps the pillion in place for everything but fairly hard breaking. The pillion seat is quite a bit longer, and Cassy appreciated the extra room. Because of the dual pipes on the right hand side, the passenger pegs are set fairly high. Cassy said it was fine, and comfortable, but frankly, it's pretty close to every other bike I've owned. I'm going to guess her knees are going to lock up after a few hours, but we'll see.

Handling: All bikes handle differently with a passenger than without. The difference on the Spirit is greater than any other bike I've had. The passenger sits higher than on any of my other bikes, and the rider sits lower. Adding a passenger to this bike gives it a top heavy feeling. Again, easy enough to get used to, but disconcerting the first time. It will probably take quite a bit of parking lot time to get my slow speed skills up while riding with a pillion. On the highway, it handles great with a pillion. Smooth and steady.

Overall impression:

Great bike. The lightest of Honda's 1100 series bikes. However, this bike should be avoided by first time riders. The weight and the bulkiness of the bike could make it difficult for new riders to control at slow speeds. It's still heavy enough that once it starts to go over, its going over. As a second bike, I highly recommend it. The power is a bit better than most of the other "middle weight" bikes, with a manageable weight. Self adjusting lifters, water cooled, and shaft drive make this a low maintenance bike. If you like the "custom" look of this cruiser, it's a great all round bike!

Cheers,
Ken

 

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