If you’re looking to get that lowrider look for your Honda Shadow, there’s more than one way to do it. But some options are better than others. The best of those options — a Honda Shadow lowering kit — provides several noteworthy advantages over other ways of dropping your bike’s ride height.
In this article, we cover what a lowering kit is and how it works. You’ll also learn how using a lowering kit for your Honda Shadow compares to other options and the advantages it offers.
What Is a Honda Shadow Lowering Kit?
A lowering kit is a suspension system upgrade for your Honda Shadow that allows you to lower and raise your bike’s ride height on command. It replaces your factory suspension with a user-controlled adjustable air suspension.
How Does a Honda Shadow Lowering Kit Work?
Strutmasters Honda Shadow lowering kits feature air springs that inflate and deflate to adjust the height of your Shadow. When you want to drop your Honda down, you can decrease the amount of air in the springs to allow it to settle at a lower point. When it’s time to get some more ground clearance, you can increase the air in the springs to keep it higher.
This adjustability also allows you to choose the amount of resistance in your suspension to account for different road situations and styles of driving. In situations where you need more responsiveness from your Shadow, you can increase the resistance to tighten up the suspension. For cruising situations where comfort is key, you can decrease the pressure in the springs for extra damping power.
Shadow Lowering Kit vs. Other Options
You can lower your Honda Shadow without a lowering kit in a few ways. One popular way is to simply buy shorter shocks. You can also install lowering links or weaker springs that compress more when a rider mounts the bike.
Both of these options require permanent modifications to the motorcycle. When you lower a bike with these methods, it stays lowered. This limits where and how you can drive your Shadow.
These methods can also substantially impact your Honda Shadow’s performance. Shorter shocks that the bike wasn’t built for won’t handle the same way. They may even put abnormal stress on other parts of the motorcycle, leading to problems down the line.
In contrast, a lowering kit gives you the ability to drop your Shadow when you want to and return it to a performance-oriented setting when it’s time for serious riding. You won’t have to modify the frame or sacrifice handling just to get that lowrider aesthetic.
Honda Shadow Lowering Kit: What To Consider
Installing a lowering kit on your Honda Shadow is a big decision. That means it’s worth taking the time to carefully think through the costs and benefits of doing so. In the following sections, we go over these considerations to help you decide if a lowering kit is right for you and your bike.
Advantages of Honda Shadow Lowering Kit
Strutmasters lowering kits offer more than just a way to convert your Honda Shadow into a lowrider. There are several major benefits of upgrading your suspension, including:
Increased adaptability: The stock suspension on your Shadow provides a “one size fits most” setting. With the ability to adjust the height and resistance of your suspension, a lowering kit enables you to achieve the ideal settings for different riding situations.
Better ride quality: Air suspensions are known for providing a smooth, comfortable ride. That’s exactly what you get with these lowering kits. You’ll notice an immediate improvement in how well your Shadow absorbs impact from changes in the road surface.
Improved accessibility: The capability to raise and lower your Honda Shadow on command means you can make it easier for people of different heights to get on and off the bike and ride more comfortably. You can drop the bike down to allow shorter riders to mount and dismount with ease, or raise it to keep taller riders from having to scrunch.
Ride low when you want to: The look of your Honda Shadow is still part of the appeal. With a lowering kit, you can get to and from your destination at a more functional ride height and drop it down when it’s time to show off. It’s the best of both worlds, all in one package.
Honda Shadow Lowering Kit Cost
Given all the advantages they offer, you may be surprised by how affordable our Honda Shadow lowering kits are. The Strutmasters Basic Honda Shadow Lowering Kit retails for $389, giving you a budget option for upgrading your suspension.
If you want a little more of an upgrade, our Ultimate Honda Shadow Lowering Kit provides additional convenience and functionality. At $709, you’ll get a kit that gives you full control over your suspension at the touch of a button. That's a lot of upgrade for your money.
Should You Buy a Honda Shadow Lowering Kit?
You should buy a Honda Shadow lowering kit if you want to lower your bike without having to sacrifice performance or make potentially dangerous permanent modifications to it. These kits are also a great purchase if you want to make your Shadow more functional and more adaptable.
Simply put, there’s no better way to lower your Honda Shadow than buying and installing a lowering kit. And when it comes to lowering kits for your Honda Shadow, there’s no better place to get one than Strutmasters. We’ve been the country’s trusted Suspension Experts for more than 25 years for a reason.
Use our search feature to find a kit that fits your Honda Shadow as well as your needs and budget. If you want some help picking the right one, just call our in-house experts at our Roxboro, NC headquarters. They can also answer whatever questions you might have to help you make the right decision. Our Suspension Experts can even line you up with one or more of our preferred shop partners in your area to install your lowering kit.
