How low can you go? Well, at 25.7 inches, I can’t think of another cruiser in the middleweight class that has a lower seat. At the same time, the seat has been lowered by more than an inch. The Shadow’s new single- backbone frame stretches the wheelbase to 65 inches, which adds 1.2 inches and gives larger riders more room.
![hardcase saddlebags for 2005 honda shadow 750 hardcase saddlebags for 2005 honda shadow 750](https://images1.americanlisted.com/nlarge/2005-honda-shadow-aero-750-19k-miles-great-condtion-americanlisted_31081579.jpg)
Honda has replaced the dual-carb system with a single 34mm constant-velocity carburetor for better acceleration. The C2 Spirit is powered by the same liquid-cooled, 52-degree, SOHC, three-valve-per-cylinder, 745cc V-twin engine as the previous Shadow, but now it has shaft drive. The carrier’s 4.02-acre flight deck probably would have sufficed for a test ride, but instead we were led on a leisurely ride on curvy back roads and along the coast. We were also treated to a tour of the USS Midway, the longest-serving aircraft carrier in U.S. To give the press a peek at what 25 years of tweaking has done for one of its best-selling cruisers, Honda invited a group of journalists to San Diego, California, for a test ride. In the spirit of this achievement, Honda has redesigned its existing Shadow Spirit 750 and created a new C2 model to appeal to a more diverse group of riders, without straying too far from its original intention of creating a rider-friendly, easy-to-maintain cruiser. The first Shadow 750 cruiser arrived on the scene in 1983, so technically, 2007 would qualify the line for silver-anniversary status. Depending on when you start counting, Honda has reason to celebrate the 25th year of its Shadow line.