The American market has always had the hots for big, thumpy cruiser motorcycles. And a few years ago, these sold so well, everyone wanted a piece of the pie. This made many leading bikemakers sway away from their usual products, go back to the drawing board, and try to come up with cruisers, especially for the States. A fitting example of this was Honda’s Shadow lineup which comprised an assortment of cruisers. Among these, the 2007 Shadow Spirit VT750C was one of the big hitters for the Japanese bikemaker and had eyes on ever-so-popular American offerings such as Harley-Davidson.
What Made The Honda Shadow Spirit VT750C Special?
Honda’s Shadow lineup started off in 1983, with 500cc and 750cc examples. Though it later birthed multiple models varying from as low as 125cc to as big as 1,100cc, the bikemaker limited the Shadow moniker in America to just the 750cc variant (thanks to emission and import norms). Honda offered the Shadow 750s in multiple guises, namely Spirit, Aero, Phantom, and RS. The Aero had chunky fenders for a proper retro aesthetic, while the Phantom and RS went the opposite way with blacked-out mechanicals and sporty aesthetic, respectively.
What about the Spirit, you asked? Well, it was the American chopper-inspired variant of the lot. Honda equipped it with a 21-inch spoke wheel up top, raked out the fork, and slapped on low-slung handlebars. All this was topped by a chopped fender and the gunfighter leather saddle to create a stunning, almost proper American aesthetic. Meanwhile, its two-into-two exhaust looked quite identical to the Harley-Davidson Iron 883 of the time, and so did its ‘Shadow’ insignia on the tank.
But where the Shadow had an upper hand over the HD was in the engine department. It featured a 745cc V-twin engine that produced 43 horsepower and 47 pound-feet. Yes, this is 10 ponies down on the Sportster, but Honda’s powerhouse featured liquid cooling as well as a shaft drive–both more modern than the Harley. Plus, it also had a bigger 3.7-gallon fuel tank which meant time spend riding than refueling. Touching on the suspension, the Shadow rolled on telescopic forks and chromed-out dual shock absorbers clamped onto a double-cradle chassis.
2007 Honda Shadow Spirit VT750C Up For Grabs At Iconic Motorbike Auctions
All this made the Honda Shadow Spirit a great little cruiser you could spend ages riding. While it didn’t exactly beat the ultra-popular Iron 883, the Shadow remains a popular buy in the used motorcycle market. And if you want one, Iconic Motorbike Auctions has you covered.
The auction site has listed a 2007 Shadow Spirit, owned by one of their employees. It has 24,400 miles on its digital odometer, with barely any noteworthy blemishes to annoy you. A little homework suggests a $3,500 price tag would be ideal for such a clean example, and that’s very little money for a lot of bike if you ask us. If interested, make sure to put in a bid before May 12, 2023, end date.