Harley Sportster Iron 883 v Honda VT750C Shadow 

I'm a Harley guy but I find it ridiculous to say the Honda feels small when it's actually a bigger bike than the sportster. I like and prefer harleys but even I know a biased review when I see one

I have an 05 Honda shadow, I bought it brand new and now have 73,000 miles on it. Other than basic maintenance ( fluid changes, new chain and sprocket) the only actual work that been done is I had the carb cleaned/ rebuilt 10k miles ago. The thing runs like a dream. The 883 would have needed a whole new rebuild by this point.

This must have been sponsored by Harley? I owned an 883 for 3 years, bought brand new 5 years ago. Sure it's a sweet bike, got the name brand, badges and all and it looks decent too. But thats about where it stops. Very seldom did I ever go out on cruises and it not break down in some way shape or form... It got to the point that every time I started it up my mind would instantly say "Wonder what will break this time?" I actually quit going on cruises simply because I knew the damn thing would break down... I am happy to report I traded it on a new Honda Shadow Phantom 2 years ago and since then, I'm going on cruises most weekends, riding it to work or where ever every chance I get. It has yet to have a single issue, not one. It's a joy to ride and without the fear of breaking down at any given moment, I'll take my Honda over an 883 any day of the week.

Yet another review that puts the Harley on top without any credible explanation other than it has the Harley logo. The internets full of similar reviews...Yawn!

made a comment about Honda having no soul? wtf, Honda is better in almost every way. The reliability of a Honda is tons better than a Harley. There's is a lot of guys personally know who have there Harley's in a shop getting worked on who secretly bring out their shadows in order to not miss out on riding. lmao.

Better attention to detail? Look inside the motors and see where the detail is. Do you buy a bike to ride or just look at? Throw a rock in any direction and you'll hit a Harley. They're everywhere and everyone jumps on the bandwagon. I want a bike that's affordable and reliable, like a Honda. You meet the nicest people on a Honda, so true!

I would say go with the Honda. Their Shaft Final drive setup is pretty much trouble free, and you never have to worry about a chain/belt break on a trip. Regular maintenence of Oil changes, checking fluids, and upkeep on rubber will keep you on a bike without much hassle. Harleys can be nice bikes, but they can also be high maintenence.

So the Honda is more user friendly and handles better, but the HD wins because it looks better.......I forgot that is what HD lovers do. Just watch the bikes instead of riding them....

Harleys are more expensive and no more reliable than a honda I've owned a Harley 883 sportster and it was so hard for me to sell that bike idk why it was a 04 with 23000 miles I was asking 3200 obo I ride it 50miles a day to work and back and my butt was numb by the time I'd get home I now own an 02 honda shadow spirit 750 I did need to clean the carb when I got the bike but only because the guy I bought it from had it sitting for over a year and it is the easiest bike I've had to work on did a whole carb clean and jet install in less than an hour! This bike is so smooth riding and has enough power to keep up with other bigger bike's I love my shadow!

I had a 2012 Phantom loved every mile. Upgraded my ride to a 2015 Triumph Thunderbird. Miss that bike absolutely bulletproof !

NOTE TO ALL NON HARLEY MOTORCYCLE COMPANIES: If MCN is comparing your product to a Harley don't bother to show up, in their eyes your piece of crap has already lost.

MCN ....what a load of shit..... they failed the honda on the basis that its more about usability and friendly riding than the name ...he called it soulless! harley wins because it has harley davidson written on it ...bollocks

I have a honda vt750c2, and i really like the bike. never had any problems with it. Only when it's raining, the bike seems to lose all control. the rear end breaks loose from the smallest acceleration and you have to break very careful. I don't know how the hd is, but I will not say if it is a bad bike or not (because I never drove one). In the end I love my bike, and that what is the most important. how YOU feel about your own bike.

Its amazing how this reviewer gave so many significant compliments to the Honda and so subtlety called it "soulless) Brother ,its how you feel about your ride that counts. The Honda is more comfortable and about the same performance. I saw both in person and they are both very attractive. I can very much do without the plastic covers on both sides of the Honda as well as the rocker covers though. The Honda has a more reliable engine and shaft drive. The out the door mark up on the sporty is significantly more than the Honda. I just feel the Honda is a more comfortable all around ride.(you can get a nice batwing fairing from Memphis shades and have a really comfortable daily runner. The Harley does win in the overall coolness department. though. T

I Look to buy a bike on reliability..Shaft drive ..Honda wins

I am reminded of one of my mates. The club came to my home for a PMI party, changing oil and such. He looked at my Goldwing bobber, odometer read 210,00 miles, and said, "I would rather push my Harley than ride a Honda." I responded, "I know that is truth as I see you pushing your Harley everyday when I am riding my Honda." His cursing response could not hide that fact his bike was not running at that day.

Selling my 883, might get a 750 Shadow when I do. Have to say though, the 883's been flawless and extremely reliable.

And the Honda will last 5 times longer and break down 5 times less.

I will never waste my money on a another Harley ever again. Accept the Vrod! Honda's are superior all Motorcycles.

I think both bikes look good, and from my experience riding BOTH bikes, you can't go wrong with either one. They both ride nice and if you just want to ride, it doesn't matter what you ride.

Bottom line is Japanese start making bikes that are far way better and cheaper than Harleys but hey...you can`t say it that otherwise you have the whole American proud fellas against you!

After reading a lot of reviews comparing HarleySportster and Honda Shadow 750, I'd like to add this about durabilit and easy maintenance on my 2006 Suzuki c506 Boulevard 800.' Since it's only an 800 engine it takes my butt every where I want to go, and keeps up with the Harley guys I ride with, albeit with some more vibration at 70 mph due to the five speed trans. I do my own oil changes @ $43 incl filter. I did front disc and rear drum brakes @ $57 while the wheels were at the dealer getting the new tires put on, Flushed out four year old antifreeze, and refilled for about $12. I installed a $10 beeper from RadioShack to remind me when I forget to turn off my blinkers. Also a $35 throttle lock. Thats all for the maintenance. As far as durability, this is what happened to my bike with 17,000 miles on it. After a ride of about 200 mi with the bike running perfect, I shut it off and it sat for about a week. The next time I started it there was a rap in the engine. I hit the kill switch, and checked the sight glass for the oil level and there was nothing in the sight glass. I put in about 3/4 of a quart (couldn't believe it took that much), level came up to normal and I started it again. I still don't know where the oil went all of a sudden, as Im always checking it. It seems as long as It was running it managed to maintain oil pressure but as soon as I re started it, there was no oil in the top half. it sure made a hell of a sound . The bike now has 35,000 miles on it, running as strong as when new, uses the normal amount of oil between changes. I found some tiny pieces of brass or bronze in a strainer when I did the first of three oil changes, and I have a whine in the transmission which sounds the same as the first time I drove it after the oil incident. I did a research on the internet showing where the brass material came from in the trans, and although it would be hard to sell the bike as it is, I have no reason to do so. It's a great bike, and with it's water cooled engine its much cooler riding that a lot of bigger bikes with bigger engines. I believe the Harley along with Hondas Gold Wing have to be the best touring bike one could want, as far as comfort,but at my age 84, I can much better handle the lower weight of my Suzuki, which btw I have to take around the house on the lawn where I keep it under cover during the summer on the patio. In the winter I keep it at in my brothers garage next to his bike. He has the same bike, same year as mine.

the big ass license plate would come in handy for the Harley. When it breaks down, use the plate as a sail.

the sportster's evolution engine, introduced in 1986, was perfected with zero mechanical defects or troubles which is pretty unheard of for air-cooled v-twins. the big twin harleys are another story. in addition to easy maintenance and being fun as hell, the conversion from 883cc to 1250cc is as easy as a bolt-on kit! ridin is believin :)

I’ve owned a 2001 Sportster 883 and now I own a 2011 Honda Shadow Phantom. The Shadow fits my height better. The Sportster is said to be more powerful. However, at the time I owned the Sportster, I weighed around 200 lbs. I currently weigh just under 170, so I don’t feel a significant difference in power. Also, my Honda is fuel injected and shaft driven. Whereas my Sportster was carburated with a belt drive.

The Sportster feels like you're riding a vacuum cleaner. Honda is much more comfortable

I own that H-D and LOVE it; however, I was inches away from buying the Honda Shadow Phantom (not the Spirit in this video, but very similar). My point is, while I have NOTHING bad to say about the H-D and recommend it 100%, Honda DOES make GREAT bikes too. If you want a Standard bike that's air cooled - go H-D. If you want a cruiser that's liquid cooled - go Honda. Either way, you can't go wrong. Good video/review.

Just got my ridding license and I'm thinking about one of these two depending on which one I can get a better deal on.

Fair enough, and I remember the Evolution being used in the big bikes for a while too, and even sporsters have issues. One of the more common ones I hear from owners i have met(on 1200s) is the oil sensor failing. Harleys also use a chain drive(100 year old technology) that uses little tensioners. Those have to be inspected at around 20,000 miles, and most times replaced, every 20,000 miles. The honda with regular oil changes and upkeep will usually last a lot longer without repairs.

Incredibly stupid review, these bikes are in entirely different categories, hence the name sportster of course it is a more agile,nimble bike. The shadow is a budget minded cruiser and still a pretty nice ride, the frame geometry tells the whole story.

I have an 05 Sportster, 08 Vulcan 900 and 08 Vulcan 500. All bring a big smile to my face when I ride them. The HD with the rubber mounted engine is the best of the Sportsters and handles much better than their previous models. Vibration has been greatly reduced. All I've done to this bike is oil changes, nothing has gone wrong after 8k miles. Most people that HD's are people that can't afford them.

Lol when the vid first start I was like " 6000 lbs! Damn Harley's are heavy!"

As a Harley rider, I'd like to say that though I understand your point of view, Honda does make a mighty fine CBR! If I had the dough and the room, I'd have a Honda in a heart-beat as my second bike.

Ill take a japanese bike anytime. Atleast i know that it wont die on me when i ride.

@fireworkstube I think the front forks are normal height- the rears are lowered an inch. So it went from 12.5" to 11.5" from sportster to iron. A popular cost-effective method is to buy stock shocks from Harley's touring bikes- Road King or Street Glide. The "lowered" ones for those are 12" and they run just around 100 bucks for the pair. When you bolt them on, use washers to keep em straight. Ride quality is drastically improved yet it won't have the rear fender flaring out like the euro model.

So everyone beats up on the Harley. Okay. The 750 shadow phantom is only $600 less than Iron 883. On the dyno the shadow makes 35hp vs 46hp for the Harley as well as more torque. The shadow must have its valves adjusted every 12k vs no adjustment for the Harley as it uses hydraulic lifters. The shadow has coolant that needs changing vs the Harley is air cooled. The fit, finish and cable routing on the Harley are far superior to the Honda. The Honda uses a drum rear brake vs disc for the Harley. Furthermore, the aftermarket for the Harley decimates the Honda. Tired of your 883, but don't want to buy another bike? You can spend 3g's and have a 1250cc 115hp screamer(hammer performance, nrhs, S&S) that's just as reliable as a factory 883 AND you can do it yourself with the help of a Harley factory service manual(which is VERY detailed). I love all motorcycles but in this debate, the Sporty outright pounces the Honda

both are good bikes, both are reliable, but I prefer the harley for it's torque. my custom 883 puts out major torque and i love it.

What the F*** ... How can you you compare those 2 bike and say one is better then the other one ??? In a 5 min road test........ I own a Shadow 1100. previously had a Harley. Those 2 bike are awesome in their own way. stop bullshitting.

I have a 2001 Honda shadow sabre 1100 I live in New England USA I blow the doors off every Harley I come across. Speed handling braking and I have only had to replace common wear items tires brake pads and such whereas all my friends who have harleys have had to have thousands and thousands of dollars on mechanical bills spent. I've owned my Honda for 10 years and I am very happy And I believe this is my forever bike. I have no need To be seen as cool for riding a Harley I am out there for me I don't care what I'm on as long as I'm comfortable and I have fun.

Honda will always be more reliable and have better engineering than Harley FACT !!!

Wish Honda would get rid of the bottom seams on the fuel tanks.

I think that the definition of a "good bike" differs depending on the person. An 883 sportster may be the perfect bike for one person, and the Shadow may be the perfect bike for another person. It all depends on what *you* want in a bike.

My '96 883 is a belt drive , and after 15k miles appears to be holding up great...the AMF era Harley's were a maintenance nightmare-Harley execs actually paid a visit to Japan in the mid 80's or so, and picked up some ideas on quality control...I think Harley has changed drastically in terms of dependability

I've got a Black Spirit, and personally I love the look, however, I have had to mod the nuts off it to get some of the uglier parts off. I understand some people love harleys because they're harleys, but the small sportster has never been an awesome bike IMO. With the spirit running jardine pipes, All lights changed to LED other than the headlight, new bars, risers, etc etc and maybe with a powercommander I think you have a stylish, quick enough ride that is comfy as hell. I love 'em

Soul is an equivocal term used to imbue substance and is usually given more credence than it deserves.

I have an 04 Sporty 1200 custom with almost 30k miles on it now. All in all I would have to say its a tuff dependable ride. It starts and is ready to go with no muss no fuss whether to work or to the next state over.

Heads up to the 883, Nimble scoot ! Had the pleasure of a whole week on thee iron. Once it undergoes a few mods etc (stage1) mini apes, it'll make a veritable tasty lil smoker ~

I have no dog in this fight. I own an 02 Volusia. But I have rode both of these bikes. Honda wins by far. The Sportster rides like a vaccum cleaner. The Shadow is so much more of a joy to ride than the HD.

I hope so! Where I am in NC, I see mostly older folks. American Rider magazine has been lamenting the aging demographic of H-D riders for a long while now. Reg Kitrell, the editor, seems to be leading the charge to implore H-D to do more to appeal to the younger folks. Myself, I've always been a fan of the older styles. If I had the dough and the mech. skill, I'd have all kinds of classic H-D's and Indians from the 30's - 60's. My criticism of H-D is just out of love for my fav. brand.

Got no soul. Road Jap bikes for years and loved them all but.......got no soul. The Sporty engages you, embraces you, includes you. Mine is an 08 883 I bought as a salvage with 250 miles on the clock. She is now a NRHS 1215 and it does not leak a single drop...anywhere, has been supremely reliable and I feel like I'm dating the prom queen every time I ride her. She's emotion in motion and is the best motorcycle in the world......to me. Keep the dry side up! Dirk

I have road both & many others !! shadow is my choice here ! sport bike here feels like a child's bike & I have pushed the shadow so hard I passed a 1300 cc harley in the turn! I was super impressed with my first honda cruise ride

Well we agree on that point. You bought your RK cause you like it, that's awesome and it's the only reason you need. Unfortunately, too many HD owners talk trash about every other make.

In addition, I thank you for not continuing to be insulting, though your acknowledgement of the fact would have been appreciated as well. I note that you appear to be an educator. I am as well. As such, we must realize that, like it or not, we serve as role-models for our students. Their seeing your vitriol sends the wrong message. Were we face to face, I'm sure our dialogue would be much more respectful. This is all I ask. H-D is my choice because it suits my needs, nothing more.

I think it was a fair comparison they are competing for the same market and alot of people who are thinking about buying one should see them side by side in a comparison so good job on the vid!

cforcalvin your reply is very insightful. What drives me up the wall is that people are discussing these bikes as if the were the hot set up. When the truth is an old cb 750 honda or an old kawasaki 900 would put both of these bikes to shame if they were compared in a normal road test. I came from the sixties and seventies. when bikes were compared on a level playing field.

It is a shame you have to hang those GIANT licence plates on those bikes.

I had a 05 v-star 1100 Custom I paid 4k for it. Never a problem with it. My brother bought an 08 1100 custom for 4500, he didn't like it so he bought an 07 softail standard for 13,500. Beautiful bike but been in the shop 4 times in 2 months. Meanwhile no issues with my v-star. HD dealer tried to get me to buy a street glide. I went across the street and bought a Raider. Better performance than any HD, better reliablility, but not resale value. But I don't buy a bike to sell it. I bike to ride.

I can't afford a Harley id love to have one but I've been told by alot of Harley riders about the problems so I definitely don't have the pockets to maintain that so its honda Yamaha or Kawasaki for me

Ian is doing some great things with your videos! I'm really liking the quality of the shots and the editing.

Have had both Harley and Honda bikes. As for a more comfortable ride and dependability .......give me the Honda any day. Plus they dont need high priced premium gas!

You see, this is precisely the kind of dialogue that gets us somewhere. Bravo! I totally understand your point of view. The bike must suit the riders wants and needs. Where one deals with switch-back twisties and needs to make fast maneuvers continually, a lighter, nimbler bike is entirely ideal. H-D does not really fit the bill for this. If I were in your boots, I'd be riding a Honda, a Kawasaki, or Suzuki. Thanks for shedding light on what its like to ride in Japan! :-D Friends it is!!

I have a 2005 Honda Shadow Spirit and I like it. My only complaint is it's only a 5 speed. When you jump on the highway 70mph and the motor is revving too high. It's tops out at 105mph. Put a 6sp and I'm good. Plenty of Power 0-60 and reliable

My friend has a 1947 Harley that he has been offered $20,000 for. It is not customized, mostly factory trim. Runs great. How can you argue with that? A New Sporster costs less than $9,000 and will hold that value well for years to come.

Going against the usual discussion here but I'm impressed with the videography on this video. I see a new style being used here. Do I sense that the guy recording is using one of the new crop of DSLR's with a good fast wide lens to the creative control here ? It doesn't look like it was filmed on anything cheap that's for sure. About the bikes. Good to see HD getting a good rap for their products by people that aren't die hard HD guys. I guess Honda needs to work at it a bit harder.

I know a bloke who has had his Harley nearly 10 years and he has never had a spanner on it.I think Harley had got thier shit together nowadays.

I agree. My Honda wasn't a bad bike, but it is like comparing an economy car to something more expensive and solid. Harley makes a pretty solid bike nowadays. They have really done a nice job the last few years with the new models.

being someone who actually owns both, a sportster and a shadow, i must say that both are great bikes. they each have pros and cons. i have had more maintenance issues with the sporty over the shadow but then the sporty has more custom ability. the shadow offers a smoother ride while the sporty offers great aggression. the shadow being a wet bike is more reliable in the summer heat while the sporty splits traffic more readily.

I own an 883. Owning a HD vs. Honda is like owning a Corvette vs. Camero. You go out to your Camero and say "It may have a similar motor but, I should of bought the vette." I had one Camero in my garage, and 3 Corvettes there afterwards. I owned a Honda to I got tired of lubing, cleaning and adjusting the chain, adjusting valves, and feeling like I should of bought a Harley. I don't have those problems anymore. People want that name just for show to that's why it easy to sell when its time

I've owned a Harley. It broke down every 2 weeks up to 23k miles. They called it a high mileage bike at that point. I watched them spin the rear axle trying to put on a rear tire for 5 minutes before I poked my head in and told him to hold the nut on the back side still. He'd probably still be there turning it if I hadn't. Honda has a better reputation... they sell transportation, not toys. I buy a bike for transportation, not for name brand recognition. You ought to keep riding...

Don't understand how people can actually bash on stuff 1. they don't own, 2. they don't understand 3. they are not qualified to make a respected educated comment. Harleys are awesome period.

I rode a 58 Harley Sportster XLCH all the way to Long Island from Boston in 65 to find a lady..hook up and bum enough money to get back to the Navy base..it worked quite nicely thank you..it helps to be 23 though LOL

You said the Honda cost more then the Harley?? I would need some proof on that one...

i do so love how the first point pushed is the harley is cooler.... excellent point. im glad your opinion is a ruling

That is true. It would be nice to see something more comparative than just some talk, although I have owned older versions of both bikes and I agree with most of what they said.

was he high during the comparison ??

Your bet would be wrong. We're talking about the front end forks here, not shock absorbers. There is a difference. In 1973 Harley started using Japanese parts, specifically, Showa forks. Showa is a subsidiary of Honda and the 49mm forks Harley uses today are made not in Ohio, but imported from Japan. In the end, it does matter to anyone who gets told to "buy American" when Harley Davidson buys Japanese to build their so called "American" bikes.

these are the two bikes I'm narrowed down on starting on. I just don't like the stock forward controls on the shadow and I don't like the stock handlebars on the 883

how well does the honda handle the motorways/highways can the engine handle a full day ride at 75-80 mph?

all right, just go to any bike shop 'n check out around there, broken HD , when you see a shadow on bike shop is oil change, tire or something like that, but the rest is a lot broken HD waiting for fixing.

Verdict: - if you're short, like reliability and economy, think that a sunny day in England is a miracle and want a comfortable ride, go for the Honda. - if you're well built, like heritage, the attention to details and the genuine originality, and want that sportiness in your ride, go for the Harley. I guess it all depends on what you want, really.

I have a Honda 750, it's very confortable and very fast, I'm very happy with its, i put sit for passenger and its beautiful.

I'm not much of a Harley man, but this one's pretty cool. The Blackline looks pretty sweet too, but wouldn't want to ride it for any length of time. Would like to see what the MCN boys think of the Forty Eight.

@Nickpatient You go by the torque they produce more than the horse power on these. They may have a poor top end but when you have to drop two gears on your sport bike to reel them in at a traffic light you start to understand what "shifting optional" on a Harley with 74.6Nm of torque on tap means.

If i wanted something old-school, with character, and with plenty of brand image, I'd get a Ducati. Despite its questionable reliability, at least those are engineering marvels, and are usually well respected by all type of bikers.

I love Harley's don't get me wrong but the Honda shadow wins hands down! They're alot more reliable than harley and parts don't cost you an absolute fortune unlike harley!

So true, I never looked at the specs, I got what I found fun to ride. I have a nice VW for my daily drive, for the weekend I want something fun to ride, that's why I got the HD 883.

In the US around me where I'm at on Sportster is going to cost you eighty five hundred to $12,000 depending on options and motor size but that Honda is about 6500 bucks

@HDMC833 The stock front pulley on an 883 is 27 tooth, so switch to a 29 tooth and this will reduce vibration at highway cruising speed dramatically.

My daily ride, '01 xl883c just hit 41500 miles & still going stronger than ever never let me down with any problem, its super dependeble.

I don't think that the MoCo is ignoring young riders. I see lots of guys in their 30's-40's riding Harleys around where I live. And from what I can tell on the forums, there are lots of people even younger riding Harleys. Especially Sportsters (and the MoCo has been doing a great job to attract the youngest ones with the Nightster, Iron and now the 48). These young buyers will buy the bigger ones later. :)

I'm with you. Just ordered a Black Spirit today.

I saw your H-D. I also saw your Hayabusa. Your comment was still anti-Harley. There was no indication that you were making the criticism out of love for a dear old friend. It smacked of pure criticism, hence my receiving it as such. Mine is an 88 ci, not a 96, BTW. 24,000 miles makes me qualified to say that up to 24,000 miles, H-D's are fine. The notion that H-D's are unreliable is antiquated. Since the Evo, reliability issues have gone by the way-side.

05 Honda shadow Aero 750. 11500 miles. Love it. Would put it up against any other bikes out there for quality. If/when it does croak, I will buy a new shadow Aero at 8000$ and ride it another 15 years. I love Harley's, but I'm not buying a name, I'm buying a bike to ride. Cheers to all, get in the wind.

I guess you missed the part about the Honda having a higher price tag , ..and 5% more hp out of your Sporty mods to! Your folks must be proud.

Could not have said it better myself!! For the record, I'd love to test-ride a Triumph and a KTM some day!

Serious question for Honda riders. Why do Honda cruisers have a whiny noise to them? And I'm not trying to be a dick.. as much of a "dick question" that is. lol. I don't dislike Shadows or VTX's by any means.. even though I do ride a Sportster 1200. I'm quite fond of the 750 Spirit, Phantom and the VTX 1300's. My dad also rides an X. But even with an aftermarket exhaust, Hard Krome 2-into-1, his VTX has a whispy/airy sound to it at idle and cruising speeds. But other than that little sub-noise, his bike sounds amazing. I've noticed this on Victory's too. It doesn't make sense to me why they have that sound while my Sporty and other Harley's don't. It's just a weird noise that I've noticed over time. Any tech-heads know why??

Either are good if you just want to ride to the store, but if you really want to compete, you must be on a Victory!

@undeadsaint look again - one bike has separate stop light and indicators, the other has the indicator and stop light together in the one unit.

when i retire i will probably ride one of these senior's bikes :-)

I was not referencing the belt, but the Primary mechanism inside the engine and transmission. I am also aware of the AMF era and what happened to the quality after. That being said, Harleys are still a higher maintenance bike. One of the most common things you will see are Harley owners rolling their bikes over(selling) between 24K and 30K some miles. Without more major work, they just dont have the lifespan of some of the other bikes, and it is because of the design itself.