Squint your eyes and the Spirit, like the V Star, looks like a much larger bike. The illusion comes from the long and low front fork and tidy rear proportions as well as that big 21-in. front wheel. Of the smaller bikes in the test, many thought the Honda had the cleanest styling. The $7099 Spirit ($6799 in black and silver) had the second smallest motor of the group. But it did have the best braking performance. And good brakes are crucial for all riders—especially those new to motorcycling. The 745 cc V-twin may not be a dragstrip superstar, but like all Honda motorcycle engines, it was a real smoothie. And the handlebars were vibration-free at highway speeds. To most buyers in the market for a middleweight, that smoothness is more important than all-out speed. Shorter riders will dig the Spirit, too. It had the lowest seat of the bunch. A rider who stands less than 5 ft. 5 in. can flat-foot this bike at a stoplight. Yet tall riders were not cramped after a day of riding. The Honda was a talented performer in the canyons. But if you’d like to bring a passenger along, better get an aftermarket rear pillion. It was the least comfortable here. The Honda did not have the cornering clearance of the Suzuki or Harley, but it inspired confidence. If fuel economy is the deciding factor, look no further than this 750. On our fuel-economy loop, the Honda returned 54.5 mpg—the best here. We imagine the Spirit could achieve closer to 60 mpg with a conservative right hand. And as far as we’re concerned, riding a fuel-sipping Spirit to work every day is a really fun way to reduce that CO2 footprint.

This article was taken from: Popular Mechanics

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