2007 Honda Spirit 750 with Shaft Drive and VTX1800T Touring Motorcycles

For 2007, Honda has expanded its cruiser motorcycle line with the new VTX1800T Tourer and radically revamps the popular Spirit 750.

Changes to the Spirit 750 start with a 21-inch front wheel (instead of the previous bike's 19-incher). There is a more aggressive handlebar. A very slightly larger 3.7-gallon tank carries. Now one piece, the seat drops dramatically from the re-contoured rear fender with its integrated taillight, settling over an inch lower at 25.7 above the road. The 41mm fork offers .5 inch less travel than the 2006 model, but the dual have .3 inch more stroke.

However, the big news is the 750 Spirit's switch to new drive train with shaft final drive. The changes include a new frame and engine. The wheelbase is two-tenths of an inch longer than the 2006's chain-drive Spirit's, now 65 inches. The motorcycle gains about eight pounds. We expected to see fuel-injection to accommodate 2008 emissions standards, but the new Spirit uses a single 34mm CV carb like Honda's other 750 cruiser, the Aero. The Spirit wears a new teardrop-style airbox, and has slightly different muffler shapes than the previous Spirit 750. The 2007 Spirit 750 is priced at $6,449 in black, titanium or red or $6,649 with the black/red pinstriped flame.

Honda is the last major cruiser maker to offer a windshield-and-bags version of its flagship V-twin. The long-awaited touring version of the VTX1800, the Tourer, is based on the retro-styled, cast-wheel VTX1800R and takes the leather-saddlebag approach rather than using more functional but less traditional hard bags. Of course, it also includes a full touring windshield and passenger backrest. The saddlebags' height is limited by the staggered dual mufflers on the right, so the bags offer just 24 liters (a bit over five gallons) of capacity each. "Tourer" badges on the front fender identify it as the VTX1800T. It's available in Honda's Spec 1 (silver and brushed components) and Spec 2 (black and chrome) finish options in three color combinations.

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