Here's a good one for ya: On the left, we've got a 2011 Honda Shadow RS decked out in Bubba Shobert-style red, white, and blue livery. With its liquid-cooled 745cc V-twin, it may not dominate at the stoplight dragstrip, but its spoked wheels, chrome pipes, and $7,999 price tag make it plenty attractive.
On the right, our very own Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo in White Hot Denim (secret club membership included), packing an air-cooled 1,690cc V-twin, a 24.25-inch saddle, and a $16,675 premium-- roughly double that of the Honda, which also has less than half the engine displacement while carrying around 224 pounds fewer pounds.
Though they share the cruiser platform, each is its own beast with its own personality-- the Honda, an approachable "Roadster" as identified on their website (whatever that means), and the Harley, an old school cruiser in the strictest sense of the word.
Which would you ride, and why... and would you take two Hondas for the price of one Harley? I want to know!
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I already ride an 05′ Shadow Spirit, and it’s a great little bike. I have generally felt that Harley’s were overpriced and over hyped. So I’d take the Honda, but with a different paint scheme.
Having rode every HD ever made and owning a couple. I can say not much have changed from one year to the next. So the Honda would be My choice. The RS looks like a around towner or a mild back roader. Plus not many reviews have been done on the RS that I can remember.
Dabber,
Stay tuned for an RS review…
Basem
I have ridden both and both bikes are nice rides but the Shadow is too under powered. If you are going to ride any highway or 2up it’s not enough motor. Have to go with the Fat Boy.
I have to agree with Joe. Put me on the Honda and the 224 pound weight advantage disappears and goes the other way. Honda would be fine for running around town or in traffic, but if I’m going over the mountains to the other side of the state I’d want a little more oomph so I don’t have to have the throttle wide open going up to the top of Stevens Pass. And that’s with just me on board, let alone a passenger.
I do like the paint scheme on the Honda though.
I’ll take both hondas over a harley. Better ride, less mantenance better fuel millage, etc. I’ll buy a harley for other reasons.
you never have much to say about the Victory? Or, does it out-rate them all.
Gene,
I’m a fan of Victory, but it seems the forces of circumstance have been conspiring against me.
They invited me to ride their 2012 models to Sturgis, but I was occupied with another launch event. Then, I had arranged to test one of their bikes locally, but had to cancel because of my schedule… but stay tuned, I’m determined to make it happen!
Basem
Dabber says he’s “rode every Harley ever made” which by my math makes him about one-hundred-and-thirty years old. Plus his old brain must have got confused. Harley’s don’t change? How about throttle by wire, ABS, EFI, etc etc.
I hate, hate, hate to agree with Joe about the Honda being under powered with two people. BUT, I`ll still take the Honda over the Harley. BYE BYE JOE
why not compare apples to apples? If this was a comparison between a VTX (1300) and the Fat Boy lo it would seem more appropriate. Then you could remove the “under powered” feeling! I ride a VTX and for the price difference and the dependability over my shovelhead….no contest!
Safetylady, shame they don’t make the VTX anymore. They are nice bikes. I have to agree with ya too that a lot of the comparisons Basem makes are not the best but I guess it’s the bikes he has on hand at that moment.
Folks,
This isn’t a comparison. It’s a rhetorical question based on what happens to be in my garage at any given time.
It’s the apples-to-oranges aspect that appeals to me– and inspires me to pose the question to you, my readers.
Basem
Hmmm, rode all over Texas in the 70’s on a Honda 500 (4) cyl.
Plenty power an pick-up. Caught the eye of more than one cutie—–but now, I’m goin w/ the Harley. If I have to explain, you wouldn’t understand.
Hey Basem why not a comparo with the Ducati Diavil or does it not realy fit the cruiser mindset, not the the shadow or HD are inferior but it I have not seen the Diavil used as a yardstick for cruisers
cheers Tony
I’m a relatively new rider ( first bike at 55) I ride a 08 Honda Shadow Aero 750. I ride with the Jerseypine Cruisers (all types/brands of bikes) our Sunday breakfast rides can average between 200/400 mile by the time I return home. I have no problem keeping up with any of the more powerful bikes. I have put 24,000 trouble free miles on it and expect to get close to 100K before I need to purchase a new bike. so the instead of 1 Harley for $16,675, I will have had 2 Hondas and hopefully over 200K miles of riding. I do like the Harleys but the price for bike/accessories is to high for my budget ( need some money for gas)
I’ve had 3 Harleys i my lifetime. A ‘55, ‘90 and my last was a 2005 Fat Boy. They all looked and sounded great, but you can take they’re trannies and stick them where the sun don’t shine. A vague neutral and that clunk, blech!
I live in a upper middle class neighbor hood and all I saw is weekend poseurs on shiny Harleys, more concerned with how it looks than goes. The main comment I would get on the Fat Boy is ” nice bike, but you have a smudge on your rear fender”
I’ve also had a bunch of Hondas (including 2 Shadows), a Kawi, and a Suki, I’d pick any one against a Harley
My current main ride is a Ninja 250, it’s light and nimble and I’d rather ride a slow bike fast, than a fast bike slow, beside, it takes more than $25,000 and a T-Shirt to make a biker.