Im looking into buying a motorcycle I have been doing some searching and i am torn between two right now... the 1st being a new 2007 honda shadow there asking $7000 for this one. it has aftermarket pipes, has been rejeted, diffrens hand grips and mirrors.



The 2ed being a Harley Davidson 883 sportster. I can get a new one for about the same price as the Honda. this will only be my 2ed bike, my first being an 83 yamaha verigo.... i sold it because i couldn't get it running right... the only two thing i dont like about the Harley is the gas tank looks kinda small and the handle bars.. i dont really like the way they sit.... so give me you thoughts...

 

I personally like the 883 Sportster, Looks more comfurtable to ride IMO.

 

Honda definitely, the harley will not hold it's resale like the honda and the ride quality is 100 times better on the honda.

 

That harley is a womens bike. Its a bicycle with a motor and very gay. Get the honda.

 

I'm by no means a motorcycle guy, but I do appreciate a good looking bike. The first thing I think when I see a guy on a sportster is... "that's a womans bike." How big a guy are you? If you are over 5'8" or 160lbs or so you'll look too big for the bike.

 

I personally think the sportie is a better bike. They hold their value very well compared to most shadows I've looked at. They've got plenty of power to get you moving, and when you're ready to "upgrade," it's fairly cheap to get it converted to the 1200 motor. With forward controls (~500$) they're very comfortable to ride.

I see plenty of guys my size (6', 170#s) riding them around here and it doesn't look awkward to me. I had a teacher in HS with an older sportie with forward controls. He was 6'2" and about 220lbs. He liked it until it outgrew the motor and instead of getting the 1200 kit he sold it for more than he paid for it and bought a fatboy.

I've sat on/ridden both and the Honda just felt cheesy to me. "Click" into gear instead of a solid feel, and the whole bike just felt off a little.

Personal opinion really I suppose.

I believe the 883 custom comes with a bigger tank as well. It's been a while since I've looked at bikes, (I just bought a scooter instead.)

Edit: Your best bet is to get out and ride both models and see which fits YOU best. Kinda like driving a truck. A guy who likes a Chevy doesn't like a Ford.. Same scenario.

 

I'd probably go with the Honda. If it was a 1200 Sportster vs a 1100 Shadow maybe the Harley.

 

Go with the sporty, heres why: ( my personal experience) I currently own a Honda CBR 600 and a Buell M2 (powered by Harley 1200) Have owned a Honda 750 Shadow and a Harley 883 among many other bikes.

The sporty will ride much better then the Honda at highway speeds. Hondas are smooth at idle and the vibes go up from there, Harleys are oppposite.
Whoever decided an 883 is a womans bike is way off. Not the guy here just general opinions of people. It is not slow by any means and there is plenty of aftermarket to further wake it up if you so desire.
Honda will lose a little more of it's value.
Harley is much more personalizable. (is that a word)
Harley will get better gas mileage.

Most importantly get the one that feels more comfortable to you. Won't matter what brand it is if you don't ride it because you just don't like it.

BTW spending money on a bike does not save money on gas. they are pricey to buy and very labor intensive. buy one because you love to ride not because you want to save pennies. Otherwise you'll have a tendency to cheap out on maintenance.

Let us know which one you get.

 

I have been looking also (check the sig ) and Honda is dealing right now I'm getting a 08 750 and a 07 new reflex for wifey including all the gear for right at 13000 (2 helmets, 2pr gloves, jackets, saddle bags for mine, etc ) I sat on every bike out there Kawasaki,Suzuki,Yamaha,Harley,triumph, victory, Buel,and Honda. the Honda has a much lower center of gravity feels good in the sitting position and the seat is supportive without being too wide just my observations good luck and happy riding

 

From my experience a japanese motorcycle is much more reliable than a harley. Most harely guys I know have oil leaks and it seems like something always breaks on their bikes. I owned an 03 kawasaki ninja for 3 years and put 27,000 miles on it. I changed the oil regularly, installed new plugs once, changed the airfilter a couple times and it NEVER had an issue. I used to beat on that thing too.

If your going to spend money on a new bike get soemthing with more ***** than that little baby harley. You'll regret buying such a weak motorcycle. What does it have like 40hp?

 

you are correct with the gas tank size. i get around 110 miles to the tank before hitting the reserve, so if you plan on riding on many long trips, it may be a pain filling up more often.

i also got the 883, and later converted it to a 1200. i love this bike. its lots of fun to ride, and has been flawless mechanically. i also know several others with sportys, and none have had any issues either (years ranging from 94 to 08).

the bike has plenty of torque, and even before the conversion it pulled my wife and i just fine. i do believe the stock 1200s have a slightly larger primary drive gear so they rev a little lower at highway speeds, but just like everything else on these bikes, its easy to change, and its amazing how much after market stuff there is.

if anyone tells you this is a 'chick bike' they either have personal 'man' issues, or just dont know what they are talking about.

ride what feels best to you. you will know whats right once you try them.

 

personally im a harley man when it comes to cruisers

69 harley


my dad has a new road king that just happened to be at the dealer when he went in to rent a bike (him and his friends would just rent bikes for a weekend) it was customized by the dealer and they had literally just rolled it out of a the shop and into the showroom when he got there and they said thats usually how they sell, within an hour. from the dealer it had aftermarket wheels, stainless braided lines, dual front brakes, with matching rotors, different bars and grips and handles,different seats, o and air cylinders on the back. then he programmed it, different pipes, k&n filter, removed turn signals, and a bunch of other small stuff


so i say get the harley and drop it because that back end is way to high imo

 

that metal seat doesnt look very comfortable.

 

honestly its not as bad as it looks