Welcome to the forum. I guess this is the first time you have ridden with 1" bars. Give it some time to become comfortable with the 1" bars. If you change to 7/8" bars you will have to replace everything mounted to the bars including the risers. I am not sure everything will be available in 7/8". The cramps could be because you are holding the bars too tight.

 

I'll consider this, but one thing is for sure; the buck-horns need to go! I have only been on one ride and I was definitely more nervous than usual; everything went fine of course, but I didn't know what to expect.

Anyway, will most other standard 1" bars swap out? Some bikes have holes cut in them to line up controls or threads in the ends of the bars. Do Shadow 1100 bars need anything special?

 

You've only ridden the bike once. Give it some time as suggested.

 

I'm considering doing this to my wife's 03 Spirit. On the subject of 1 inch bars, it took me awhile to feel comfortable with them as well. When going from a Suzuki GS550 to my first Harley Sportster, the 1 inchers felt unusually large. Couple this with the foam grips that were on the Sporty, and the grips were about a quarter inch larger in diameter than the slim ones on my old GS. I too suffered from cramping and hand fatigue, but it went away after a few months of riding. Now nothing but a 1 inch bar feels or looks right to me. A possible option: I recently put new grips on my Low Rider, Drag Specialties Sportster grips. For a 1 inch grip they are very slim and the rubber is very grippy. I think I paid $13 off ebay for them. You might consider them on your 1100. Not sure if the throttle side will work on your Shadow; the Sporty grip is for a push-pull throttle, so 2 cable hookups, 1 at 11 o'clock and the other at 1.
Back to the OP's question, if he still wants to convert, I'm interested in doing this as well. I have a set of 7/8s apes that my wife wants on her Spirit, but I'll need to extend all wiring and cables, and find a decent set of controls for the bars. I suppose you could shim some things, but I would NOT shim the bars in the risers, and probably wouldn't recommend shimming the clutch and brake lever perches either. From experience (not riding...just mock up), any shimmed bar will slip. Your lever perches will too , over time. Finding a set of controls off of nearly any bike with 7/8s bars can work, just make sure your replacement front master cylinder is of comparable size/power. Not sure what your Shadow has but I'd guess its a 7/8s bore. Keep in mind that said master cylinder may require a rebuild. From there it would be a matter of surgery, tying all the wiring together. And if you go with much taller bars, or wider for that matter, you may need to replace your cables and brake line, and even extend your wiring. At this point its a good consideration to stuff your wiring inside your bars. And yet, pretty much any 1 inch bar should fit. Might require some small mods, but you can make anything work. Hope this helps!

 

Thanks for the advice guys.

I've decided to give the 1 inch bars a chance before I rip everything apart. I'm sure the radical change in motorcycle style definitely has me gripping the controls tighter than I would normally.

In the mean time I just bought some 1100 Sabre bars I found on ebay that should work. I did not want to deal with generic bars and the lack of alignment dimples or having to also get risers.

 

Yes, I think you've chosen wisely giving the 1 inchers a chance. Over time I think you'll notice less flex, less vibration, and more customizing options with the larger bars. Just try to relax and enjoy the ride....that's what your Shadow is designed for. I'd take a look at the Sportster grips I mentioned too. They'll fit your Shadow fine, and I noticed some slight cramping for a week or 2 after putting them on because they are so much slimmer, so I think they'd be a perfect fit for you. I can get you the part number if you like.
Don't be surprised if the Sabre bars aren't all your dreaming of; OEM bars are built to a specific ergonomic theory, and rarely fit most individuals as they should. Aftermarket components are often of higher quality, lower price, and offer great flexibility. Most come with dimples for your wiring (they aren't really for alignment...mostly for giving your wiring a recess so your switch housing doesn't pinch them), and if they don't it's not critical as most OEM switch housings have a small cutout for the wiring harness to tuck into. And if you stay with 1 inch bars, then most Harley bars will fit your bike, so the options are limitless.

 

I will take the part number for the grips if you want to share.

I got conflicting reports about the dimples/holes in the bars and whether or not they are necessary. Some bikes I have owned had locator dowels/bumps inside the control housings (an old Honda) that I had to remove/shave off in the past when I bought a generic bar. I just didn't want the hassle right now because I have so little free time.

Another interesting thing was the fact that the previous owner neglected the tire pressure it seems; they were down 20 psi front and rear; no wonder it was handling like a sack of turds below 10 mph.