I visited Wild West Honda in Katy yesterday and really liked the Honda Shadow Sabre that they had on the showroom floor. However, I visited them to see the Honda Shadow Spirit (which they did not have built yet). Both are Vtwin 45 degree 1100s, dual 36 mm carbs, 8.0:1, 5 speed shaft drive, front 316 mm disk brake, rear 170/80-15 tire and 4.2 gal gas tanks. The sabre has a rear 276 mm disk brake (+++), a front 120/90-18 tire, a seat height of 27.2", a weight of 573 lbs, a 4.7" front travel fork and a 2004 MSRP of $8299. The spirit has a rear drum brake (---), a front 110/90-19 tire, a seat height of 28.7", a weight of 553 lbs, a 6.3" front travel fork and a 2004 MSRP of $8099. The sabre is kinda retro look whereas the spirit is kinda classic chopper look. Of course, no test rides ! Here are the URLs for both: http://powersports.honda.com/motorc...hadow+Spirit&ModelYear=2004&ModelId=VT1100C14 http://powersports.honda.com/motorc...Shadow+Sabre&ModelYear=2004&ModelId=VT1100C24 I was wondering if anyone had informed opinions betweenst these two great looking bikes ? A fellow looker told me he had a 2002 sabre and loved it, especially the rear disk brake which the spirit does not have. He also told me that the dealer should be willing to drop the MSRP by $500 to $600. Thanks, Lynn McGuire
<snip specs> nowhere do they say the rake and trail. most important spec as to how it's likely to handle without actually riding it. something to ask the salesguy or have him find out for you. that will also tell you if they are the same frame with different tin and wheels to separate them or if they actually have different specs there. they probably are the same frame, but never hurts to find out. try honda of houston on bingle and northwest honda/ducati just for grins. there may be used models you could take for a spin. softail standard knockoff fatboy knockoff no informed opinion here, but this is usenet so who cares... <heh> larger front tire, ie, not the 19" wheel, may give a little better bite for braking. are the front brakes the same on each? that's the important one. a drum on the rear isn't horrible and is less maintaince. no problem with drum brakes at all. after that, it's what fits you most comfortably. -- jam '73 R75/5 Toaster (not for sale) '99 R1100RT (in use) '00 FLHRCI (sold!) Iron Butt Assoc, WATR 3X, EIEIO, AEIOU etc blah blah
I think the Sabre looks better and I do prefer disk brakes over drum brakes. For some reason the chopper look (spirit) does more for me than the retro look (sabre). That is what I am thinking also. So, I am leaning towards the spirit on looks (and 2nd person comfort since I am hoping to persuade my wife to take short trips with me). I will give the spirit the rump test next week hopefully. I do like the Honda special financing that is available until 12/31/03, makes it easy to get into either bike. Thanks, Lynn
nowhere do they say the rake and trail. most important spec as to how Spirit: 41mm fork; 6.3-inch travel Sabre: 41mm fork; 4.7-inch travel Will do that ! I think that they are the same front brake. The Sabre was OK, have yet to try the Spirit. Thanks, Lynn
ARE YOU INSANE!? Honda doesn't make a single piece that's a "knockoff" to ANY Harley. There's ZERO in common between Honda and Harley. The closest I've seen/heard of Honda being "knockoff" to a Harley was when I heard a mid-90s ACE with V&H pipes sound exactly like a Harley...even had the Harley frontal bounce. But, unlike their "so-called" lawsuit, I don't believe ANYONE can trademark a "sound".
Spirit: 41mm fork; 6.3-inch travel Sabre: 41mm fork; 4.7-inch travel[/QUOTE] obviously the spirit should have a more plush ride. are they adjustable? does it matter? <g> rake is the angle of the steering axis (generally but not necessarily the forks) measured in degrees off vertical towards the rider. trail is the distance of the imaginary line from the center of the front axle where it would hit the ground directly below itself, to where the forks would hit the ground in front of the front wheel if they extended to the ground. kapiche? it's a usually quoted spec for most bikes. generally, the greater the rake, the more straight line stable and less quick turning the bike. the inverse is true. longer trail = more stable. corrections are welcomed if i am wrong in my definition. see http://home.iprimus.com.au/stevebm/steering.htm for a quick over view. and ya know what? don't obsess over the bike, find sumpin you like and go ride. -- jam '73 R75/5 Toaster (not for sale) '99 R1100RT (in use) '00 FLHRCI (sold!) Iron Butt Assoc, WATR 3X, EIEIO, AEIOU etc blah blah
I missed part of this conversation, but one of the bikes had discs and one of them had drums. I'm a disc-brake fan myself. The drums aren't worth a crap. Again, it comes down to what YOU like and how hard you ride the bike, though. One thing I wanted to mention since it looks like you might buy new - the law in Texas (Consumer Protection Act) allows you to return ANYTHING you buy new within 48 hours of purchase. Now, you might look up the exact time period (it might be 24 or 72 hours for instance), but it basically means that the dealer HAS to take the bike back if you get it out and don't like it. It doesn't mean that they don't have to give you a hassle about doing it, though. Most dealers won't tell you about it, but they will offer to let you have the bike for a day to see if you like it, provided that you do all the paper work and buy the bike. Same thing. Obviously I am not a lawyer and I don't know all the dynamics of this law, but you might want to look it up if you think you might change your mind on the bike. --Fullstate
ARE YOU INSANE!?[/QUOTE] yer right. i went back and looked again. the spirit isn't a knockoff of the Softail at all. the spirit is a knockoff of the Dyna series. my mistake, shoulda picked up on the exposed rear shocks the first time. ;^D -- jam '73 R75/5 Toaster (not for sale) '99 R1100RT (in use) '00 FLHRCI (sold!) Iron Butt Assoc, WATR 3X, EIEIO, AEIOU etc blah blah
