2010 Honda Shadow RS Motorcycle vs. 2010 Harley-Davidson 883 Low Motorcycle

[19wheels91]

hondas r gay not a real motorcycle..harley all the way with real sound!!

[eddlemanjames]

Why does everyone say that Jap or HD are better both r a good buy so stfu damn

[newbillhsac]

Love the responses that are objective. Both bikes are good for what they do. Harley has eliminated the reliablity issues they had years ago. With proper care, both will last a long time even if the Harley's maintainance cost may be a bit more. I think the review was very well done and each bike's finer points laid out for review. Being a big fan of standards (own a Bonnie T-100) I wish that more companies would make/import (Kawi W800 please come here!) bikes like this.

[n2o4me]

To each his own , i have a kawi nomad 1600 and a klr 650 , for me the smaller bike is way more fun . I dont know how bigger is better got started because their beasts to handle. I was on a Honda shadow rs at Toronto bike show and it fit perfect , but whatever you do , just ride whatever you like . Too many but not all , end up buying Harleys or whatever and never ride them because its to much hassle .

[SaintChing]

For me It's about Price/Quality: Honda, it is. =)

[realms89]

First bike was a shadow i loved it but I'm rocking a Harley now and i gotta say Harley just does it for me.

[armadillo1a]

all bikes today are the same, throw away composites & plastics that will not be here in 40 yrs. So all these comments are just a bunch of BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH anyway.

[michaelwoodard187]

I have to admit both the Honda Shadow and the Harley 883 do look good. There both good bikes as long as you perform that scheduled maintenance that they require. Do that and both will last until you want to buy another one.

[sqweezel]

Honda bikes are like Toyota trucks. Japs are just wanna be Americans. But who can blame them.

[MrChutzpah2002]

Really, Japanese Engineering is light years ahead of American. Everyone in America wants to be a manager and make more money without working. Harleys use an engine from 1940's,lol

[sqweezel]

@MrChutzpah2002 Typical Japanese arrogance. Honda became the industry leader making cheap scooters. You can pull a truck with a HD. Try it with a Honda and you'll tear up the transmission. 40's engine? I don't give a crap if you don't like HDs, but at least get your facts straight. You know lot's of Japs prefer HD bikes. Just imagine those little 100 lb. hells angels wanna be Jappies. Now that's funny.

[MrChutzpah2002]

@sqweezel You got me wrong there bro, I like HD's and was about to buy one. It worries me though getting something that might over heat and crap on me. But if you do lot of research, it's true America was a world leader in Engr and Research until 60s. So many things were made - mechanical/electrical engineering not electronics. But we have been living off of that for last 30 years. Look who do you see in Engr majors - Indians, Chinese. Most Americans prefer bogus MBA so they can manage not work

[sqweezel]

@MrChutzpah2002 The US has been competive in just about every field until the present time. I take nothing away from any other country. I thought the Honda Cub was great for what it was. Overheating HDs? I don't know anyone who has had this problem. And I know riders riders with 100k on their sportys. But they are obsessive with maintenence. I know shadow riders who have had major problems around 60-70k miles. Also, I am no techno geek. My truck is 1978. It's all bout the ride that you like.

[MrChutzpah2002]

@sqweezel Maybe you should think of Sumos before thinking of 100lb jappies. Think Ninja fighter they are more tougher than you, trust me.

[sqweezel]

@MrChutzpah2002 You may be right, but it was a joke So lighten up?

[sqweezel]

Both are great rides. Try 'em both and see which you like. Simple enough. Why all the bs. I'd rather be ridin'.

[CimarronPeacekeeper]

Who gives a fuck about your principles... give the facts and tell us about the motorcycles! "on principle I like the Harley" WTF are you saying you would pick a bike just because it's a harley? Dumb Ass!!!! You sound like a prick when you say whit like that, I was bias toward the Harley at first... People want unbias reviews, otherwise we could just go to the Manufacturer's page and see what they wrote about THIER product....

[sqweezel]

@CimarronPeacekeeper You sound like the dumb ass prick here.

[vepulan7]

Honda > Harley

[WinterXL]

@FatRedneckTerrorist you're just as "bike racist" as anyone else... 1880? dumb jealous rednecks? the fact is currently most vtwin cruisers at each pricepoint are virtually the same... (and these two are the same price)

[wholegrant]

what you say about the 883 ground clearance is original. but, overall, you're not good critics because you basically just restate the obvious, or info that has actually been released by the manufacturers. work a little harder. you are putting so much video production effort into it. tell us something really useful that others haven't said.

[cjthoma89]

ive havent rode a 883 but have a shadow and a harley 1200 custom the harleys are way over priced when riding the 1200 custiom i felt like it wasnt aas fun because all the vibration yea its loud sounds good but when riding the honda very smooth after market muffler still sounded good but alot more comfortable to ride over all and about 6 thousand dolllars cheaper..lol

[cyclepro101]

I have owned both and a Honda will crap all over a HD any day of the week. In quality, performance, reliability and rideability.

[Maiyaee]

Sad that Harley is no longer American made & way too trendy & superficial now ~ lost all it's street cred !!!

[MrJets63]

I just purchased the Shadow RS. I looked long and hard at the 883. I used to rent then all the time. I found the Honda to be a better balanced bike for my needs. I just wanted a simple bike for weekends and work with low maintenance. I will say the Honda was some what less and Stubbs in Houston was not willing to deal once cent off the bike. That kind of turned me off of the 883 as well.

[looxgood]

On Principle, he likes harley, and functionality, he likes Honda....but who rides motorcycle on functionality anyways? I'd go with Harley on this one...sorry Honda lovers~

[Lex5151]

You are not free to say truth about HD in the USA. =)

[Maiyaee]

@Lex5151 so true !!! Harley is a sell out ! Prostituted itself & it's values !

[dunstin17]

Funny he said he's only 6ft tall. He fits that little sportster quite well! lol and can't compare the sound of the harley vs honda. Harley takes the cake! The honda sounds like a hopped up four stroke quad.

[Baltrox27]

I think I have read and watched this comparision one hundred times at all kind of media...all of them have said at one point, something like: 'A Harley is a Harley...tradition...etc...". You know what....it is true. The Sporty is an awesome bike and fullfil its objetive 100%. Hopefully other competitors will come up since it is allways positive for the customers, but it's a hard job.

[Steelheart8280]

The Harley-Davidson 883... looks like it was design for small people in mind... it would be great in southeast Asian nation where 50% stands only at 5'4 ... but the price tag is very expensive...plus high maintenance...

[jerjermy]

@Steelheart8280 You might find that could just be the future with most products, given the fact that Asia's population vastly outweigh the West, with increasing purchasing power while the West is in decline.

Your "50% stands at 5'4" is correct if you count babies and children.

Ask yourself, why would bike manufacturers focus to build for a region in decline where most grown males are overweight? & please don't say Mini Countryman coz that's just sad.

You want to survive? Build for the Asians!

[MrChutzpah2002]

@Steelheart8280 Japanese average height is more than 5'9" and America is 5'10". Not much apart.

[silverberber]

I'm sick of you tube comments, something is either gay or a copy of something else.

[bigbradford69]

@silverberber you made bro

[MrRatchopp]

the shadow is gay, and is stupid copy, of what they want it to be, and not even a good copy either, most of hondas bikes now are all garbage and high maintenance, between service, and defective engineering, these are built very cheap. i have a 2002 sportster, and mine will scream all day and not break, and feels solid.the jap cruisers feel like a pack of gum under you, i know from experience, i have owned both names

[EpiDemic117]

@MrRatchopp most of hondas bikes now are all garbage and high maintenance

good troll is not goo troll. you should of said something more trollish like. OMG hondas r junk and break, harleys r reliable and alwayz been that way. dat's why dey never changed the design! cuz it's perfect! u jelly import owners?

vise versa cause harleys are actually pure shit and always sound like they are about ready to die.

[bob119911]

i hate honda but the rs is very nice

[FullBloodedHmoob]

SHADOW BABY!!!

[ONLYreggaebass]

i dont like skiny motorcycles anw

[Bikemonkies]

a real biker can ride anything and ride it to the max, only week-end rider need a BIG or Fast bikes to go fast...i own both jap & american bikes, and my iron can catch-up with most sport bikes on curves, so to me is not what bike you ride but is how good you ride that count.....

[MasterJediKyleKatarn]

The 2011 Shadow RS looks nice in it's classic blue white and red theme appearance.

[bigboy45454545]

It's a skirt-ster clone. Alright for a women, I guess.

[Georgenfla]

The Hardly Davisin has more than 100ccs than the Honda, yet the Honda outperforms the american Hardly Davisin. Both are ugly, they look like they are designed for lazy homosexual obese american men. I will not buy one of these because Im not american.

[iCoptici]

this snt an 883 iron. but i cant wait to get it

[jturkish]

great review...spending almost a minute talking about the 883 LOW being LOW...do you have a review of the 1200 custom that speaks to how sucky the customization is?

[thespeez]

@jturkish- The Custom will be history after '10. For '11, the 1200-Low remains as do the other "Shortsters" (Iron, Nightster, Forty-Eight as well as a new 883 'Superlow', which replaces the old 883-Low). The only "non-shortster Sportster" we Americans will get is the XR1200X, which may be too much bike for a first timer. H-D should really consider offering a greater variety of options for more types of riders at the entry-level, at least here in the 'States.

[jonmako57]

Just shut up and RIDE!!!!!

[bobberfantothebone]

not a good comparison at all. they've should chosen the harley sportster R instead. the low is for small people, its not the 'standard' sportster... but ok. and by the way misterwipedown, I guess you've never ride a harley, sportster. Maybe you don't have a drivers license at all... so go for the couch then! much safer..

[thespeez]

@bobberfantothebone - Believe it or not, Harley offers the 883R for foreign markets, but not in the USA! Right now, all Sportsters available here feature a hard-tail ride, are suitable for those with a shorter than 28" (70cm) inseam and can't corner worth a damn! Talk about a disgrace! If the 'R" is good enough for the rest of the world, then why not us? I hope the big-wigs at H-D get some sense and bring this bike back to the American market...SOON!

[bobberfantothebone]

@thespeez ow thats really too bad.. I've ridden? the Iron too, it was a bit hard on the springs. And for good cornering you need some more ground clearence than what the Iron offers you. Too bad man, I hope the same, bring it back on the US market ;) bye!

[thespeez]

@bobberfantothebone - One smart thing that H-D did about late January or early February is bring back an updated version of the Sportster 1200 Custom. It now has alloy rims and a larger front tire. I was puzzled as to why they discontinued the Custom at the beginning of the '11 model year. I'm glad to see H-D still has some sense!

[bobberfantothebone]

@thespeez Haha yeah I've notest. Well I guess Harley Davidson also has it's ups and downs. Drive save!

[DucatiS2R1000S]

@DiazRemington why the fuck would they want it my cell phone, and fuck quiz, thats a scam

[Kspitzn78]

ya ya ya but what could you get for the honda if you ever wanted to sell it and what could you sell the harley for not even gitting in to the parts ordering go to the harley store or wait a few weeks for the honda parts to come from china wach out you might get lead poisning from the honda paint it did come from china { harley all the way ! }

[EpiDemic117]

@Kspitzn78 "ya ya ya but what could you get for the honda if you ever wanted to sell it and what could you sell the harley"

Resale value is based upon the consumer demand of the vehicle or brand. There are to many posers out there that demand harleys, They aren't engineered as well as the honda of course. But when it comes to the car category Hondas hold their value BETTER than any other brand out there.

[LosingKeys1]

@EpiDemic117 actually jeep holds its value the best as far as cars go... but who cares... ride what you like. who cares if its a harley or a honda or a yamaha or a scooter. well maybe scratch the scooter but you get the point. if you like it ride it.

[mz8560056]

@Kspitzn78 yea the jap bike parts come from china ok! duh!

[hd883low17]

If you want comfort and usability, get a car...that's not what these cruiser-type bikes are made for...do you want an a/c and satellite radio too? or how about heated seats...dont ride a harley if you want the comforts of a sofa...stay at home.

[EpiDemic117]

@hd883low17 "f you want comfort and usability, get a car."

Or if someone wants comfort, usability, and gas mileage they should also get a bike.

"that's not what these cruiser-type bikes are made for" Oh really? Then how would they sell? For discomfort? There would be absolutely no point of selling them if they did not perform in a category.

[EpiDemic117]

@hd883low17 "f you want comfort and usability, get a car."

Or if someone wants comfort, usability, and gas mileage they should also get a bike.

"that's not what these cruiser-type bikes are made for" Oh really? Then how would they sell? For discomfort? There would be absolutely no point of selling them if they did not perform in a category.

[peavyt15]

@hd883low17 Cruisers aren't made for comfort? Really? THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE MADE FOR!!!

[clevername333]

not my style.... either.

[3619Country]

If you buy a bike to look good, get a Harley. If you buy a bike to ride, buy a Honda. Ride your Harley today, repair it tomorrow.

[clevername333]

@3619Country, you should give a KTM a ride.... Pop wheelies today, rebuild shocks tomorrow. Shoot fire from the exhaust on down shift's today, and replace your voltage regulator tomorrow.... But god damned is it fun.... I imagine a Harley would be the same. Chocked full of character and style that a Jap bike can only try to imitate.

[h4rleyhog]

@3619Country that's just a general statement and most people that say this have never even owned Harleys, I've owned Harley for years, not one has broken down on me not once! My last Harley had 67k miles, my last Jap cruiser corroded away before 30k as the chrome and metal components were very poor quality, talking from experience people and i love both types, but the honest truth is, Harleys cost more, but they last years and you won't lose huge amounts of money when you sell! FACT.

[MrChutzpah2002]

@h4rleyhog What about the engine over heating problems??

[h4rleyhog]

@MrChutzpah2002 Never had a Harley overheat on me, saying that neither a Harley or a Metric cruiser...

[thespeez]

@3619Country - Of the American bikes, Victory has quality that's almost certainly heads-and-shoulders above what The Motor Company currently offers. I hope now that parent company Polaris is acquiring Indian, that they can work some magic there as well! Methinks that if Polaris can offer an entry-level Indian that's competitive with the entry-level Harleys, they could give TMC a run for the money!

[misterwipedown]

I would rather ride a couch than a Harley.

[wilbecon]

Well let's see you chose the low which is designed for shorter riders. So yep that makes sense it didn't have the ground clearance. I dislike comparisons that aren't apples to apples. Get the 883 standard and riding impressions are completely different. Still slower I am sure but the handling and ride height are more comfortable for a taller rider.

[biglandfarm]

hmmmm very good review....good job

[petter8999]

it seems like 50% of the money you spend on a harley, is the badge.....

[plejra]

@petter8999 that is the cost of prestige and snobism

[CrockettRockett88]

everyone will buy the harley just because of the name........ doesn't matter if the honda is any better people just like the HD title...

[dakes25]

@CrockettRockett88 id buy the honda n put a harley davidson badge on it simple lol

[mabutoo]

Sorry, but what I got from that was the Shadow is a knock-off of the Harley. Somehow you all think Honda is a better bike because it takes the Harley look but redesigned for a different riding style.

I love and own a Honda but this felt dishonest.

[UltraSWG]

Yeah, basically the Harley is a piece of shit and the Honda is an excellent machine which wins this comparo. But since the Harley is a Harley, people will buy it over the Honda because alot of bikers are stupid and Harley knows it.

[tiecuando]

@UltraSWG Sheesh, it was only a few feet! Maybe some slight modifications...

[shiffermonster]

@UltraSWG The only complaint they had was that the Harley dragged parts, and that it was too small for the reviewer... Which both make sense since it is the Low model. Lowest seat height of any Harley or other Sportsters, and is designed specifically for small riders. Somewhat of a poor review as they didn't get into anything else like sound or feel or controls or any of a ton of things that make a bike.