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St1100 / 1300

Joe A.

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there a some multi bike owners on this forum. does anyone have an ST1300 or ST1100 in their stable? any thoughts or experience you can share? A dealer well known to me has a clean 1996 ST1100 with 26k for $4k. He also has an '06 and '09, both with a little over 10k selling for $8300 and $9900. thanks in advance!
 
I used to own an ST1100, great mile muncher, torquey relentless tourer.

Watch out for the swingarm, they rot, along with the exhaust system.

I'm 6ft tall with a 32 inseam and found that I was little too hunched forward to call the bike uber comfortable, my old Deauvile NT650 was better for comfort. And I'll just add that my NCX beats em both for comfort.

Not a lot of info but I hope it helps in some way. :)
 
I moved the thread to the Non-NC700 Motorcycle Section.

I owned a 1997 ST1100. I bought it new and rode it 27,000 miles. I sold it because the passenger accommodations were OK, but the wife MUCH preferred a GL1800. I'm glad that I switched as the GL is much more comfortable and handles just as well.

The ST was very reliable. The only problem I ever had was needing to tighten the clamps on some of the coolant hoses. It's a fairly heavy bike. It gets gas mileage from the upper 40's to mid 50's if ridden reasonably. The stock seat is typical - not very good on long trips. I put a hard Corbin on it which was slightly better. I was never perfectly comfortable because the reach to the bars was long. I'm 5'8". The stock windscreen is noisy because it puts the wind blast right at your neck, so I had to put on a taller screen. I could never get much over 9000 miles from the tires. The fuel capacity is unreal, at 7.4 US gallons.

Check NADAguides for the going prices.
 
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Thanks for the replies. to be clear, the NC is going nowhere but I am considering a dedicated sport tourer.
 
Former ST1300 rider here. Had it for 7 years but got tired of dealing with the weight of it plus it was a challenge at my height. In some respects I miss the bike, others I don't. Had two water pump failures involving the impeller -- just my bad luck. Sold it to a friend who said it has been trouble free now. The 1300s have had some issues with the coolant hoses that are correctable. Mine never leaked though at the hoses.

MyST13.jpg
 
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I rode one about 450 miles assuming it to be a test ride that would then lead to a purchase! After riding it, which was fun in most aspects I realized that it wasn't the bike for me. I always think of touring bikes as calm bikes that won't allow me to get into too much trouble. I personally don't want to tempt myself with a bike that finds itself at 90 so easily.

However, many people don't take speeding all the time into consideration with a motorcycle. I feel much better on my NC700 and ride at much safer speeds.
 
I had an ST1300 and loved it except the heat the engine gave off. It was quick, nimble, responsive, and a blast to ride, except the blast of hot air. I wrapped the pipes, put heat reflective material under the seat, painted under the gas tank with heat resistant material, and I still got hot. I drove from MN to SC in , putting in a 1,000 mile day. I got second degree burns on my legs from the heat off the engine (long boots and moto pants). I loved the gas range, that was a plus.
 
Mine in New Mexico 2011
DSC_0071-L.jpg


Put 50,000 miles on this one. She is quite a mile eater and very reliable. Part of me wishes I still had my ST.
Mike
 
I have an 06 I bought last spring with only 16K on the odo. I racked up 12K on it last year (did over 12K on the NC too) and I took it on a trip to New England and Canada. I love the fact the bike is warm as I can ride lots of winter days here in TN but I also am not the least bit bothered by the heat it produces in the summer. The bike is heavy but has impeccable low speed manners combined with light, nimble handling at higher speeds.

The ST has some features that make it very appealing to discerning motorcycle owners. It has a nearly unmatched fuel range of over 300 miles and it gets great gas mileage (47 to 50 mpg on my trip last summer). The driveline is durable and maintenance friendly. Great 2-up comfort with plenty of room for 2 full sized adults. The built-in fall protection is simply fantastic. I was 2,500 miles from home when another bike fell into me and the ST and I went crashing to the ground. A small, virtually unnoticeable mark in the tip-over wing's plastic cover was the only mark on the fully loaded ST and the wings prevented my left leg from being crushed. Tons of useable luggage space especially with a Givi top box. The integral rear rack makes adding aftermarket top boxes a breeze.

I have never been so comfortable on a trip in my life as I was on the ST last year. We took 90% mountain roads from Knoxville to New Brunswick last year and the ST went and felt like a sport bike when I wanted it to and did the touring bike mile eater thing when I needed it to. I feel the ST was one of the best motorcycle purchase I have ever made and if you can snap up an 06 in the 4K range you should do it.

I am in the middle of doing a full blown suspension upgrade to the bike. Rick at Cogent has my forks and he has ordered a Penske shock for me. The stock suspension is quite good and allows for an excellent pace but I spend a lot of time riding with people like Yellow Wolf and CC Rider (Red Wolf?) who have Traxxion equipped Gold Wings. I keep up with them on the St but I actually drag parts more than they do. Will be nice to have the additional lean angle and safety margin that top quality suspension provides. Couple of shots playing on the Dragon last year:

ST in Flight.jpg
ST1300 2 up with YW.jpg
 
Whoa! You've certainly got the ol'girl cranked over there Kebrider, 2 up too! I tip my hat to you sir.

I did manage to inadvertently scrape the pegs on my 1100 a few times, it shows just how nimble they can be for such a behemoth of a bike.
 
A used ST1300 is the ONLY other bike I've ever considered owning (keeping my NC).
It's the shaft drive that appeals most. MPG is about what our Honda Fit gets.
sadly, adding that bike to a stable of one NC would more than double maintenance bills around our house.
 
Whoa! You've certainly got the ol'girl cranked over there Kebrider, 2 up too! I tip my hat to you sir.

I did manage to inadvertently scrape the pegs on my 1100 a few times, it shows just how nimble they can be for such a behemoth of a bike.

I tend to drag things on occasion, only because i live so close to the mountains. I have driven the centerstand through a corner on the ST and I had to pull over and let my lower fairing cool off as it was smoking pretty heavy one morning while i was chasing KTMs in the hills. The brakes and chassis have superb sporting potential (relative to street riding) so my suspension upgrade should make the bike a real sleeper. A thoroughly enjoyable motorcycle is about to become even more entertaining.

Notice Yellow Wolf leading the charge in the 2-up shot?
 
Interested in this thread. I mulled an ST purchase many years ago but went with a 'Wing. Then I moved onto a German brand. The other day I went to my local dealer to have the combination meter recall performed and saw they still had a new 2012 ST1300. They wanted just shy of $13k for it. I've always heard about it being a good bike besides the high speed wobble and the heat output, but it seems today that there are too many bikes that out-do the ST for similar, if not better, prices. For example, they had an FJR1300 ES right next to it for just a couple hundred more. A quick search shows a TON of brand new 2012's out there. It's a shame that there are so many still out there considering they are said to be an excellent bike...
 
Interested in this thread. I mulled an ST purchase many years ago but went with a 'Wing. Then I moved onto a German brand. The other day I went to my local dealer to have the combination meter recall performed and saw they still had a new 2012 ST1300. They wanted just shy of $13k for it. I've always heard about it being a good bike besides the high speed wobble and the heat output, but it seems today that there are too many bikes that out-do the ST for similar, if not better, prices. For example, they had an FJR1300 ES right next to it for just a couple hundred more. A quick search shows a TON of brand new 2012's out there. It's a shame that there are so many still out there considering they are said to be an excellent bike...

I would have to agree with the top-flight competition the ST faces that opting for a brand new holdover (it is still a 2 to 5 year old bike) at similar pricing seems unlikely. One would have to be a true-blue Honda fan and a true-blue V-4 fan to make the purchase. The heat issue is overstated but the high speed instability is something that seems to really affect the ST's reputation. I have felt some instability when the Givi V47 is mounted and traveling at a spirited pace on the open road. Never when there is no top box and only when I had the stock windshield installed at the stock angle.

There is a well written thread on the ST forum that shows how to make a simple aluminum bracket that attaches between the windshield and its mounting place that increase the rearward angle of the shield, greatly cleaning up the airflow at all shield positions. Best mod I have done on the bike so far. Though it is not mentioned in the thread the change of airflow eliminated any high speed instability my ST had. The extremely quick steering of the ST is apparently sensitive to aerodynamics. Seems logical in that the shield is among the largest of any sport touring rig and the steering among the lightest and quickest. Something has to give.


KEB
 
A used ST1300 is the ONLY other bike I've ever considered owning (keeping my NC).
It's the shaft drive that appeals most. MPG is about what our Honda Fit gets.
sadly, adding that bike to a stable of one NC would more than double maintenance bills around our house.

I have both these bikes, a ST1300 and NC700X. I love both of these bikes. The ST1300 averages 30 MPG with my style of riding, cruising at 80 MPH on the freeways.

fuellyst1300.JPG

The ST1300 is great for longer trips and highways cruising. It's about 700 lbs, which is quite a handful around town and running short errands.
 
The other day I went to my local dealer to have the combination meter recall performed and saw they still had a new 2012 ST1300. They wanted just shy of $13k for it. I've always heard about it being a good bike besides the high speed wobble and the heat output, but it seems today that there are too many bikes that out-do the ST for similar, if not better, prices. For example, they had an FJR1300 ES right next to it for just a couple hundred more. A quick search shows a TON of brand new 2012's out there. It's a shame that there are so many still out there considering they are said to be an excellent bike...

I am a "True Blue" Honda Fan. It saddens me to say that the ST1300 is due for an update as it's design is over 10 year old. Some Police Agencies have been using this bike for several years now. I think that it has been held back for the "REVAMP" for a long time now, because of the PD service. I do believe that a bike has to be tested and approved before these agencies can purchase motorcycles for duty. This is a huge and limiting factor it faces, in regards to any new updates to the overall design and performance.

I personally think that the displacement should be increased to 1,400 or 1,450 cc to compete directly with Concourse 14. All the instrumentation should go to all digital with user selectable screens and all LED Lighting.

I rode the FJR1300 ES last March. I was not impressed with it. The seating position was more sport bike like, the throttle response was to "Flat" for my taste, especially in "Econo" mode.
 
I have both these bikes, a ST1300 and NC700X. I love both of these bikes. The ST1300 averages 30 MPG with my style of riding, cruising at 80 MPH on the freeways.

View attachment 22605

The ST1300 is great for longer trips and highways cruising. It's about 700 lbs, which is quite a handful around town and running short errands.

30.5 average mpg? Last tank 26.7 mpg? Might want to get that checked out. My Dodge Caravan beat that mileage on my trip back from skiing last weekend. And my Honda GL1800 averages 42 mpg. Something's not right with your ST.
 
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