Adam Waheed shares an in-depth evaluation of the 2024 Honda Shadow Phantom cruiser ($8,399) in this exclusive video review.
Video: Adam Waheed
Motorcycle Riding Gear Worn
Helmet: Shoei RF-SR
Jacket: Alpinestars SMX Air Jacket
Gloves: Megawatt Gloves
Pant: Alpinestars-Diesel Shiro
Boots: Alpinestars Faster-3 Rideknit
Read the best motorcycle news and reviews: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motorcyclistonline/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motorcyclistmag/
Video: Adam Waheed
Motorcycle Riding Gear Worn
Helmet: Shoei RF-SR
Jacket: Alpinestars SMX Air Jacket
Gloves: Megawatt Gloves
Pant: Alpinestars-Diesel Shiro
Boots: Alpinestars Faster-3 Rideknit
Read the best motorcycle news and reviews: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motorcyclistonline/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motorcyclistmag/
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Okay folks, here we are at the official American Honda press launch. Here is the
00:04 mechanical key. It goes in the ignition right there and away we go. This is the
00:12 official press introduction for American Honda's 2024 Shadow Phantom Cruiser. This
00:22 is a bobber style middleweight cruiser from American Honda Motor Company. It is
00:31 built in Japan. Kumamoto, Japan is where this vehicle is manufactured, which
00:38 is pretty neat. Sorry for having to start our video there if you can believe it.
00:43 Our video camera locked up and I had to reset it. I had to do a cold reset. I mean
00:50 I had to take the camera out of the housing, remove the battery, plug it back
00:55 in and away we go. Now this motorcycle sees a couple updates for the 2024 model
01:06 year here in the United States. We've got updated styling, some new colors,
01:16 a bigger rear brake disc and some finishing details. Now Honda's Shadow, if
01:24 you can even believe it, the Shadow model dates back to 1983. You can even believe it.
01:33 41 years of Honda's Shadow here in the United States. When that motorcycle
01:40 debuted in America in 1983, American Honda sold almost 20,000 bikes that year.
01:49 Isn't that crazy? 20,000 Shadows way back in '83 in the first year. Now when the
01:56 Shadow was originally introduced, it looked, it almost looked like a VMAX. That
02:02 whole kind of style of motorcycle, that aggressive cruiser, that was kind of the
02:07 look of those bikes back then. Then over the years the look morphed into more of
02:13 a motor company replica with the long and low swept design, a lot of chrome. So
02:22 for you folks out there that want that more traditional, the motor company type
02:29 of middleweight cruiser, Honda continues to offer its Aero Cruiser. But we're not
02:36 riding that today. Today we're riding the Shadow Phantom. All right folks, right
02:43 away sitting on this vehicle, the ergonomics are very cruiser-ish. We have
02:51 mid controls. Mid controls are where our feet rest. Although they are mid
02:58 controls, they're a little bit more far forward, I guess, than true, true mid
03:03 controls. But still by definition these would be mid controls, though they are a
03:08 little bit far forward. The handlebar has a very far forward bend. I'm
03:15 six foot tall, I have long arms, and my arms are fully outstretched. If you are a
03:20 shorter rider, you might have a little bit of a hard time grabbing onto this
03:25 thing just because the distance between the handlebar and the seat is a little
03:30 bit far away. Honda cites that it basically coined the ergonomics package
03:36 on the motor company's now retired Sportster 48. So that vehicle with its
03:44 ergonomics, even though the motor company no longer manufactures that vehicle or
03:48 platform, Honda copied, or didn't copy, but borrowed the ergonomics layout of that
03:55 vehicle. So mid controls, real far forward handlebar, it's got a little bit of
04:02 rearward sweep. It's not too high, not too low. It's nice. I like these hand grips.
04:06 These hand grips, they don't look the best. They kind of look plasticky, but
04:11 they fit really nice in your hands. They're nice and oversized. They have a
04:15 really nice feel to them. This seat, this Shadow Phantom is a one-seater made
04:25 for a rider only. Of course, American Honda offers an accessory for $100. You
04:31 can purchase an accessory seat, and then a passenger can come along with you on
04:37 rides. Now the rider's seat, it's fitting us really nice. We're six foot tall. We
04:45 weigh 205 pounds right now, and the seat is very low, and it really supports the
04:52 rider's rear end. It feels like a dish. You're sitting in this nice dish. So it's a
04:58 nice pocket of comfort. We've only logged a handful of miles, so who knows how the
05:05 ultimate comfort would be on this thing. We'll find out hopefully in a little bit,
05:09 but so far, so good. Once again, worth the official American Honda press
05:16 introduction for this vehicle. These are lead follow type rides. We cannot put
05:22 this motorcycle through our traditional battery of tests. We aren't able
05:27 to operate this bike at night. We have to lead follow. We are on American Honda's
05:33 program. This is not a free-for-all, so we can't just do what we do and do our
05:39 normal battery of comprehensive tests. So keep that in mind, folks.
05:46 Alright, we're gearing up for our photography stop. This photography stop
05:52 is used to capture images that we use on the MotorcyclistOnline.com web domain.
06:01 Sometimes they use them as a graphic in the YouTube thumbnail, but lately they
06:07 want us to do these funky looking face graphics, so that's what we're gonna be
06:12 doing today probably. So alright, we're gonna do a photo stop right now and
06:16 we'll check in with you in a little bit. Alright, folks, scratch that. We're going
06:21 to a different spot apparently for the photo stop. Once again, this is a lead
06:25 follow style ride. We are not in charge. Back to the Honda Shadow Phantom. I
06:33 really like the engine sound of this motorcycle. This thing's got a really
06:37 nice growl to it. There's the photography team. This thing's got a
06:43 really nice growl to it. Sounds really good.
06:48 Of course, this vehicle is powered by a 745 CC V-twin engine. This engine is
06:59 canted at a 52 degree angle, so the V is 52 degrees. For comparison, the motor
07:10 company uses a 45 degree V in its engine. If you can even believe it, back in the
07:16 day when the Shadow was first launched in '83, it used the same 45 degree V angle,
07:23 so that has since widened to 52 degrees. So that is the engine that powers this
07:33 vehicle. We misspoke. Instead, it's air-cooled. This engine is not air-cooled.
07:37 This engine employs a radiator. This is a liquid-cooled engine. The radiator, of
07:45 course, is tucked up nicely in front of the... behind the front wheel. It's painted
07:52 all black, so you can't really see it. Alright, folks, we're doing our photo stop
07:56 now. We'll check in with you in a little bit. Alright, folks, we did it. That was a
08:01 successful photo stop. Back to the engine on this bike. 745 CC water-cooled overhead
08:09 cam engine. Three valve cylinder heads. Kind of crazy, right? So we have two
08:19 intake valves and one exhaust. One on the front cylinder, one on the back. So six
08:27 valve engine in total. This engine is good for right around 40 horsepower, so
08:35 it's not the fastest thing on the road, but you'd be surprised. Like, this thing's
08:39 got some decent get-up-and-go. Around 40 pound-feet of torque, and it definitely
08:45 has good bottom end and that sound. I love the sound of this thing. Listen to that
08:51 thing.
08:53 Sounds good. That's a good sounding exhaust.
09:00 Now, this water-cooled engine puts power back to a 15-inch rear wheel via a
09:14 five-speed transmission and a cable actuated clutch. We also have shaft final
09:23 drive, which is on the left-hand side of the vehicle. So there's no chain. There's
09:29 no belt. Shaft final drive. Shaft final drive is really nice because it affords
09:35 a really clean appearance. If we look at this bike here from the port side, you
09:42 can see the shaft final drive right there. It looks very clean. There's no
09:46 mess. There's no grease or excess chain residue to clean up off the back of the
09:53 bike. It's also relatively de-avoid of maintenance. Of course, you do have to
10:00 service the shaft final drive, but the increments are well past 10,000 mile
10:06 increments. And we'll get to the maintenance on this vehicle in a little
10:11 bit.
10:13 The clutch action is nice and light. This has a really nice light feeling
10:21 clutch. If you're someone who doesn't have a crazy strong arm, you're gonna
10:25 like this bike because the clutch action is nice and light, yet it's not wimpy. It
10:30 has a nice, nice feel to it. The pull, there's enough tension on the pull to
10:38 make it feel like a quality motorcycle. Sometimes with these entry-level and
10:42 midsize vehicles, the clutch pull is just so, so wimpy that it just doesn't feel
10:49 like it has the right amount of tension on it. It just feels cheap. This
10:55 clutch doesn't feel cheap. I like it.
10:59 Five-speed gearbox shifts up and down very nicely. Real nice, precise shift feel
11:06 throws are pretty short as well. There is no heel shifter on this vehicle, just a
11:13 conventional shift lever which you actuate with the front part of your left
11:19 foot. I really like that shifter feel. It feels real precise. You give her a little
11:26 bit of RPM bump and it just drops into the next cog nice and smooth. Same on the
11:32 downshifts. You give her a little throttle blip, she downshifts really
11:36 nicely. Ooh, I love the sound of this engine. This thing sounds boss.
11:43 Crazy to think that a $8,300 cruiser that's made in Japan can sound this
11:51 awesome.
11:54 Now, the engine drinks from a 3.9 gallon fuel tank. This engine runs on 87 octane,
12:05 so no need to get the premium stuff. 87 octane is just fine for this thing. Honda
12:12 says that this engine should be good for over 50 mpg. Again, this isn't...
12:21 this vehicle is not putting through our exhaustive battery of tests, so we're not
12:26 going to be able to report on the actual fuel mileage, but Honda says over 50. That
12:34 means right around 45. Now, keeping tabs on everything is this simple and classic
12:42 looking swept face analog style speedometer. This is a traditional
12:48 component that cruisers have used for years. We also have this small
12:52 rectangular LCD, which keeps track of our double trip meters, the time, and the
13:01 odometer functions. There's a button right here that manipulates that setting.
13:10 We are now climbing up
13:15 Highway 39, I believe. This is one of my favorite roads from a long time ago. Back
13:21 in the old days, we used to ride up this road a lot. We actually did a lot of our
13:25 testing and industry-leading comparisons and shootouts at the time on
13:31 this road. So this road definitely brings back memories. I think this road is a
13:38 little bit more popular than it was 10-15 years ago, so definitely more
13:43 traffic on it than back when we were whaling on this thing, but it always
13:47 feels good to be riding on any type of bike, especially when you got curvy road
13:54 in front of you.
13:58 Oh yeah, this thing handles pretty good for a 500-pound cruiser. We have just
14:06 over five inches of suspension travel up front and three and a half out back. We
14:13 have a standard telescopic fork. You can tell the rake is fairly far forward,
14:21 especially for a bobber-style motorcycle. And out back we have a pair of hydraulic
14:31 shock absorbers that attach on either side of the motorcycle. They have preload
14:38 adjustment, so you can adjust the spring preload of either shock in five
14:42 increments, and you'd want to adjust the preload to modify the ride height of the
14:49 rear of the vehicle. Let's say you want the rear end of the vehicle to sit a
14:53 little bit higher, you crank in more preload. Let's say you're gonna be
14:58 carrying a passenger or you're a heavy guy like me, or maybe you put some
15:04 luggage on this bike, you're gonna want to add preload. It just adjusts the
15:09 balance of the chassis and makes it more favorable.
15:15 It kind of depends on what kind of vehicle I'm operating. Sometimes I like a lot of
15:19 preload, sometimes I don't like any. It just kind of depends. Typically with touring
15:24 bikes and cruisers, I generally like the rear end to sit a little bit low. It
15:29 just makes for a more cruisy-ish type ride. Of course, on more sporty bikes,
15:37 generally I like to have more preload because it sharpens the head angle. The
15:43 angle of tack of the vehicle makes it a little bit sharper in terms of steering
15:48 handling. It also keeps the back of the bike up so when you're riding a bike
15:53 that has a lot of power, generally it's nice to have that back end a little bit
15:58 higher because it keeps you from just squatting that rear tire and just wearing
16:03 out the rear tire. So again, it just depends on the road surface and the type of
16:10 vehicle we're operating. But it's still nice to know that American Honda allows
16:15 you to change that in five increments.
16:21 Now earlier when we were riding in the city, this bike has pretty good ride
16:28 quality. We rode over some bumpy stretches of pavement and this thing
16:34 rides pretty dang good. Rebound wasn't crazy fast, compression wasn't crazy slow
16:43 nor fast. Really makes for an accommodating ride. Obviously this road
16:52 is a little bit smoother but you can still see that there are some pavement
16:55 imperfections but the suspension is doing a nice job of filtering out those
17:01 imperfections and allowing us to have a real comfortable ride.
17:08 That guy did an illegal maneuver. We would never cross the double yellow
17:14 lines while operating a vehicle. It's against the law. We here at Motorcyclist
17:19 Magazine follow the letter of the law. We also are advocates of all safety gear
17:29 all the time. We're always wearing motorcycle specific gloves. We're always
17:34 wearing a full face dot labeled helmet. We're always wearing above the ankle
17:41 footwear. We're always wearing appropriate riding jeans and/or pants
17:48 with armor. And we're always wearing a full sleeve jacket with armor. If you
17:56 want to have a long safe life on two wheels you always want to wear motorcycle
18:02 gear any type anytime you're swinging a leg over a scooter, a cruiser, it doesn't
18:07 matter what you ride. If you're riding on a public roadway all gear all the time.
18:12 That's how we roll here at Motorcyclist Magazine.
18:17 Alright folks we'll check in with you in a little bit. Yes finally some clean air
18:22 and geez louise this feels nice. I like that my legs are just in the breeze. This
18:30 is a very cruiser-ish riding position. Good for logging miles. Of course being
18:39 this being a middleweight bobber style cruiser this isn't the kind of motor
18:43 you're gonna ride cross-country. This is for short rides in and out of town. Have
18:51 some fun with your friends on the weekend and see the sights and sounds of
18:58 the town and rural area on your motorcycle.
19:05 Engine vibration on the 745 CC V-Twin. You definitely feel engine vibration
19:11 through the controls, through the handlebar, through the foot pegs.
19:16 I wouldn't say it's overwhelming. It fits the vibe literally no pun intended of
19:21 these cruiser style motorcycles. So you're definitely gonna feel vibration.
19:27 It adds to the experience. I wouldn't say the vibration is as precisely tuned as
19:33 other motorcycles we've ridden but it's not just willy-nilly style either. There's
19:40 a purpose for the vibration. It adds to the cruiser V-Twin experience without it
19:47 being excessive. Ground clearance we touched down the foot pegs back in that
19:54 last turn even at a moderate lean angle. This isn't the kind of bike you're gonna
19:59 be whaling around turns on but it's perfectly capable of getting a
20:07 moderate amount of lean angle. We mentioned the rear wheel is a 15-inch
20:12 rear wheel. The front wheel is 17 inches in diameter. We have dual disc brakes. One
20:19 disc brake in the front, one in the rear.
20:24 And that keeps speed in check on this 540 some pound cruiser.
20:33 I've got a low fuel light that illuminates if the 3.9 gallon fuel tank
20:40 starts to run low. It would be nice if American Honda included some type of
20:45 MPG calculator here in this LCD display. I'd also like a ambient air temperature.
20:51 I love ambient air temperature. It just helps you know what the temp is outside.
20:59 Now we talked about the ergonomics. How the riding position on this bike is very
21:05 stretched out. If you're a taller person you're gonna like the way this bike
21:08 fits. If you're shorter it might be a little bit much for you. Now of course
21:14 you can always adjust the position of the handlebar by rolling the handlebar
21:20 forward or backward. You're gonna you want to use I believe it's gonna be a
21:25 six millimeter Allen key. Loosen these four bolts and then you can
21:30 do that. Whoa we got some road construction folks. Shout out to all the
21:38 hard workers out here that keep America running. That put in the work midnight to
21:44 midnight. No excuses. No complaining. Just getting her done. Like this guy.
21:51 Nice man.
21:54 No complainers.
22:02 God this is a fun bike to ride.
22:08 Just proves that you don't need to spend $20,000 on a full dresser style bagger.
22:16 I mean obviously those motorcycles kick butt and they're totally
22:21 awesome but for $8,300 something you can cruise around on. Pretty neat. It's pretty
22:28 crazy because realistically Harley-Davidson they started this whole
22:33 market and fast forward to 2023 if you can even believe it Harley-Davidson
22:39 doesn't offer an entry-level sportsster anymore. Their entry-level bike is the
22:46 $13,500 water-cooled nightster. $13,500 is a lot of
22:52 motors. A lot of money for a motorcycle. This thing's $8,300. If you want ABS, fixed
22:59 always on ABS which fully mitigates wheel lockup. If you are applying too
23:06 much brake pressure to the front or rear brake that's a $300 upcharge. $8,600
23:12 for that shadow. For a motorcycle that is built in Japan. Unbelievable that
23:21 American Honda is able to offer this motorcycle for under nine grand. It's
23:26 pretty cool. Of course American Honda and Honda Motor
23:30 Japan their build quality on their vehicles is legendary. These motorcycles
23:36 are built as tough as they come.
23:40 Of course Honda stands behind its product with a one-year manufacturer's
23:46 warranty. It also offers extended warranties as available as an accessory
23:54 at your local Honda Power Sports dealer here in the United States. Maintenance wise,
24:00 after initial 600 mile service this bike goes 8,000 miles between oil changes.
24:07 8,000 miles between oil changes. Honda recommends you replace the oil filter
24:13 cartridge every other oil change. So every 16,000 miles you replace the oil
24:17 filter. Oddly enough the valve inspection interval on each of the three valves and
24:25 the front and rear cylinder head is every 8,000 miles as well. So every time
24:30 you change the oil Honda wants you to expect the clearance of each of the six
24:36 valves. Kind of crazy. It also recommends you change the spark plugs every 8,000
24:43 miles as well. The air filter on the other hand goes a little bit longer. That
24:49 goes 12,000 miles between replacement. But our experience you always want to
24:54 change the air filter on any bike or car truck anything well before what the
25:00 recommendation says. In my personal experience you always change the air
25:05 filter quite often. Oil on the other hand I'm a manual guy. Whatever the manual
25:12 says I generally follow unless it's a turbocharged vehicle. If it's a
25:17 turbocharged vehicle I'll generally change the oil a little bit more
25:21 frequently because my turbocharged vehicles I always drive like a crazy
25:26 person and oil cools the impeller of the turbo. So you really want to make
25:35 sure that the oil stays clean and fresh. So 8,000 miles between oil changes,
25:43 16,000 mile oil filters, 8,000 miles for spark plugs valve inspection and
25:49 12,000 miles for the air filter. So when you buy a Honda product it's no surprise
25:56 these things are made to go the distance. We're going to talk about the fit and
26:03 finish on this bike in a little bit when we're at a stop. But of course it's a
26:08 Honda so you know it's going to be good. Alright folks we'll check in with you in
26:14 a little bit. These rearview mirrors I like the round shape of them. Definitely
26:19 a little bit of vibration through the mirrors but I wouldn't say it's bad.
26:23 Alright folks we'll check in with you in a little bit. Alright folks lighting on
26:29 this motorcycle. This motorcycle employs a halogen bulb headlamp and tail light
26:35 but LED turn signals. And that's kind of strange because normally
26:42 we see motorcycles offering LED headlamp and tail light but halogen bulb turn
26:49 signals. So this Honda Phantom Shadow is actually the opposite where it uses
26:57 halogen bulb headlight and tail light with newer style LED turn signals. To be
27:03 fair if you look at the head beam on this motorcycle when it's illuminated it
27:08 has like a ring on it which it it almost looks like it is LED. Almost like an LED
27:14 positioning headlight. But I had to double take it because it's not LED it's
27:20 in fact halogen. But the ring around it does make it seem like there is an LED
27:25 ring. Now LED lighting is always boss because typically it throws a brighter
27:32 swath of light which is really nice during night rides. It also helps the
27:37 vehicle stand out a little bit more especially when you have an LED tail
27:40 light. Still we do like that it does have LED turn signals. LED everything's always
27:45 awesome. It is it uses less power and generally is a brighter. Of course because
27:53 we are at an official press introduction product event we aren't able to ride
28:01 this bike after dark. So we can't assess its lighting capability. So I'll have to
28:09 save that for a future installment. Back to this bike. God this thing hustles
28:15 around corners pretty nicely. Obviously this riding position and ergonomics
28:21 aren't set up for corners. Our feet are very far forward. The handlebar is
28:28 stretched out and our back or butt is really to the rear of the motorcycle. So
28:34 not the most conducive for carving corners. But in typical Honda form the
28:42 vehicle is so well balanced and engineered that you can actually do a
28:47 little bit of sport riding on this thing. Well if you call this sport riding. I
28:52 don't know I feel like it's pretty I feel a little bit of sport. Engine sounds
28:57 awesome. Exhaust notes pretty pleasing and I'm having fun. But then anytime I'm
29:04 riding any type of power sports product I'm always having fun. And that is the
29:11 facts.
29:14 Brake feel on this bike. I like the brakes. They are plenty powerful to shed
29:19 speed on this 540 pound bike. Whoa got some gravel right there.
29:26 Plenty power. Plenty of power both in terms of the front and back brake. Yet
29:34 these brakes are not overly sensitive. If you're someone who's new to riding I
29:40 think you're gonna have a good time getting used to the braking package on
29:45 this bike. It's not too aggressive nor too wimpy but just right. ABS is always a
29:52 nice touch for you. First-timers and new riders out there it allows you to use
29:57 maximum braking pressure with no threat of wheel lockup like that. Alright folks
30:04 we're taking a little break. Let's pull over on the side here a little bit more
30:08 and we'll catch up with you in a little bit. Alright one thing I might not have
30:14 shown you guys is the seat. Look at this seat. Look how deep and wide it is. This
30:19 is a nice place to do business from. The cover is pretty decent too for an $8,400
30:26 bike. Another nice touch is this rear fender. This is plastic. I wish this is
30:33 metal like Rebel 300, 500, 1100 are but there's six bolts here.
30:39 Those are 12 millimeter. You remove these six bolts and then this rear license
30:46 plate hugger comes off and then you can affix something that is a little bit
30:51 more aesthetically pleasing. So nice job Honda. Way to pay attention to the
30:55 details. Well folks that was a fun day on Honda's 2024 Shadow Phantom Cruiser.
31:05 At $8,400 for a bobber style cruiser this vehicle represents significant value in
31:13 the class. There aren't there aren't any American V-twin manufacturers that make
31:19 a V-twin bobber style motorcycle for under 10 grand so it's nice to see
31:25 Honda occupying that space. The spikes nice. It's got a really excellent
31:31 engine and exhaust note. The sound of this engine is just awesome. It's really
31:37 impressive how Honda Motor Japan was able to engineer such a pleasing sounding
31:42 motorcycle. It's easy to ride. It looks cool minus the Honda logos. I wish it
31:50 would do away with that. So if you're looking for an affordable easy riding
31:55 V-twin cruiser for urban rides I think this Shadow Phantom would be a good
32:02 option. Now we didn't talk about heat management but we rode this motorcycle
32:07 mostly moving you know at speed. We didn't do a lot of stop-and-go with any
32:12 riding on this bike and the air temperature is probably around 82 but you
32:16 don't really feel any engine heat off this engine. Honda traditionally always
32:20 does a really good job in terms of heat management with this powertrains so it
32:25 comes to no surprise that this 745 CC V-twin doesn't throw a lot of
32:31 heat off the rider. Well folks that wraps up our official review. Make sure to surf
32:36 on over to MotorcyclistOnline.com. That's where all of our written content
32:40 comes to life. Give this video a thumbs up if you liked it. Thumbs it down if you
32:44 didn't because we'd love to hear from the naysayers. Everyone's opinion counts
32:47 here and sound off in the comment section what do you think of V-twin
32:52 cruisers and Honda's Phantom Shadow. We want to hear from you. Make sure to check
32:57 out our official preview video and our top five features of this bike video.
33:04 We'll see you in the next episode. Thank you as always for riding with us.
33:11 you
33:13 (engine revving)
33:16 (engine revving)
33:19 (engine revving)
33:22 (engine revving)
33:25 (engine revving)
33:27 (explosion)