2024 Honda Shadow Phantom First Look

And with good reason, considering the cruisers haven't had an update since replacing its carbs with fuel injection in 2010. Okay, that's not entirely true. In 2022, Honda added an ABS version of the Shadow Aero, but the Shadow Phantom bobber remained unchanged, not only going without ABS, but like the non-ABS Aero, hanging on to a rear drum brake.

With the introduction of the Rebel in 300, 500 and 1100 displacements, you'd be excused if you thought Honda might replace the 745cc Shadows with a new Rebel equipped with the 755cc Parallel-Twin powering the Hornet and the soon-to-be-US-bound Transalp. That may yet still happen, but the V-Twin Shadow line lives on for 2024, with the Shadow Phantom getting an update in the process.

For 2024, the Honda Shadow Phantom finally gets option ABS, as well as a rear disc brake. In fact, even the non-ABS versions of the Shadow Phantom and the Shadow Aero are finally making the switch, replacing the rear drum brake with a 276 mm rotor and twin-piston caliper.

The Shadow Phantom also gets a styling makeover, with flashier paint, gaitered forks, a new headlight cover, and new LED front and rear turn signals. The front and rear fenders are both new, with the rear fender substantially shorter, though that does come at the expense of a passenger seat (that said, the mounting points for the rear pegs are still there, as a pillion seat and footrests are available as accessories.) Honda says the single seat is more comfortable, and its 25.6-inch height is 0.2 inches closer to the ground than the previous two-up seat.

Losing the seat and trimming the fender do contribute to a six-pound weight reduction, with Honda claiming a 543-pound curb weight for the non-ABS 2024 Shadow Phantom, however the ABS version ends up negating that weight loss with a claimed curb weight of 553 pounds.

The 2024 Shadow Phantom also gets a new handlebar and handlebar clamp that positions the grips higher and further forward compared to the previous model. The 3.7-gallon fuel capacity remains unchanged, but the tank-mounted instrumentation has been updated.

The engine remains the same 745cc liquid-cooled V-Twin, with power passing through a five-speed transmission and a shaft drive on its way to the rear wheel. The engine does get new machined cylinder-head fins to stand out against the matte black engine and exhausts and give the illusion of an air-cooled engine.