On a quick glance, it nearly looked same it belonged as part of the family – at small a not-so-distant cousin.But even with its blacked out, ready for-the-boulevard looks, on fireman scrutiny this bike unmistakably relic a Honda.For one, the dig final drive is an immediate visual giveaway. And within its 52-degree, long-stroke 745cc engine, there are no pushrods. Instead, a single overhead cam operates two intake valves and a single exhaust valve. New to the engine is a fuel-injection system delivering the air-fuel mixture to each cylinder, while twin spark plugs per cylinder ensure efficient combustion.
The exhaust note is tuned to serve up a suitably aggressive rumble, the way cruiser fans like it, but unless you are tone deaf, you probably would not mistake it for the distinctive sound of a genuine 45-degree Harley.
These observations aside, this latest version of a design first penned in 1983 has definitely evolved one step closer to the intimidating look, sound and feel of something from the H-D brand, while ironically producing a bike with very little intimidation factor for the rider.
Take, for example, its 25.7-inch seat height. It was a bit too low for my 34-inch inseam, but shorter riders and those just starting out will find this a benefit. New riders who are on the taller side may yearn for a bit more legroom, but the low seat height otherwise makes the bike less daunting to ride.
The engine provides enough grunt for the 549-pound machine to leave a stop light in enough of a hurry to easily outpace most automotive traffic, and its wide-ratio five-speed transmission is long-legged enough to travel the interstate if you are so inclined.
In fact, if you added a windscreen and saddlebags, this mid-sized iron horse could be ready to run through a few states or more, and ought to do it fairly reliably, if not sparsely.
But its primary design goal, as mentioned, is to sweeten the eye candy for those whose tastes favor the evergreen American Cruiser style. And it is that image to which this Honda unabashedly pays homage, as the company continues to carve its slice from the cruiser market-share pie. Getting a piece of the action is further made possible by the Shadow Phantom’s fairly reasonable MSRP of $7,999.
But again, though it may be considered entry level, this bike basically delivers. It rides on fairly beefy non-adjustable 41mm forks offering 4.6 inches of travel, while the rear is held up by dual shock absorbers offering 5-position preload adjustability and 3.5 inches of travel.
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