Rider Review: 2001 Honda Shadow 1100 Spirit

Submitted by: KZRob

I had the chance to put about 30 miles on this bike.The odometer only had 30 miles on it. The reason I had it was to install new pipes and a jet kit. I was a little nervous about taking a brand bike new apart, but it turned out to be a simple(for me) job. Keeping in mind my limited experience with bikes here are my thoughts. I'll start with what I thought to be the lows. My biggest problem was the 2-3 shift, it required much more effort than the other shifts that were perfect. I think this may be a problem with this bike (bad snycro). The only other complaint is the shaking at low rpm. I am not a big cruiser guy so this might be the way it is. At other speeds its smooth as glass. The steering is a little slow for my taste. Other than that, this bike was great. The nice friction zone and awesome low speed torque make for an easy ride. On the highway this bike is at its best, loafing along in 5th gear (that it doesn't need) at 65, the long wheelbase and low center of gravity really keep it stable. This was the first shaft drive bike I've ridden and I had heard stories about the older shafts, but I couldn't tell it was shaft drive, it didn't do anything strange. I thought it was a nice bike and a good value.I really liked riding it around for a day.