Honda Shadow Phantom Vs Honda Rebel 1100

Honda may not be the most recognized cruiser manufacturer but the company knows how to make its place in the American cruiser market. With its incredible approach, marketing plans, and branding strategies, Honda manages to keep a noteworthy stake in the cruiser market with its Rebel and Shadow series.

The two very esteemed cruisers in the Honda lineup, include the Honda Shadow Phantom, Honda’s classic take on a bobber-style cruiser, and the Honda Rebel 1100, a highly practical modern-day bike. Both these bikes are receiving positive reviews and attracting more riders thanks to the updated visual appeal of the 2024 models. Though the Honda Shadow Phantom and the Honda Rebel 1100 belong to Honda’s cruiser family, both have their unique attitudes and classes.

Although both of these bikes have established markets, there are still a few things that make one bike superior/better than the other. Continue reading this article to learn about the detailed comparison between the Honda Shadow Phantom vs the Honda Rebel 1100.

Both the Honda Shadow Phantom and the Rebel 1100 are not extraordinarily laced with styling elements and fancy parts to make them look different. The bikes are kept simple, yet boast very practical design and aesthetics. There is no such similarity between the two bikes when it comes to visual appeal. Both these bikes belong to two different motorcycling worlds. One promotes a true cruiser vibe with conventional styling and the other one has the standard road bike vibe designed to attract new and young riders thanks to its trendy look.

The Shadow Phantom is a more planted bike with a lower overall height, saddle, and center of gravity due to the longer distance between the two wheels and the slanted front fork. Meanwhile, The Honda Rebel 1100 has a comparatively shorter wheelbase due to its less slanted and taller front end.

To start with, the 2024 Honda Shadow Phantom reminds us of the bobber era with its minimalist, yet appealing character. If you are a fan of true cruiser aesthetics, you will immediately fall in love with this bike. The 2024 model is available in an all-matte black finish, including the exhaust pipes as well. It seems like the Shadow Phantom is relaunched in 2024 thanks to the fresh and lively new paint job options. The 2023 color schemes were quite plain and dull.

The lively color options include a deep pearl gray with black, golden, and silver accents on the gas tank. The other option includes orange metallic with black and silver accents on the gas tank. The saddle is also replaced with a more stylish solo bobber seat for a more comfortable and stylish ride. The gauges are gas tank-mounted, taking you back to the vintage cruiser era.

To offer a more premium bobber style, the company has handpicked several elements that make a perfect overall package. The fat tires, round headlamp bezel, cross-wire-spoked wheels, and bulbous exhaust pipes brag a metallic and sleek look.

Moving on to the other bike, the motorcycling community has diverse opinions regarding the Honda Rebel 1100’s look. You may dislike the look of this bike if you prefer a conventional cruiser design and hate making changes to a true cruiser styling. However, if you are one of those riders who are bored with the same classic appeal of cruisers and want something different from what most cruiser manufacturers offer, the Honda Rebel 1100 can attract you.

Firstly, this bike houses an unconventional power plant that is usually not expected to be installed in a cruiser. The exposed engine and machinery offer a raw appeal with multiple visible rods, frames, and bolts. The Honda Rebel 1100 has a uniquely built frame that carries the engine, gas tank, and rider’s seat in a good-looking manner. The slim gas tank is bolted in an unconventional diagonal manner with the backbone visible from the outside. Despite being adequately powered by a large-displacement engine, the Honda Rebel 1100 looks quite basic and simple. The digital display is mounted to the handlebars.

Though there are diverse opinions regarding which bike is better looking, there is always a huge acceptance of old-school bobber-style bikes in the motorcycling community even if you are a new rider. The combination of both retro and modern design elements and aesthetic appeal make the Honda Shadow Phantom the evident winner when it comes to looks.

The 2024 Honda Shadow Phantom carries a reasonably powerful 745 cc V-Twin engine with a 52° angle between the two cylinders. The space between the two cylinders is covered by the updated teardrop-style air cover. The V-Twin engine, along with the short-style exhaust pipes generates an addictive exhaust note loved by most riders. The engine churns out a horsepower of 44.6 hp and a torque of 64.94 Nm which is quite reasonable from a 745 cc cruiser.

After the introduction of the Rebel series in 2017, the only shortcomings it had was the absence of a bigger-displacement version which became reality in 2021 when the Rebel 1100 was introduced. It immediately filled the room for the skilled riders looking for a powerful Honda cruiser. This bike houses a 1,083 cc 22.5° Parallel-Twin engine in the same body to ensure abrupt power delivery and exciting throttle response. The same powerplant is used by Honda to power the Honda Africa Twin 1100. The parallel-twin engine succeeds at generating an impressive horsepower of 85.8 hp and a torque of 97.6 Nm.

Despite both being cruisers and built and designed by the common manufacturer, the Honda Shadow Phantom and the Honda Rebel 1100 are built around completely different engine platforms. The Shadow Phantom uses the typical V-Twin platform as found in most cruisers in the market. Meanwhile, the Rebel 1100, being an unconventional cruiser, carries a parallel-twin platform usually found on ADV and sports-style bikes to keep the weight low.

However, for those who are more concerned regarding displacement size and power figures, the Honda Rebel 1100 is quite ahead in the game. The Rebel 1100’s 1,083 cc engine produces almost double the amount of horsepower. However, the Shadow Phantom being a more cruiser-oriented bike, produces a good peak torque. However, when it comes to power and engine performance, there is no match between the two bikes as the Rebel 1100 takes the clear lead in this department due to having extra CCs.

The Honda Rebel 1100 is more agile and picks the pace quickly. You can feel the bike becoming highly responsive with even a slight twist of the throttle thanks to the 1,083 cc engine. Contrarily, the Honda Shadow Phantom may seem like a slower bike to you if you are not a new rider. However, with reasonable power figures and smooth power delivery, the Shadow Phantom can be your perfect first bike. You will not get bored if you are a beginner rider and it can also accommodate intermediate riders as the 745 cc displacement size is a good option too.

To get into the ergonomics of the 2024 Shadow Phantom, it is important to know certain things about this bike. This bike is incredibly low to the ground with one of the lowest saddle heights of 650.24 mm in the base-level cruiser segment. To bring the seat height lower, this bike comes with a slanted front fork design and low ground clearance. Due to its highly planted design and low saddle height, it makes it one of the best base-level cruisers for vertically challenged riders.

On the other hand, the longer wheelbase allowed designers at Honda to fix the foot controls and seat at a manageable distance to ensure a spacious rider triangle. The low-mounted flat handlebars and forward-mounted foot controls allow even taller riders to comfortably adjust their limbs and ride this bike with an upright back.

The previous year's model had slightly taller and sweptback bars which were easily approachable. With the flat bars, vertically challenged riders may need to stretch their arms to make sure their back stays erect.

As you can see in the image attached above, the Rebel 1100’s ergonomics are not what we call ideal cruiser ergonomics. However, such sports-style cruisers are in demand. These bikes have incredible responsiveness and thrilling experience to offer to riders. The foot controls of the Rebel 1100 are mid-mounted but the rider’s legs don’t get extra kinked up to cause pain even when riding long distances.

The rider can also switch between a comfortable stance to an aggressive riding position for more fun and adventure on straight roads. Despite being unconventional, the ergonomics and riding style are not uncomfortable on the Rebel 1100.

Both the Shadow Phantom and the Rebel 1100 are true road bikes with exceptional ride quality and smoothness. The Shadow Phantom, being a low-slung cruiser with a low center of gravity, is a perfect bike for riding on open roads and cruising on highways. This bike feels stable and provides riders with good control and stability. The bike has exceptional linear performance ability and can handle well while turning corners.

However, considering it as a base-level bike, the weight of this bike is on the higher side for a beginner which makes cornering a difficult job to perform at both slow and high speeds.

On the other hand, the Honda Rebel 1100 is an exceptionally agile and maneuverable bike. Despite being a bigger bike with a large-displacement powerplant, it is 56 lbs lighter than the Shadow Phantom which makes handling perfect. You can confidently enter curves and corners without the fear of falling on this bike. The overall slim silhouette of the Rebel 1100 also serves as a great advantage when it comes to leaning this bike at greater angles.

Both the Honda Shadow Phantom and the Honda Rebel 1100 feature a solo rider seat for a stripped-down cruiser look. Comparing the seats on both bikes, the 2024 Honda Shadow Phantom has a more premium and cushioned seat for comfortable cruising on open roads. The saddle is neatly stitched and it fits perfectly between the fuel tank and rear fender. The rider also has adequate space to move on the seat to adjust his/her riding position.

On the contrary, the solo seat on the Rebel 1100 is quite basic and less cushioned, like the one you will find on old bobbers. There is also very limited space on this seat for riders, making it less comfortable for long rides.

If you are from the motorcycling community, you know the worth of the Shadow Phantom regardless of its base-level engine and performance. The 2024 model is a milestone that Honda has achieved in the cruiser segment. However, despite the top-notch reliability and premium rugged road bike look, the 2024 Honda Rebel 1100 has better value for the money due to various good reasons.

To start with, considering what level of a bike the Rebel 1100 is and the innovative technologies it carries, the price difference between the two bikes seems small. Comparing the Shadow Phantom ABS with the non-DCT Rebel 1100, there is only a difference of $850. By paying an additional $600 on top of $9,549, you can own the Rebel 1100 DCT which is one of the engineering marvels of Honda.

Apart from the DCT technology, you are also getting a bigger engine, more power, and several other tech equipment. If you ask a skilled rider, the 2024 Honda Rebel 1100 is the preferred option between the two in terms of better value for the money.

Both the Shadow Phantom and the Rebel 1100 come with Honda’s guaranteed quality and durability. Being a low-powered and simple bike, the Shadow Phantom has a less intricate build which makes it easier to upkeep and repair this bike.

Meanwhile, the Rebel 1100 houses a bigger displacement engine and highly complex features, particularly if you choose to buy the Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) variant which makes it a tougher machine to work on and eventually requires more money to keep the bike in good shape.

• Low center of gravity
• Low seat height
• Old-school cruiser aesthetics
• Stylish color options
• Spacious ergonomics
• Good entry-level bike
• Operates smoothly
• Durable
• Soul-satisfying engine sound
• Decent urban commuter and highway cruiser
• Adequately cushioned seat
• Suitable for shorter riders

• Low power output
• Low engine responsiveness
• low ground clearance
• Limited leaning clearance
• Only good for solo riding
• No tech feature

• Robust power output
• Trendy design
• Lightweight
• Responsive
• Accelerates perfectly
• Handles beautifully
• Comparatively more tech-oriented
• Comes with the DCT option
• Slightly sportier stance
• Overall slim silhouette
• Good for daily use
• Admiringly maneuverable
• Decent cornering performance

• Small fuel storage tank
• Basic appearance
• Uneasy saddle
• Less comfortable for long-haul journeys
• Low ground clearance

Considering all the performance details and departments, including power output, handling, ergonomics, ride quality, trustworthiness, and maneuverability, the better bike between the two is the Rebel 1100. This bike houses a large displacement powerplant with comparatively extra ccs, producing incredible thrust, with admiringly reasonable throttle response. Also, the Rebel 1100 handles beautifully, while ensuring a thrilling riding experience.

The availability of the automatic DCT variant makes the Rebel 1100 more adaptable and innovative. There are also numerous tech equipment preinstalled on this bike, making it a highly preferable and advanced option between the two bikes.

However, for the cruiser lovers out there in the market, the 2024 Shadow Phantom is a bike that you can count on. Being built by Honda, one of the greatest names in the automobile industry, it serves as an amazing ride partner. Regardless of its low-powered nature, the performance will not disappoint you. It boasts a classic cruiser attire with premium fit and finish for those who love the American cruiser culture.

Though these cruisers are not exclusively manufactured for touring purposes, you can still make these bikes perform decently on long-haul journeys by making a few amendments. Viking Bags is a premium aftermarket parts brand that offers stylish and functional motorcycle luggage options, accessories, and parts. It offers specially manufactured saddlebags for the Honda Rebel and Shadow Phantom. You can also find a variety of cruiser luggage bags, including sissy bar bags, tank bags & pouches, backpacks, tail bags, and roll bags at Viking Bags.