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Honda Shadow or Harley Sportster

6.6K views 12 replies 13 participants last post by  SWOCS  
#1 ·
I have been a dirt bike rider for over 50 years and decided it might hurt too much to crash at my age.


So now I want a moderate sized road bike and am in the learning process - I loved my Honda dirt bikes.


I am sure people on here are Honda people but someone must have the same quandary


Love to hear how yu decided on the Honda


Thanks
 
#2 ·
Most fun bike I've put a leg over in awhile was the Indian Scout. Nimble and pretty quick.
That being said, you can't go wrong with a Honda either. Go to a dealer and look at their line up since you are the one that will be putting your cash down. You could end up on a standard or cruiser or....
 
#3 ·
Agree here on the Indian Scout. Can't beat it for "bang for the buck".

That said, Shadows are solid, easy to ride bikes. Maintenance is going to be easy and cheaper than the Harley. The fit and finish is going to be superior on the Sportster.


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#5 ·
I came to Honda by way of lots of old Harley including seven Sportsters , the problem with most of them was being preowned and abused . My only disappoint as it were was the quality of a bought new Sporty but that was 22 yrs ago. All I can say is try a few out of each and find what fit's ya.
 
#6 ·
I come from the same background as you, just a bit younger though. I am 42 and my body can't take the hard riding that I used to do on dirt. I traded my dirt bike for my Shadow ACE even trade. Had I found a Harley instead, then I would probably be on a different forum right now, but I'm glad I found the Honda first.
 
#7 ·
At 55 years of age I decided one day it might be fun to get a motorcycle. Had never even sat on one before that day. Went to a local dealer and looked at a few and knew right away I wasn't going to spend 10-15 thousand for a Harley so the dealer steered me to a Honda VLX. It "looked" like what I thought I wanted. Sat on it and it "felt" like what I thought I wanted, so I bought it. Had a friend test ride it for me then ride it home after I bought it the next day. Several days later I got on it for the first time and have been having a blast ever since. My Honda is all I know.....but am very happy with it. What more could I want?
 
#8 ·
Really, recommending a bike is such a personal thing, other than maintenance and finish, sitting your arse in the seat is really the only way you’re going to see if you like the bike, as you're the only one it has to please.
And better still if you can test ride them, then this will then clinch the deal for your decision of which bike you like better.

All the late model HD Sportsters are really reliable and finished off well, but so are the Honda's, but they probably have a better history of better quality over their production run.
 
#9 ·
Steve had a 2010 883 let him down 3 times due to breaking earth leads and battery connections.....a coupe of other things fell off But he still liked the bike before he traded it

Darren and the 1200 version and his main problem was the battery going flat if not used for 2 weeks, Alarm? Not dead flat just flat enough not to start, Suspension on his one wasn't flash but it was still std

I couldn't ride either, just didn't fit me. They do enough parts that I could get one to fit but my 93 1100C fits me now and its got lower maintenance costs and was way less $$ to buy
 
#10 · (Edited)
I had a 2005 883 Sportster and I'm currently on a 1999 1100 Ace Tourer. The Sportster was much rawer, and visceral. Both were/are very trouble free. More parts for the HD, if you're going to customize it. Higher initial cost. Better resale evens that out. My ACE T is definitely more touring oriented. Softer suspension, smoother motor, more comfortable riding position. I really miss my Sporty, but the comfort and smoothness of the Honda's where I'm at these days. Both great rides, but it's apples to oranges....
 

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#11 ·
I have owned Hondas, a Suzuki, and a Yamaha before this bike. The reason I got a Honda this time around was that was what was sitting in front of me the day I handed over the money. I had just lost out on 2 different Kawasaki 900 Vulcans. Never ridden or owned a Harley. For the price you will probably get more bang for the buck out of the Japanese bikes. When it comes time to sell and if you want to fit the image buy a Harley. If you just want to fit the image and save money, buy the Japanese bike and a piece of Harley clothing.
 
#12 ·
What made me choose a Honda over an HD or Indian was the price, both up front AND for 'maintenance'. A Sportster is going to 'start' at about $10k, and an Indian about the same or a slight bit higher, maybe $11k, though I personally think the Indian is better for 'fit and finish' as well as 'performance'. The Honda, though, is quite a bit less. I picked up my Spirit 750 for about $7k, and new ones of 750 size aren't much more than that (about $7.5k) even today. If you're wanting something 'nimble' and yet has enough 'oomph' for when you need it, and you don't need or want to be rolling hundreds of miles a day on the highway, the Honda 750 should be perfect for you, and would save you quite a bit, both up front and on accessories. On the other hand, if you're wanting to do tons of highway miles, I would suggest bumping up to the 1300s, which would be about the same cost as the Sportster, but still bigger, and maintenance would still cost less.

Just my $.02...
 
#13 ·
I rode nothing but Harleys for better than 25+ years. Most guys who do what I did start on a Sportster then slowly work their way up the H/D line-up. Fantastic bikes. Great for cruising the open road or putting around town. Due to a couple of dings and dents in my body now I started looking for something "different". I now ride a KTM 1190 Adventure. I thoroughly enjoy it for everyday riding and did an 11000+ mile trip around the US and Canada earlier this year. It handled like a champ. I just bought a Yamaha/Star Raider to use as a "cruiser" and will just use the KTM more for around town stuff. I think Honda Shadows are fantastic bikes to start on but in my opinion, there are many, many better bikes to own long term.