Honda made an honest attempt to capture that look and feel of yesteryear with the Shadow duo, the big brothers to the Rebel range. Maybe just a little too honest – is that a mechanical drum brake I see? Still with a 745 cc engine and a wide-ratio transmission, the Shadow Phantom and the Aero fill the "cruiser" slot quite adequately for Honda.

Honda Shadow Aero / Shadow Phantom Design

According to Honda, cruisers are meant for relaxed, comfortable riding. I don’t think it’s unfair to say that nothing says “laid back” quite like the vintage American cruisers from the 1950’s (or so). A low, stocky profile and relaxed rider triangle set the stage for the classic touches that ultimately define the look. Full-figured fenders give the bike a violent shove into retro territory, and the chrome covers over the shocks and tripletree reinforce that image. If I had to pick a bike to compare it to, just on looks alone, I would have to pick the Indian Chief Classic; same low stature and “flowy” lines, similar fenders and nostalgic appeal, which is a testament to Honda’s design team, ’cause Indian knows all about old American cruiser culture.

Seat height is near the bottom of the range at 25.9 inches, which is close enough to the ground for even short-statured riders to have easy access with plenty of leverage. Since the bike weighs in at a mere 560 pounds soaking wet (curb weight), you can use said leverage to keep the bike under control when it comes time to deploy your training wheels.

Speaking of training, the Aero and Shadow models supplement the Rebel in the entry-level cruiser market, so fans of American cruiser designs will no longer be forced onto the smaller bike, now they have a choice. This is particularly good news for the big-and-tall crowd, who never looked right perched on top of the little, Rebel “pocket cruiser” anyway.

Honda Shadow Aero / Shadow Phantom Chassis

The rolling chassis begins with a fat, 120 mm wide tire up front, and an even fatter 160 in the back. Although the laced rims are a nice, nostalgic touch, I think this bike screams out for a set of “Gangster” white-wall tires. Like a garnish on a plate, that would complete the ensemble Honda was shooting for.

Brake choices veer toward the almost-too-far zone with the 180 mm mechanical drum brake on the rear wheel, but to be honest, since the rear brake only accounts for 30 percent of your total braking power, it’s probably a worthwhile trade off – there is nothing quite as quaint as a drum brake. At least the front uses the less traditional, but more common, juice brake with a dual-pot piston and 296 mm disc for the heavy work. Honda offers the Aero in an ABS model, but no such option as yet in the Phantom..

Suspension travel is sufficient, at best. The 41 mm front forks have 4.6 inches of travel, but the preload-adjustable rear shocks offer a scant 3.5 inches of travel. This is fine for around-town puttering, but you may feel it in your shorts when the roads get rough. The 34-degree steering head angle projects the forks away from the bike in a way that suggests old-school symmetry, while leaving the bike with a relatively stable 64.5-inch wheelbase and 6.3 inches of trail. So yes, it’s going to corner like a cruiser.

Honda Shadow Aero / Shadow Phantom Drivetrain

Honda went with a liquid-cooled, 52-degree V-twin engine to power this timepiece. While the factory is a bit tight-lipped about the performance numbers, we know that it displaces 745 cc, and is nearly a square engine with a 79 mm bore and 76 mm stroke. Power flows through the five-speed gearbox, down the driveshaft and to the rear wheel for quiet and low-maintenance operation.

Fuel management falls to the 34 mm throttle body with PGM-FI. An automatic enrichener circuit handles cold starts all by itself – no need to fiddle with a choke knob -- and if you are like me, ride off and forget the thing is on!

Now I know it’s a small engine, and as such will tend to sip at the gas, so the Shadow does not disappoint with 56 mpg, giving her a range around 200 miles depending on riding style. I think driveshafts got a bad rap early on, and the industry has corrected many of the negative behavioral problems to leave the shaft drive as a viable alternative to vulnerable chains and belts.

Honda Shadow Aero / Shadow Phantom Price

The Aero is priced to move at $7,699 without ABS and $7,999 with it. The Phantom is right in the same ballpark at $7,899, which is a lot of bang for your buck, and makes it accessible for the entry-level/budget-minded crowd.

Honda Shadow Aero / Shadow Phantom Competitor

As usual, I like to compare market-targeted models from an import-versus-domestic standpoint, and so I will stick with aesthetics as the main consideration. With that in mind, I went with an All-American brand, Indian Motorcycle, and chose the Scout Sixty for my head-to-head.

Indian Motorcycle Scout / Scout Sixty

While the Shadow family is built around dated references, the Scout Sixty takes its latent nostalgia in a more progressive direction. Cut-down fenders shed a lot of the “heavy cruiser” vibe so prevalent on other Indians, and both the Scout Sixty and the Phantom sport blackout paint schemes with equally ominous results.

Unfortunately, if blackout ain't your cup o' tea, then the Scout Sixty has nothing for you, but the Shadow Aero does with lots of chrome blingage. The rider triangle on both rides forces a windsock position that is fairly comfortable in most situations, but riders may find a bit tiring or even nerve wracking on prolonged highway trips.

Indian brings the cubes with its entry-level cruiser by sticking a 1,000 cc (61 cubic-inch) mill in the sled, a little bit bigger than the 745 cc Shadow plant. Though both engines run a V-twin configuration, the Scout motor adds to the overall appeal of the bike, while the Honda engine takes a more modest approach by kind of blending into the background a bit.

Brakes are a mixed bag. Honda still uses a drum rear brake on the Shadows and ABS is only available on the Aero. Indian equips the Scout with ABS and runs hydraulic-disc brakes all around, a plus in my book since I have a natural distrust for drum brakes.

I consider both families to fall within the mid-size cruiser category, but the Aero has a 64.5-inch wheelbase while the Scout falls a little short at 61.5 inches. Regardless of length, both are built to provide sportier lean angles than you get from a full-size cruiser, but you may fine the Sixty a bit sportier than average.

Honda scores a definite win in at checkout. The Shadow Phantom goes for $7,899 and the Aero a bill more with ABS, well within entry-level range, but you will have to shell out $9,799 for a Scout Sixty with ABS. That's kind of pushing the budget price range, but it does get you a bigger engine, and truckloads of name recognition.

Read our full review of the Indian Motorcycle Scout / Scout Sixty.

He Said

“Honda did a good job capturing the look of an era without actually copying an existing bike. The nostalgic Easter eggs scattered about the bike give her a definite retro-vibe on top of the comfort built into the overall form.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, "I have to admit this is an easy, docile bike. The Aero model has the full fenders front and back giving it a classic look and is the bling-bringer of the pair. The 745 cc engine makes it non-threatening for folks who might be entering the big-bike market for the first time. Though the engine is small, it still gives you that V-twin sound and the handlebars reach back to give you a comfortable, "cruiser" rider triangle. With low maintenance and low MSRP, this is a good starter bike, especially for those folks that are height challenged and might lack the upper body strength to wrestle with a bigger bike."

Honda Shadow Aero / Shadow Phantom Specifications

Further Reading

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